Ice diving

[mattd]

I should know in a couple days if instructor #1 is going to work out.  If he doesn't, I have a second instructor and another backup in mind.  I need to get details on price and time, but it is sounding like the newbies will be in class sometime in Jan.  There are three of us so far with interest.  So if Ice-a-palooza was held in late Jan or Feb, that would be great from my perspective.

[arcFlash]

Fair enough, I have to be out of town around the new years so between xmas and new years works but it can't turn into a project, I need to make it an easy one day.

[doug67]

Spectical lake up by me would be cool through the ice. Its a smaller lake so the ice might be thicker. The vis is really good in the early part of spring/summer. Maybe not so much to see though. I would like to see really good ice on Tonka before we go for that.

[Terry]

                  I have to agree with the Klienster, Minnetonka's too big to go out screwing around above the wrecks on ice thats not packing 12 inches. Theres lots of winter left, seems Dec. and April suck in MN for diving due to ice in and out, limits the options. Steves idea of Prior is dandy lots of solid bottom, but need to be able to drive out to get to the best spots. A few of us are headed to dive the shark tank at the Mall of America this Sun between 1 and 5 pm so if you'd like to come laugh,,,I mean check it out, feel free, then were headed over to Chevys to throw back a few.    TRINITY

[JointVentureDive]

Hi All.
First I would like to say that I AM NOT ICE CERTIFIED.  But I have plenty of dive experience and lots of reading on the subject.

I just thought I would make a comment or two about some things that I have read on this  thread. 


1.  I Absolutely disagree with any dives greater then 100 -125 feet of line out.    When I read that some had 600 300 275 and 200 feet of line out, I cannot imagine that it is very safe.  You are compounding a problem should you have one while under water. 

How can you possibly manage that much line.   When I go on wreck dives, with lines, its difficult at times.  Murphys old law,   ETC> 

2.  Color codes.   Need to be consistent, NOT THE ELECTRO SPECTRUM.

3.  When I watched this video.     It seems to me that several things were done that could and should not be done. 

I am not being critical here but this is in the book.   

1.  don't breath on your regulators while above the water.  When I watched the divers sitting on the ice ready to go in, it appeared to me that they were there for a while, and most likely were breathing through the regulators.  Its my understanding that you should not do this, as it increases the likelyhood of a freeflow, as the cold rushing air through the 1st stage is more likely to freeze due to the cold air temp. whereas, the water temp would most likely be warmer and safer for your first breaths. 
2.  when one of the divers went in, no helper tended to her tank,which was lifted up behind her, could have caused additional problems.
3.  NO OK SIGNAL ONCE IN THE WATER.. no BUDDY  OK... checks..  I didn't see any, 
4.  I think they had to many divers down in one whole. It looked like at least 4 divers were there.  How do you manage that many lines, and tenders and ready divers to help in case of an emergency?

Tell me if I'm wrong on any of this.  I wasn't there, but just some things I observed. 

Nicki

[arcFlash]

Your not wrong but none of those "no no's" amount to anything. The guy running the show in the video is an experienced commercial diver.

The tent is 70+, most regs are environmentally sealed so it's less of an issue. Free flows are rare with quality gear and when they do happen, you just turn off the air and dump a bit of the hot water on them and they stop.

Helping everyone in. It's not dangerous to slide into a hole unassisted. It's quit easy and of the 80 plus entries I've made or seen it's like falling off a log.  If the hole is small or poorly shaped you just slide in slower.

Color code, we agree it should all be the same, Get everyone on the same system and you have my vote. I use integers but that's a mess as I use meters. Try and get them to uniform something we need like signals as well.

Scuba center does 3 down, and you need to get trained to understand the lines but it's ONE.

Lastly, line length is a personal choice to a point. If you only want 100, great but don't go to a wreck at 70feet because your out of rope unless it's under the hole and even then your limited to a few feet. How many holes can you open to see one 50 foot boat? Does depth count or just horizontal run? What make 120 safer than 140 or 150? I guess you've been past 130 on an AOW card so you already know how it works.  If someone want's 250 that's their choice if the team agrees they will attempt to rescue at that distance.  I'll go 200 on a rescue, past that and your on your own so we don't run that much line under normal conditions. 

[ScubaAl]

Nice video, but I did get kind of a chill just watching. Looked like a very well organized setup. Myself I prefer one diver per line, but what ever people are most comfortable with.
Also I know this gets debated from time to time, but we just push the block of ice down and out of the way. NO we never have had a problem.
Something that's kind of fun is a night/ice dive. Have a generator running halogen lights that you place at some distance from the hole pointing down, cool effect.

Al

[doug67]

Got an ice report today. Guy on the job site went out on Green lake between Princeton and Cambridge and had 4" of ice. I thought there would be more. I'm not in a rush, theres lots of winter left. I say once the ice get a little thicker we do some dives to get are system down then shoot for a nice sunny day in late Feb or early March and hit Tonka. We could set up a stage and get a band, grill some burgers,drink some beers, wet tee shirt contests, everything. It could be the best divapollooza ever. ;D

[Terry]

                        I'll bring the generator! I do like Al's  idea of some intense lights shining into the ice from above, might make for some cool photos.

[mcdiver]

Ok Steve, the chainsaw is ready to go, just let me know when and where.

About the size of that hole