Ice Diver Specialty Course

What will you learn?

Ice Diving is one of the most serious diving environments, one of the most demanding, beautiful and potentially dangerous environments to explore, so taking your Ice Diver Specialty Course is essential.

Diving under ice without the proper training or equipment can be fatal.

Get instant respect, and usually a lot of questions from other divers about what it’s like under the ice when they find out you have your Ice Diver Specialty.

You’ll learn a lot in Ice Diver Specialty Course about prepping your gear, the dive site, specialized equipment you’ll be using in the overhead environment, rescue techniques, line handling, emergency procedures and much more. Ice Diving requires a lot of diver setup, equipment, dive team management and logistics.

Prerequisites1930780_53730371320_6754_n

Advanced Open Water Certification
Enriched Air Nitrox
NAUI Intro to Tech or Technical Certification
Drysuit Diver Specialty
24 Logged Cold Water Dives within the last 12 months

Additional Details:

Teamwork is essential for ice diving, so you’ll start by learning the roles and responsibilities of support personnel, tenders and safety divers.

Your Ice Diving course includes a minimum of three open water dives limited to a maximum depth of 40 feet in a horizontal line from the penetration hole.

Your training includes developing proficiency in many skills including equipment removal and replacement, underwater navigation, use of harnesses and line techniques, silt-out/black-water procedures, exposure hazards and treatment, ice cutting and characteristics, signaling, and much more.  You’ll also discuss types of ice, site selection and prepartion, the effects of cold, emergency procedures and handling equipment issues.

Additional topics covered in your course include atmospheric conditions and characteristics of ice structure, wind chill factors, cold stress, dehydration and first aid, surface clothing and dry suits, penetration holes, and dive site preparation.

  • Using specialized ice diving equipment and safety lines.
  • Signals and communications along with line tending and line-securing techniques.

How can you start learning now?

Visit our store to enroll in the course or set up a meeting with your instructor who can help guide you through the steps required to enrolling in this amazing course. By studying before class, you’ll be better prepared to start practicing your search and recovery skills when you meet with your instructor.

Cost: $350+HST includes materials.

What scuba gear will you use?

Double Tank setup of at least 160 cubic feet with Isolation Manifold or Sidemounted Tanks (if Technical Sidemount has been completed) Drysuit, dry gloves (recommended), Dive Light, Safety Reel/Spool, * Ice Diving Harness, * Lines (* will be provided by our staff for the course if necessary).

Where do I go from here?

Here are some popular examples of courses commonly taken by graduates of this course:

  • Cavern Diver
  • Wreck Penetration Diver
  • Cave 1
  • Tech 1 Diver
  • Trimix Diver
  • Technical Wreck Penetration