Ice Dive=Nice Dive?

Ever winter we gear up for a day or two of diving under the ice.  I'm always amazed at the looks we get when we mention ice diving.  There are always those who ask an incredulous, "WHY?"  But there are others who are 100% as soon as they hear about it.  I think it is one of the best-"been there, done that" dives in the sport.  Hands down, you will win any battle of the stories when you break out the one about the time you went under the ice!!

 

The experience begins with your Advanced Open Water and continues with some drysuit experience.  That can be done as part of the Advanced class or as a stand alone specialty.  Once you know which way is up in a dry suit (not an easy feat in itself), you are ready for the Ice Diver class.  Yes, you need to have done the class first.  The class consists on one class session where we go over the logistics of the dive.  You need to cut the whole, move the ice, have safety lines and a tender.  Not quite the same as grabbing some gear and hitting the Crater.  We then hit the lake for a Saturday of fun.  We try to have a two weekend "window" so if the weather is nasty the first, we can hit it the second. (and yes, we learned this a few years ago when we froze our butts off at Strawberry in a storm only to have beautiful weather the next Saturday!)

We usually dive Deer Creek but have done Strawberry, Rockport and Scofield in years previous.  We are headed out February 23.  Stop by and see us at Deercreek!!