14 replies to this topic

[warren_l]

Ice diving report - Saturday March 20, 2004

Location: Kirkfield Quarry, Kirkfield, Ontario

This was the last ice dive of the season, and the conditions were prime for ice diving. We had a little snowfall, but the temperatures were a few degrees above freezing. What a perfect day!

The ice had started to weaken a bit - noticeably so as it was getting easier to saw through compared to the same dive we did 2 weeks prior. The ice thickness had diminshed about 4 inches to about 10 inches, which is about 3 inches more than the minimum we were comfortable with.

Water temps at the surface started at 32F and warmed up to about 39F at the bottom.The visibility was quite good at about 30 feet. During the summer, viz here drops dramatically to 10 feet or less.

Anyhow, here are some images from the dive.

[Dejah]

Very pretty pic's of the dive site and geesh isn't that a bit scary with all that ice around?? Do you ever worry that you won't find your way back to get out or do you make sure to only go very short distances from the hole in the ice?

Being the newbie that I still am, I'm not real familar with ice diving...

And, the water temps shoot that makes me shiver just thinking about it... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[WreckWench]

Awesome trip report! Thanks for being our first one and setting such a nice model for others to follow! The pics were great! However I've with Dejah...just a tad too cold for my warm Texan blood. But then...that is why we run WARM water trip destinations LOL!!! ww

[warren_l]

Divers are tethered with a safety line (the yellow lines in the pictures) with a maximum penetration of about 100 ft. We're also encouraged to dive with redundancy (pony or doubles). Generally, it's no problem making our way back.

We actually shovel out concentric circles on the surface so that underneath, you can look up and the entrance should be in the centre, kind of like a bulls-eye.

It's quite a lot of fun, these ice dives. It's a great team building effort as well, since you rely greatly on the surface support. We use line signals (tugging on the line once, twice, or more) to communicate with the surface.

And it's really not all that cold while diving - I don't know if anyone will believe me on this or not! The coldest part of the whole thing is actually getting out of your gear in sub-zero temperatures. I was in for 30 minutes and could have easily doubled that, but our dive profile was only for half an hour.

[WisconsinGal]

BRRRRRRRRRR!

Great report! Thanks for sharing

The pics are awesome!

[WreckWench]

Not that Wisconsin is any warmer....so where exactly were you diving in the picture you are using as your avator WG????

[Blublood]

Great stuff!!!! Thanks for the report!

[Diverlady]

Hey! That looks like home!

Wait a minute, that is home! Or just an hour away from my home. Another balmy day in The Great White North!

Thanks Warren! Nice pics.

Diverlady

[Bubble2Bubble]

Thanks Warren
For the dive report! Is that the Edmond Fitsgerald

I'm not a WWW I'd like to try that someday. Thanks Again
O ya could you do that dive with a 6.5 farmer john with a hood and booties ?


Mike

Edited by Bubble2Bubble, 23 March 2004 - 09:02 AM.

[Diverlady]

O ya could you do that dive with a 6.5 farmer john with a hood and booties ?


Mike

You could. I'd suggest taking some bottles of hot water to pour down your suit before jumping in. A friend of mine just did the icediving course in his wetsuit.

Diverlady

[zendiver]

DANG, and I thought I was cold last weekend in 66 degree water....thanks for sharing. I will finish up my trip report from this past weekends diving out in the GULF at the Flower Gardens. Great weekend for MANY reasons.

-Zendiver

[warren_l]

Thanks Warren
For the dive report! Is that the Edmond Fitsgerald

I'm not a WWW I'd like to try that someday. Thanks Again
O ya could you do that dive with a 6.5 farmer john with a hood and booties ?


Mike

Edmund Fitzgerald? LOL! Maybe if it was another 500 feet deeper perhaps....

I've ice dove in a 6.5mm wetsuit before, so yes, it can be done. I actually prefer to go wet, even on these dives for the diving itself. The cold is not a huge factor as I have a 1mm skin that I wear underneath to help keep a static layer of moisture which keeps me toasty. The issue is more in gearing down. Getting out of a wet wetsuit in freezing temperatures is no fun. Drysuit is great in this respect - quick and relatively easy.

[warren_l]

DANG, and I thought I was cold last weekend in 66 degree water....thanks for sharing. I will finish up my trip report from this past weekends diving out in the GULF at the Flower Gardens. Great weekend for MANY reasons.

-Zendiver

Ok, now you're just taunting us!

I would kill for 66F water temps right about now.....

[WisconsinGal]

Not that Wisconsin is any warmer....so where exactly were you diving in the picture you are using as your avator WG????

This is true, Wisconsin isn't much warmer..lol I haven't attempted ice diving nor do I think that's on my agenda cuz I get cold easy, and there's something about being enclosed in ice that makes me kinda nervous

That pic was taken in Florida, off of Pompano beach. I think that dive was near the sea emperor.

[Bubble2Bubble]

Warren
Yes I am interested in icediving But

Getting out of a wet wetsuit in freezing temperatures is no fun.

I bet it is LoL on a day like that!!! This give's a new meaning for sure!