Who Loves Ice Diving? I do!

[JDostal]

I get to go ice diving this weekend - I can't wait. I finally got my drysuit, and took the class about two weeks ago.

This weekend, one of the dive shops in the state are having a little ice dive social. $10, and they cut the holes and provide food and warm drinks. I can not wait for Sunday to roll around.

The dive is even at my favorite dive site, which I haven't seen since September. It's going to be great getting back there and diving the familiar spots.

One of the best things about diving under the ice has got to be the visibility. It's amazing, once all the algae dies out from the water. Even if the viz isn't that great, it doesn't matter. It'll be a fun day of hanging out with my diving group and just getting in the water.

 

[scuberd]

holy crap, you have got to be nuts
all I ask for is liquid water, anything warmer is iceing on the cake, but you have to be crazy

have fun and stay warm =-)

 

[SwimJim]

Enjoy that drysuit. I was going to get one this year, but my wifes van got a transmission instead. Oh well the wet suit still works good.
Have a good time and dive safe!

 

[JDostal]

Sorry to hear that SwimJim - my dry suit was a combination of saving money and a little gift from the tax return fairy.

The water temp was 37F on the last dive of my training class. Really, in the drysuit, it's not that bad. The only really, really cold part are your lips. Those get pretty numb after a couple of minutes but other than that it's not bad.

Either that, or I just want to dive so bad my subconscious is blocking out the cold

 

[akforsyth]

Ice diving...HELL YA! Been waiting all year for it again, can't weait to to try out the new suit!!!=-)

 

[JDostal]

I love my drysuit, but I'm still not used to the fact that I'm in the water....and dry. It's just kind of a goofy feeling the first couple of times.

But, I'll definitely be able to get used to it :slick:

 

[Big-t-2538]

I have got to get a dry-suit...it would really be a lot of fun to be able to dive year round. I'm not sure I would be all for the ice diving, but I can't say given the right opportunity I would pass it up. Anyway, enjoy your dives, and if you don't mind my asking, what kind of dry-suit did you get???

 

[JDostal]

I wasn't too sure about ice diving at first either, but once I got the suit, I figured why not, you've got to try everything once. Now I really like it

I bought a Typhoon Front Entry suite, Style DSO. I got it used, with insulation, socks, hood and dry gloves for $800. The guy I bought it from was 6'3" and it was a little short on him. I'm 6'2" so it fit perfect. He only had 9 dives on it. All I had to do was replace the neck seal because it was a little big on me.

 

[Nessie]

Well, let´s say I love diving. And if there is ice, then it´s going to be ice-diving.
But most times it just scares the hell out of me. Not the diving itself, but seeing the way some of the ice-divers do their dive.
This winter two more divesites were closed for ice-diving because Darwin did his job last year.
The worst I have seen was a solo-diver who had nobody at the surface, no buddy underwater and had attached his rope with a nail into the ice.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I like to do a few ice dives a year and usually do more than a few. This year though we didn't have enough people interested to do an ice class and nobody wanted to ice dive. Since they all got cave trained that's all they want to do so instead of cutting holes at the local quarry we've been driving back and forth to the caves.

I also miss the chilli and stuff folks bring to ice dives.

Last week I talked to Mike over at Gilboa to find out what the conditions were. I had a last minute drysuit student. Anyway the place was iced over so the class was off but he told me that they will even cut the hole for diviers wanting to dive. I haven't ever done an ice dive without having to do alot of work first and it sounded pretty good to me. I still couldn't get anyone interested in a spin under the ice. Darned "cave divers" said they had seen the bottom of Gilboa and it was too cold. I never suspected cave training would make wimps out of this bunch. Well mabe they are just feeling too good about themselves to do ice dives in quarries anymore. I hope I'm never too good to eat chilli and do ice dives!