Water temperature

[Jimmer]

Just a scheduled ice dive, not a cert.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Just a scheduled ice dive, not a cert.

Just curious. I'd like to do an ice dive or two someday and am just not sure if I should take a cert course or just do it with folks who have lots of experience and coordinate the dive well.

 

[Jimmer]

None of us in the water yesterday were certified ice divers. My instructor who has been teaching for decades, and has done who knows how many ice dives, organized it, gave us a basic rundown of what to expect and how to handle situations, then in we went. Personally I think if you're with a group of experienced people who will basically tell you how it all works without charging you for a card, then go for it. As my instructor pointed out yesterday "What do you need an ice diver card for? To show it to the charter boat captain as he drives you out to the ice?"

 

[Divin'Papaw]

None of us in the water yesterday were certified ice divers. My instructor who has been teaching for decades, and has done who knows how many ice dives, organized it, gave us a basic rundown of what to expect and how to handle situations, then in we went. Personally I think if you're with a group of experienced people who will basically tell you how it all works without charging you for a card, then go for it. As my instructor pointed out yesterday "What do you need an ice diver card for? To show it to the charter boat captain as he drives you out to the ice?"

All very good points!

 

[brutus_scuba]

None of us in the water yesterday were certified ice divers. My instructor who has been teaching for decades, and has done who knows how many ice dives, organized it, gave us a basic rundown of what to expect and how to handle situations, then in we went. Personally I think if you're with a group of experienced people who will basically tell you how it all works without charging you for a card, then go for it. As my instructor pointed out yesterday "What do you need an ice diver card for? To show it to the charter boat captain as he drives you out to the ice?"

In a thread I started about my first ice dive I encouraged people to go out and take the class but I must admit I was not part of a formal class because I was with an instructor friend of mine who has a number of ice dives under his belt and did teach us what we needed to know before jumping in the water, and then he actually did three ice dives taking me and two others who had never ice dove before on the dive one on one and we also learned to tend the lines at the surface along with other expierenced ice divers watching over. I agree with you completely. I just didn't want to give the impression in the other thread that not having any instruction as to what was going on can be dangerous.

 

[engdiver]

Not to highjack this thread, but I have a question for you warm water divers. What is to cold for diving in just a lycra skin wetsuit? I have dove in Cozumel and Cayman Brac in August in just a lycra suit with water temps around 80 deg.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Not to highjack this thread, but I have a question for you warm water divers. What is to cold for diving in just a lycra skin wetsuit? I have dove in Cozumel and Cayman Brac in August in just a lycra suit with water temps around 80 deg.

That would be about it ... low 80s. Maybe upper 70s if you don't chill easily. I think the lycra suits are really for protection from the sun and other hazards in water that is warm enough to dive without thermal protection. That would pretty much be water in the 80s.

 

[Jimmer]

In a thread I started about my first ice dive I encouraged people to go out and take the class but I must admit I was not part of a formal class because I was with an instructor friend of mine who has a number of ice dives under his belt and did teach us what we needed to know before jumping in the water, and then he actually did three ice dives taking me and two others who had never ice dove before on the dive one on one and we also learned to tend the lines at the surface along with other expierenced ice divers watching over. I agree with you completely. I just didn't want to give the impression in the other thread that not having any instruction as to what was going on can be dangerous.

Yeah we did the same thing, basically an informal course. Learning to tend lines, safety procedures etc. I agree as long as you are with an experienced instructor or even just a very experienced ice diver covering the details, the actual specialty course seems a little overkill.

 

[Reef Man]

I dove Jamaica waters in a lycra....not bad at all, I also dive the lakes here in AZ...last dive was Saturday and the water temp was 53 deg..... used a 7mil full suit, gloves and full hood....stayed fine...did two dives...second dive I got a bit chilly...Great dives had lots of fun!!!

 

[Carribeandiver]

I take that to mean there's probably not much chance of getting you to join in on a Pontchartrain expedition?

did I mention that incredibly low viz is also something that I do not particularly like? Besides what is there to see in the Lake? Are there even any fish there?