Ice Divers: Potential 'Advanced Ice Diver' specialty course

[lowviz]

The tether idea comes from public service diving.

Yes, indeed it does. I took Butch's course from Butch, it was most worthwhile (and entertaining).

Consider the level of training that most PSD ice responders have. His course is intended to be overly cautions as 'Job 1' for every responder is to go home at the end of the day. Recreational ice diving is entirely another animal (from the standpoint of training). We pick the time and conditions and get to call the dive if things don't suit us, not so for PSD's.

I would argue that a course that made the recreational ice diver more aware of hazards and better able to deal with them would be worthwhile in the recreational world. I would also contend that going untethered is far too big a jump from any initial ice diving course.

 

[abnfrog]

you forgot defendable in court, untethered isn't ......comparing cave to ice is like comparing apples and oranges . most ice deaths are because of being UNTETHERD and getting lost , morrision quarry comes to mind (its on here scubaboard some where ) I cant remember an ice diver who was tethered dieing ..(35 years ) if you can single you can get out)...........im not going to debate the way I teach , I belive it to be safe and fun . (defenable to standards ).....

 

[rjack321]

you forgot defendable in court, untethered isn't ......comparing cave to ice is like comparing apples and oranges . most ice deaths are because of being UNTETHERD and getting lost , morrision quarry comes to mind (its on here scubaboard some where ) I cant remember an ice diver who was tethered dieing ..(35 years ) if you can single you can get out)...........im not going to debate the way I teach , I belive it to be safe and fun . (defenable to standards ).....

Are you a cave diving instructor or cave diver?

 

[lowviz]

comparing cave to ice is like comparing apples and oranges

I agree.

This is the Advanced forum, totally recreational. I don't see how cave or technical arguments directly apply to what I consider to be a 'high end' yet totally recreational course.

 

[shurite7]

Letting everyone know that there is a rare opportunity for anyone holding an ice card to take an advanced ice course.

I too am interested in what you mean by advanced. Walt's book is a decent one for ice diving; a bit on the pricey side, though. John Heine's book is also quite decent at a less expensive price.

Sounds like a good time! Those sort of things are important to prepare for.
Cameron

The local university group travels to Antarctica and dive untethered underneath the ice at McMurdo Station. We have a sunken vessel inside a bay not too far from us which we can dive untethered if the viz is good enough.

 

[abnfrog]

key word if the viz is good enough , (and the ice don't move )

 

[lowviz]

The local university group travels to Antarctica and dive untethered underneath the ice at McMurdo Station.

Wow, that would be an experience!

I presume that they are diving under AAUS oversight. Please share the training/experience requirements to do such a dive untethered.

 

[shurite7]

Wow, that would be an experience!

I presume that they are diving under AAUS oversight. Please share the training/experience requirements to do such a dive untethered.

Training was via AAUS standards. Training was conducted in MT (ice, deep, drysuit for example) and on the WA coast with UW. The diving was under NOAA regulations, or more accurately McMurdo diving rules.

The most important thing to keep in mind is situational awareness, know where the hole is. Viz was several hundred feet. A line was dropped down that held a pony and a flashing beacon light. In reality there wasn't a great deal of "training" beyond what one would expect. The big difference was the lack of a BCD. Everyone dived without one per McMurdo's requirement.

 

[rjack321]

Do you know the reason McMurdo prohibits BCDs?

 

[shurite7]

Do you know the reason McMurdo prohibits BCDs?

It had to do with an incident in which someone was using a BCD for lifting and things went wrong. BCDs were banded after that.