Thoughts a Diver Has On Their First Ice Dives

Photo Credit: Jean-Francois Bolduc

The first few times you ice dive can be both exciting, and a tad nervewracking. Because seriously, who does that!?

Here's a little compilation of thoughts that most divers experience on their first few ice dives. This list is by no means exhaustive:

-Pulling up to the frozen lake and marvelling at how amazing this is gonna be

-Loading gear into sleds and hauling them across the ice to the entry point

-Let's jump on a sled of gear someone else is hauling, JUST to be an ass

-Realizing that pulling sleds full of heavy dive gear is a lot tougher than you thought

-Five loads later, wondering what ever happened to your cardio. Good thing you have upper body strength.

-Wondering if the ice will support the weight of your group and thousands of pounds of gear

-Riding a sled down the frozen side of the lake seems like an awesome plan

-Helping clear the area for the hole to be cut, and feeling pretty badass holding the chainsaw

-Getting sprayed by unexpected water and ice crystals as the hole is being cut

-Trying to pull chunks of ice out of the ice hole - and realizing you have no upper body strength

-Cutting the ice chunks a little smaller, because smaller ice chunks are easier to pull out of the hole

-Ok, maybe one size smaller

-Looking at the water in the ice hole and thinking "That looks kinda cold"

-Shovelling a smiley face into the snow expecing to see it from under the ice

-Getting really tired of shovelling

-Discovering that getting into your drysuit is a lot tougher when it's crunchy and cold

-Wondering if you really need all these extra layers for a twenty minute dive

-Discovering you had damp gear in your bag, which is now frozen solid

-Getting geared up, and having a seat on an ice block to hang out.

-Discovering your butt is now frozen to said ice block (and your friends have to help defrost your booty)

-Sitting in the ice hole, and wondering if you have enough insulation as the cold water hits your feet

-Getting pushed into the hole because your butt is now frozen to the edge of the ice

-Now that you're in the hole, realizing you totally should've worn that extra layer

-Getting clipped in to your tether, and wondering how you're going to avoid wrapping yourself up like a roast

-Thinking about how nice it'd be to have a warm roast right about now, maybe with potatoes

-Dunking your hands in hot water to prepare them for inevitably getting cold

-Forgetting the whole thing about taking a breath with your reg in the water to prevent a freeflow

-Having your reg freeflow everywhere

-Feeling hot water behind your head, and realizing your first stage is a popsicle that a kind person is defrosting for you

-Seeing your buddy clipped in next to you, and marvelling at how awkward and uncomfortable they look

-Realizing they're thinking the same thing about you

-Chatting with your tender before your descent, hoping you remember your rope signals (Was it four pulls for 'Coming Back'? No... Must be five. Definitely five. Or is that 'Emergency'?....)

-Descending. Sort of.

-Pushing yourself down using the bottom of the ice to start your descent, wondering what the hell you've gotten yourself into

-Starting the dive, and realizing THIS IS SO COOL!

-Forgetting to signal 'OK' to your tender - TUG. Ok. All good.

-OH MY GOD MY HEAD! COLD WATER IN MY HOOD! BRAIN FREEZE! BRAIN FREEZE! SON OF A - oh wait, all better now.

-Your buddy is good, you're good, you're ice diving! Yeah!

-Is that the start of a freeflow? That is so the start of a freeflow...

-Nope, it's not. Just an exhale. Phew.

-OOO look! A fish!

-Realizing your fingers are totally going numb

-Looking up - and seeing the underside of the ice

-Seeing the smiley face you shovelled, and a slightly phallic symbol your buddy shovelled for you

-Smiling at how awesome the underside of the ice is

-Cringing as your mask floods because you smiled. That water is chilly.

-Swimming along, and time to turn the dive - you and your buddy can't feel your fingers any more

-Four rope tugs. It was definitely four. You hope.

-Ascent, BONK - missing the giant hole you cut and hitting your head on the underside of the ice

-Realizing it's a good thing your hood is 10mm and nice and squishy

-Awkwardly waiting against the underside of the ice while your buddy gets into the hole first and gets out

-Pulling yourself into the hole, and being rudely manhandled and hauled out, - gear and all

-Having a kind person stick your hands in buckets of hot water to warm them up

-Crying because your hands hurt so good right now

-Realizing your BCD buckles are all frozen, and being thankful that someone is already pouring hot water on them

-BCD off, and your wet butt is frozen to the ice again.

-Someone hauls you out and takes your fins off for you

-Total Dive Time: Ten minutes O_o

-Realizing you just can't wait to do it all over again

Once you become an ice diver, you look forward to it every year. You see a frozen lake, and you wonder how thick the ice is, and whether it'd support you and all your gear. You'll have to explain to your friends and family that no, you are not joking; yes, it is a blast; no, you're not completely insane.

Is it a ton of work? Is it cold as balls? Yes. Is it worth it? Hell Yes. Will you want to do it again and again? Well, we seem to magically end up on a frozen lake with a chainsaw and dive gear every year, smiles on our faces, giddy with excitement. Give it a try, and decide for yourself. It might not be for you. Then again, it might be the most amazing thing you will ever try.

See you under the ice.

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