41 replies to this topic

[drdiver]

I'd be seriously in mind for something next year. Not theiir next summer, but the next, keep me in mind.

[Dive_Girl]

Since the window of opportunity for diving Antarctica is fairly narrow each year, maybe our plans will align within the next few years and we can have a two-person SD delegation (or more, if John doesn't go next year) to Antarctica!

Good idea! I like it! For a while now I too had been considered crazy and so I was thinking I'd end up doing a trip like this solo and making friends along the way. I even started corresponding with a guy stationed in Antarctica that my parents knew from Alaska to get more info. Very cool.

Also, a trip like this will be pricey which is why I need time to save up AND I want to make sure I have the appropriate gear for the diving. One of the main reasons I purchased my DUI TLS 350 was because it was what a team of Antarctica divers used. I don't typically list that as a reason for why I bought the suit, as it isn't practial knowledge nor something most people would use as a reason to purchase a particular suit. But lookey here, perfect thread to share that info now!

In all the info you've gathered John (or others) is there any indication of the type of equipment these operators want to see divers arrive with, sort of like equipment requirements for divers planning on Bikini Atoll and such?

And if we do go, we all have to do a "polar bear swim"!

[jpreston]

Dive Girl,

I use a DUI CF200 for the durability in wrecks, caves etc. I've been through a couple suits and this one has done me the best. I don't think it matters what type of suit but what kind of under garments...Thinsulate 400g would be best. I'm so use to using drysuits, argon and dry gloves since I dive Lake Superior and deep diving that I see 36-41 degree water on all my dives. Still a shock everytime we get in!

Our concern will be regulators...I use ScubaPro MK25 & G250's but I have the IP dropped to 125 for cold and Trimix use and rarely see a freeflow. I think a lot of Northern divers tend to go with Apexs 1st stages but I found the de-tuning works fine. If I was doing tropical diving I take them back up to 140 IP.

As for gear...bring extra dry gloves w/liners, suit repair material, extra mask (back-up suit if possible)...basiclly anything that would keep you from diving has been what I've seen and been told. Some of this may be regulated by the dive boat charter.

I to considered doing this solo because of the investment, if a small group of us we're to get this together maybe then we should all get together and do some cold water diving to be better prepared for the trip...that's down the road.

As for doing the "polar bear" swim...I'll do it but I will claim "cold water shrinkage" !

Let's keep working on this and see what we can come up with for a charter...getting a little closer to the dream!

John P.

[Dive_Girl]

My buddies up here all dive with Apex and they were so irked when they found out the ScubPro MK25 9which is what I was diving) matched or scored the Apex in some tech rankings...

So are MK25s first stages rated for freezing temperatures? I've read that a first stage in Antarctica can form a block of ice up to an inch thick, so you want an environmental sealed first stage and to be honest I don't know if the MK25 is (doh!). I current have been diving Poseidons xStreams and need to check on that (doh!).

I dive Weezle undergarments and don't know if I would need more than those as they are super warm and my favorite. Anyone's thoughts out there? I would also plan to double up on as much other equipment I could as well.

As for the drysuit itself, I agree undergarments are what keep you warm, but the suit itself is also important (according to the team notes that I read through) as neoprene drysuits can waterlog and actually freeze!!! That's one of the reasons I went with the TLS350. Another is it is light weight to pack. A lot of my male dive buddies dive CF200, but I found the suit heavy and any way I can reduce weight as a girl, I will! The TLS 350 will dry in about 5 minutes (sans the booties which are made out of the crushed neoprene. They do take a bit longer to dry but it is a small surface area). As a traveling instructor (we go 2.5+ hours to get to water), a light weight suit that drys quick is optimal. The weezle is lighter and packs smaller than a thinsulate too. Again, great for traveling.

So....I've put just a tiny thought into this in the past too! I'm headed to Australia in January, so I don't think I could personally plan an Antarctica trip for a few years, like Shamu. I am hoping for 2008? I know it seems forever off, but I would want to do it right. They say to plan on about $10,000!

Come on lottery ticket!!!!

Edited by Dive_Girl, 06 April 2005 - 10:50 PM.

[ShamuLovesMe]

I've got an Aqualung Glacia, which has an environmentally sealed first stage and is supposed to be made for ice diving (haven't done so yet, though). It even came with a dorky mouthpiece that covers your lips! My buddy who is going down south next January bought a different recommended reg, but I can't quite remember what kind... Sherwood Blizzard maybe?

At least one outfit requires you to bring two separate regs, so you can dive with a redundant system in case of freezing/freeflow. Regarding dry suits, I've also heard about the neoprene possibly freezing. I went to one of DUI's "Dog Days" demos a few weeks ago, and tried out the TLS350. The woman who helped me recommended it for ice diving, and also recommended against the neoprene for the aforementioned reason (it wasn't until later that I learned this woman was Susan Long, DUI's CEO, ha ha). I have no dry suit experience (I find them to be a pain in the ass, but that's probably because I'm not used to them), so that's certainly something I'll need to rectify long before making this trip.

We should definitely all keep in touch and see if our respective readiness (in terms of finances, training and equipment) enables us to go together. I wouldn't have the disposable cash till at least the 2007 season. But with possibly four of us now, that would be a good-sized SD contingent!

p.s. A cool dive report from an expedition back in 2000. Kind of long, but a fun read...

Edited by ShamuLovesMe, 06 April 2005 - 11:35 PM.

[Dive_Girl]

Here's another good site too with photo galleries, the gearing up section has a lot of great info and photos, and there is a great informational page regarding wanting to dive in Antarctica with links to operators and such!

Diving Under Antarctica Ice

And that Susan Long, one smart lady...from the Gearing Up page:

"Trilaminate drysuits are advantageous for diving out in the open when it is extremely cold and windy. Trilaminate drysuits don't retain surface moisture as do compressed neoprene drysuits. Surface moisture on a compressed neoprene drysuit will freeze and stiffen the drysuit which makes it very cumbersone to maneuver in a drysuit topside. In addition, trilaminate drysuits tend to be lighter than compressed neoprene drysuits which helps in keeping overall equipment weight down for weight-limited helicoptering to remote field sites."

Edited by Dive_Girl, 06 April 2005 - 11:44 PM.

[ShamuLovesMe]

Here's another good site too with photo galleries, the gearing up section has a lot of great info and photos, and there is a great informational page regarding wanting to dive in Antarctica with links to operators and such!

Diving Under Antarctica Ice

Ah yes, I've seen that site a few times. I'm a big fan of Norbert Wu's work... even have one of his coffee table books (on my coffee table).

[Dive_Girl]

... even have one of his coffee table books (on my coffee table).

You rebel you...

[jpreston]

I agree that the lighter suit is best for travel and keeping the suit from freezing topside as I've stood out on the ice at -5 degrees after getting out of the water and it's a bit stiffer after a minute of two. The only caution I can give you with the trilams is that my buddies who have done numerous ice dives with had to send back their DUI suit after 1 or 2 dives because the wristseals started to come unglued...this happened 3 times in 2 months...always after ice diving.

DUI didn't have a answer but what we found is after the dive some moisture works into part of the glued seal and causes to pull apart when in freezing temps on the surface. So I would recommend new wrist seals prior to the trip.

I was told before that our MK25 can be enviro-sealed...big pain in the ass but if I was doing a once in a lifetime trip it better be perfect! I will confirm this as I have 9 MK25's w/G250's. I won't be back in the states until next week so unless one of you find out before hand let us all know.

As for if the MK25 are rated for freezing water...I believe they are w/ sealed kit. But I use mine all the time in freezing water, no problems (with lower IP pressure).

I have no problem waiting a year of two for this trip, and if we can get a better rate for a small group that would be even better and more fun!

Shamu you mentioned the lip shield, some divers up north here also use the neoprene face mask to cover any exposed face area...downside is if your reg comes out of your mouth it takes a little bit of effort to get it past the material and back in. Better do some diving with this prior.

If all of you want to pm me on local diving locations you tend to dive I may be able to meet up and dive with each of you as I travel all over. Kinda of like to know who I'm diving with if I'm going to dish out 10K+ for a dive trip.

Do all of you dive doubles? Stages etc. Haven't had the oppurtunity to see if the charters allow this or have them for us to use.

Well off to work I go into beautiful Montreal...I hate traffic

[ShamuLovesMe]

If all of you want to pm me on local diving locations you tend to dive I may be able to meet up and dive with each of you as I travel all over. Kinda of like to know who I'm diving with if I'm going to dish out 10K+ for a dive trip.

John,

Actually, I'd like to come where you dive next winter to get some real-world ice diving experience before shelling out that kind of cash. Not only a good idea for practical reasons, but also required by most of the outfits that run expeditions to Antarctica. I'd even like to get an ice diving certification, since I don't get the opportunity to do lots of ice diving like you. (The water's cold here in California, but not THAT cold!)

Mike

[Big O]

Every year I tell myself Im going to get ice certified here in Ohio, and the schedule never, ever works out.

One of theses days it will I hope!

Enjoy that once in a lifetime trip!

Dave

[Dive_Girl]

Believe it or not, I would have to travel far away to do ice diving. I will have to get that certification too. I know, I know it's a shocker being in our cold waters up here there isn't more ice! But, the ocean in our area only dips down to the low 40s during the winter. The local lakes do get down to 34, but they don't ice over because the topside temps in the Portland area don't get down and stay down for to form or substain ice on lakes.

I think it's a great idea to plan dive get togethers preceding planning a trip of this magnitude. We could be the extreme crazy diver faction of SD!

Other big trip wish-list:
Diving with Great Whites in Africa
Diving with Orcas in Norway
Bikini Atoll



Thanks for the DUI seal info John! I'll bet you have tons of tips and tricks like that about diving in near freezing temps. Keep 'em coming! I won't have time to chase down MK25 info this week, but I think we have some time .

[jpreston]

I ran some airfares from Ohio, San Deigo, Portland all of them from a Thursday to Monday flights and all under $300, so if next winter when the ice is on I can set-up a ice diving weekend/class and there is a local hotel etc.

If you are not diving dry yet...better get a suit! We dive dry year round up here.

I could also set-up some shore diving on a few wrecks on the North shore of Lake Superior that will get you into some cold water diving, we can do this anytime of the year.

I have numerous sets of twin 95's, 85's, 112's and single tanks and the dive store would loan out equipment (weights etc.) for no cost if you came here. I can haul everyone around, provide accomadations and travel to and from the airport if needed.

So if you are serious, just drop me a e-mail or pm and I will get it set-up for you.

Dive Girl...dream dives...Bikini Atoll oh yes. Palau deep wrecks. Couple wrecks in Superior that are 300ft.+, I can do the Great Whites as long as I can swim faster than you

Big O, will be in Ohio this year to dive Gilboa, I have family in Indiana so I always stop in and do some dives. I will let you know when my next trip is and we can do some diving.

Tip; Purge your suit at least 3 times with Argon before getting into the water, will displace any and most air and will reduce all condensation in your suit, thus you stay warmer longer.

Unofficial Tip: Some of us that dive G250's put silicone seal treatment on the outside of the second stage diaphram, I started doing this because the diaphram stiffens slightly in very cold water and can cause some freeflows. I have removed the pin on the stage cover so I can slightly turn it loose to stop them also.

Today...Toronto traffic

[Dive_Girl]

Dive Girl...dream dives...Bikini Atoll oh yes. Palau deep wrecks. Couple wrecks in Superior that are 300ft.+, I can do the Great Whites as long as I can swim faster than you

I don't know man, I'm pretty quick in the water...

[jpreston]

You are so bad DG...

Happy to say I'm heading back to the USA today!