SDI ICE DIVER
Ice diving can be a serene and beautiful aspect of scuba diving. As a winter activity, ice diving offers the opportunity to enjoy sport diving year round. Diving under ice presents hazards not common to the open water diver, and special training is required. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the diver with the hazards associated with ice diving, as well as how to plan and execute an ice dive.
Who this course is for:
The certified diver looking to expand their diving season to all year round and experience the serenity of ice diving
Course prerequisites:
SDI Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent
Minimum age 18
What you can expect to learn:
The SDI Ice Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:
Effects of the cold
Physiological aspects of cold water diving
Emergency aspects of cold water diving
Special first aid for cold exposure
Equipment for ice diving
Harness
Lines
Dry suit
Hole-cutting equipment
Surface support procedures
Duties and responsibilities
Hole-cutting techniques
Lines and securing
Line tending
Communications
Signals
Ice spokes
Lost diver procedures
Safety diver
Equipment of the safety diver
Search and Recovery trained
Broken line procedures
Navigation
Diving Lights and Their Care
Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:
Review of scuba skills on land
Test lights and equipment
Set up shelter
Cut hole in ice and secure
Dive plan
Descent and line considerations on land
Line handling and short line signals on land
Ten minute familiarization
Enter water
Each diver must rotate and practice: surface support, safety diver and diver
Line handling and simulated lost diver procedures
Fifteen minute exploring under the ice
Exit
Log dive
What’s in it for you?
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor* so long as the following limits are adhered to:
The diving activities approximate those of training
The areas of activities approximate those of training
Environmental conditions approximate those of training
Also, the SDI Ice Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development Program.
SDI Ice Diver minimum requirements:
Complete all open water requirements efficiently
Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution