Cold Comfort - Part I
Posted By Paul Osmond on 12 December 2003
This article does not present the complete picture of ice diving and does not replace proper training and experience. If the reader wishes to participate in ice diving or extreme cold water diving, they should take an ice diving course as well as a course on overhead environments like cave or wreck penetration.
“This is not happening”, I thought as my regulator hissed its last breath and exploded in a torrent of air giving me the ultimate ice cream headache. I quickly switched to my backup regulator an attempted, in vain, to close down the free flowing primary. I scanned the vicinity to find my buddies but they were too far away to render assistance or even know I was in trouble. As my life support bubbled away I immediately felt myself becoming more buoyant, followed shortly by my flailing form breeching the surface while still trying to shut down the free flow. Abandoning the valve closure I decided it was more prudent to inflate my wing, with what little gas I had left, so I would not drown mere meters from the dock.
So ended one of my early attempts at cold water diving. In retrospect, I was very lucky, all things considered, but the experience left me shaken because it exposed a variety of vulnerabilities and mistakes that would have been costly in a slightly harsher environment. Had the surface been frozen or the dive closer to decompression limits, I may not have gotten away unscathed. I was convinced that my pitiful performance was inexcusable, based on 10 years of diving experience, and if I was to continue I had to master this new frontier.
I am often asked, “Why bother to ice dive at all”? My replies don’t always
seem to convince the skeptics, but the advantages seem clear to most serious
divers. Mainly it allows diving in areas that can’t be accessed in summer,
usually places with high recreational or commercial boat traffic. In winter
time the visibility of water improves dramatically, especially underneath
ice, because many of the algae and other organisms have died due to the cold
and reduced light levels. Personally, however, I believe the surreal
beauty of a frozen climate makes the discomfort and potential dangers all
worth experiencing, if only for one time.
Dealing with cold
Winter diving in a northern climate can expose a diver to surface air temperatures well below freezing and water temperatures at the freezing point. It is not uncommon to be diving with an air temperature of -15c/4F and a water temperature of 0c/32F. Prolonged exposure to these conditions above or below water is extremely detrimental to diving gear as well as physical and mental aspects of a diver.
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