THE DIVE SHOP ON-LINE

ICE FREEDIVING It's Not That Cold

Experience the beauty of licking the underside of an ice sheet and preventing your lube from freezing.

Note that this event is dependent on ice thickness being adequate for safe diving.

We'll take care of the hole and lines, it's all hands on deck for tent set-up, then bring lawn chairs, blankets and your favorite snacks, and let's enjoy our local waters and the spectacular views from below the ice sheet!

THE IMPORTANT STUFF:

Dates Available:

January Session: Saturday, January 28 - Sunday, January 29, 2023
March Session: Saturday, March 25 - Sunday, March 26, 2023

Pre-Requisites:

• Certified freediver (any agency) - certification must include open water training (i.e. Molchanovs Wave 1, AIDA 2, PADI Freediver, etc.)
• Cold water freediving experience mandatory (experience in water below 10 degrees Celsius - the water under the ice is around 1-2 degrees Celsius)
• Suitable exposure protection (Minimum 7mm 2-piece open-cell interior suit recommended, lobster gloves and 5mm+ socks are handy)
• Personal freediving gear (no rentals are available, but if you're missing something - send a message to Sab - sabrina@diveshopscuba.com - she may have spares. Uncoated lead rental is available if needed.)
• All divers are required to be on lanyard (we'll have those on ice for everyone to use).

Cost:

• One Day (Saturday or Sunday of the same weekend): $60 per diver
• Both Days (Saturday and Sunday of the same weekend): $80 per diver

Personal Gear Required:

• Mask/snorkel
• Freediving wetsuit - minimum 7mm 2-piece freediving wetsuit with hood recommended (open-cell lined is ideal)
• Neoprene booties and socks (5-7mm recommended, lobster claw gloves are the best!)
• Freediving fins (optional, lines will be set up for free immersion if you'd prefer that!)
• Weight belt and weights - limited quantities of weights available for rental, please indicate on the registration form if you need to rent lead!
• Lube for your suit - biodegradable conditioners only

What to Expect:

We'll take care of the hard part - cutting the hole(s). From there, as a group we'll set up tents and heaters, get some hot water boiling, rig up some lines, and get our gear ready. Then - off we go! We cycle in and out of the water warming up as necessary in warming tents, taking pictures, rolling in the snow, and having a hugely fun time.

Freediving in the cold is hugely a mental challenge as well as a physical one. If you've never tried diving in ice cold water, you may want to consider trying a few cold plunges ahead of time.

Looking for resources or opportunities to get some cold conditioning ahead of heading under ice? 

Send an email to sabrina@diveshopscuba.com! 

HOW TO REGISTER:

STEP 1: Fill out the appropriate registration form:

CLICK HERE FOR JANUARY REGISTRATION

January Session: Saturday, January 28 - Sunday, January 29, 2023

MARCH REGISTRATION - OPENING SOON

March Session: Saturday, March 25 - Sunday, March 26, 2023

STEP 2: Pay your registration fees and fill in your waiver.

Once your registration is received, you'll get a confirmation email within a few days to pay for your registration fee and fill in your waiver. Then sit back, chill (HAH!) and prepare for fun ice times!

Questions? Need to do some cold water conditioning?

Send an email to sabrina@diveshopscuba.com! Sabrina is fond (understatement) of cold water, and will happily go do some cold immersion with you ahead of time. She'll be one of our hosts on the ice for this weekend!