Who is doing Ice Diving this season?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I would be interested in doing a basic course somewhere around or close (within a few hours drive) to northern VA.

I wish! In order to reach thick ice that you can cut a hole in, the driving distance from our place will be more than a few hours. I have practically given up on finding good ice diving close to DC because it would be like attempting to play ice hockey in a desert. It can be done but ...

If you are up for it then we can take a small caravan and meet up with Abnfrog neat Toronto. He was my ice diving instructor and I have been meaning to get together for another ice dive. The drive is beautiful.

 

[abnfrog]

remember that accommodations is free on the course , sometimes you have to travel for agood learning experience ....ive had people drive 12 hours to us , I asked them if it was worth it ,they thought so , flying is an option large airport 1 hour away , ( we pick up and deliver )bring your suit bc ,mask fins reg ..(like flying anywhere we can supply the rest ...........

 

[Schwob]

....ive had people drive 12 hours to us , I asked them if it was worth it , f

T'was worth it for me!
Bundling it with the VIP inspection class helped with that too.

Disclaimer: "Worth it " n conjunction with scuba anything mostly is on an emotional level with me... If I tried to justify dollars and time spent per hour underwater on a rational level... I wouldn't be diving.
Can't make the treck this year so. Obligated to be elsewhere...

 

[abnfrog]

@Schwob too bad ..we love to see you again...... as you know sitting in on most classes you have taken with us are FREE the second time

 

[lowviz]

might do an advanced if enough people want it

I find this most interesting.

I am the furthest diver there is from a 'card collector', but I do admit that I have a few favorites. NAUI (Specialty Diver) 'Blackwater Diver 1' is one of them. @abnfrog, you are certainly qualified to offer a sanctioned specialty card.

Do you have, or are you willing to develop, a specialty 'Advanced Ice Diver' course? I would love to discuss either online, PM, or email...

 

[abnfrog]

I have authored several "specialty courses " over the last 20 or so years , for several agencies some even morphed into standard courses.....what we called the advanced ice course were just a bunch of higher skills and techniques that revolve around emergency events and decisive actions to them with practical application's

 

[lowviz]

Do standards allow you to run basics and advanced within the same timeframe?

 

[abnfrog]

no they do not.....(I am not aware of any agencies that have a advanced ice dive standard program )....... there are no courses that you can do simultaneously ,inso much as dive at the same time ,they can be taught together but are really separate courses

 

[lowviz]

Understood. I didn't phrase my question all that well.

I should have asked: Can you run an advanced 'specialty' program (for already certified ice divers) along with your standard basic program?

Everyone will be on-site for the duration of the basic course so (I'm thinking) it may be possible to train two sets of divers, one set being basic and the other one advanced.

 

[ajtoady]

OK,,I have to ask, Where in the Great White North are you located? Also, do you do other courses such as VIP and or reg courses?