Divers get the fever, but does that fever transfer to ice diving? Divers in cold climates will tell you ice diving is a thrill.
Every February a group of divers from Denver and Colorado Springs arrive in the small town of Twin Lakes, Colorado anxious to experience a cool new adventure. Ice diving is a specialty that you just don't run out and do without a fair amount of organizing, planning and most important specialized training. PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) offers courses in ice diving preparing divers for the frosty journey.
Ice diving has some unique equipment requirements. This group of Colorado divers begins by assembling diver quarters, similar in size to an ice fisherman's hut times ten. Structure in place they then cut a triangular hole through the 22 inch thick ice using an auger and ice saw. This hole will serve as the divers doorway to the lake. After six hours of preparing the dive site it is time to relax, have a good dinner and unpack the drysuit for tomorrow's dive.
Diving in these extreme conditions is a major departure from warm water diving. Ice diving requires a safety diver and line tender. Both stay topside and monitor the progress of each team. The safety diver is prepared to immediately enter the water to assist the team with any emergencies. The tender will monitor the line that will be tethered to each of the three divers making up a team. Ice divers communicate to the topside tender via their tether line through a series of tugs on the rope. One tug - okay? Two tugs-advance the line out, three tugs- take up the slack and four tugs- pull us in. The actions of the line tender ensure the safety of the team by reading the line so they don't become tangled.
So what is the allure? Ice divers will tell you that under the cover of the ice the visibility is clear, the light is beautiful as it filters through the ice giving the sensation of permanent twilight and of course, the undeniable thrill. And believe it or not it is often colder at the surface than in the water.
Dive Day. Divers and spectators load equipment for the caravan to the lake. Excitement is at an all time high as they assemble gear and review final dive plans. The Colorado divers ready for their dive are positioned and seated with legs dangling into the triangular opening in the ice. Last minute equipment adjustments are made, divers tethered and teamed to line tenders with a safety diver on standby. The water temperature is 34 degrees, air temperature low 20's.
They go down for the dive. The team stays underwater 22 minutes and emerges smiling, excited and invigorated. The visibility was crystal clear; they watched their own air bubbles dance on the underside of the ice as they moved smoothly through the dive. Sound enticing?
If you are interested in a PADI Ice Diving Specialty course log onto www.padi.com to locate a dive center near you. The best and safest way to enjoy your first ice dive is to do it with other divers excited about diving under the ice and by enrolling in a PADI Ice Diving Specialty course.
If you are not convinced that ice diving is for you there are a variety of warm water alternatives in tropical destinations. PADI has over 1400 dive centers and resorts worldwide.
Or join in on the PADI Diving Society activities. The PADI Diving Society is a unique, lifestyle organization made up of more than 175,000 divers and water enthusiasts. Supported by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Sport Diver magazine, the official publication of the PADI Diving Society, Society membership helps divers stay connected with the latest adventures in diving. Society members enjoy enriched dive experiences and new opportunities through member-only events, and receive valuable benefits including savings on dive education, equipment and travel. PADI Diving Society members stay educated, entertained and informed on a variety of dive related topics - including the need to preserve and protect the marine environment and the latest conservation efforts of Project AWARE - through the fabulous photography and inspired writing Sport Diver magazine.
PADI - The way the world learns to dive. www.padi.com |
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