The one big advantage to icing is scouting out new lakes in my opinion... lakes I wouldn't normally consder in the summer if I haven't previously been there.... someturn out cool places... others turn out to be muck holes... if orchard was that bad in the winter, id hate to see it now ,, on the otherhand west tonka might be cool to explore more .
I didn't have any dives planned today so I took the laptop outside in the rock garden, where the anchors used to sit, and reread all 36 pages of this anchor challenge. With 881 entries to the thread and 18,430 reads, I wonder how many of those have read it from start to finish. I still chuckle about it when I see an anchor. While re-reading it without all of the real time pauses that took place during the 4 month campaign, it was very entertaining (again). If you ever have time to kill I would recommend re-reading it. Subtle hints along the way that give away the ending of the story.
Happy 4th of July everyone,
John
MN Diving book in the works??? Maybe an article in a diving rag...Dive Training?
On 7-31-2011, This thread has been read 20,000 times. Who would have thought it?.. Heck of an idea you had Trinity!
have not had time to read anything this week end, 5 fishing trips.
Ya Grumps, it does seem to be a lethal swimming/boating season, glad your out there.
Thanks John, I NEVER thought she'd see 20,000 reads. This coming season we'll change it up lots, see if we can pull in more divers. Probably go soft, (not something I'm use to) and use a shack more,
since we wont need to change holes as much. Learned a bunch though, like, 1. ALWAYS make sure that tank valve is all the way open. 2. no need to use more then 200' of line, its too easy to cut a new hole, unless the ice is too poor to walk on. 3. ride the ice block down (is the way to go) unless your doing patterns, or pulling it with Nates plow, just not, my back. 4. Dont ask Molly to four wheel a new rode across the ice, least not with my truck. 5. If you ( opps, I mean if "I") screw up the cut, so the triangle block wedges upon trying to sink it, leave it and cut another hole its less work then trying to correct a butchered hole. 6. If Young Joe comes back to the hole saying he was chased by a baby albino beaver, (with a tail like a rat, ?) it was probably an adult albino muskrat, not a new species. 7. Always agree to use Roberts 4 wheel ATV and trailer if the ice is too thin to drive trucks on, saves a LOT of work and its great fun to drive back to the truck. 8. Steves, "lessons learned are few, because I hardly make mistakes", I'm sorry,,,,WTF,,,, ALWAYS be ready to turn your head, so you dont blast your Horney Goat Brew all over your keyboard. 9. Look carefully at the neck of a bell before you grab her with the death grip, to wrestle it out of the mud, in case its actually a turtle head. Thats enough for now, lets hear from some others who learned a lesson on icing. TRINITY
One lesson I learned is: to not come up the hole, holding an anchor with the same arm as the zipper end is on. It might just catch the bottom of the ice, and partially open it.. Hmmmm. :o ;D
BRING ON THE ICE!!!!!! I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER. I HATE SUMMER! >
1) My lesson learned is to expect the most pain in the a$$ thing to freeze, like a bc inflator valve stuck open 40 seconds into a dive.
2) you can get 3 holes cut and dove before a glsps boat drawing party will start.
3) an anchor dropped into orchard lake muck will disappear from space and time.
4) tents over holes only necessary if below zero
5) a hole that takes more than a munute to cut is wasting time.
I guess I am a slow learner... because I had some trouble with frozen/stuck inflator valves too. The first time, I thought it was a fluke, so I unhooked the inflator hose and continued the dive. The second time it happened I knew that there was a problem with it and again unhooked the hose and continued the dive. Later that night I took the inflator apart and blew it out, dried it all out, and put it back together. The third time it happened, I was at Knife Lake in the rebar mess, and when it stuck open again, I aborted the dive. After that dive I went to the dive shop and picked up a new inflator. I went to install it on my BC and found out that the design had changed and that it was the wrong one. Back to the dive shop to get the right one and then no more problems with it all winter.
I realized that I can put duct tape on the vents of the recoil on my chainsaw and keep the splashing water from freezing the saw tight within minutes.
I know that I can dive without a shelter but if Its not an emergency, I will dive as comfortably as I can and enjoy the entire day.
Outside of being in a contest, or a recovery, I think that one hole cut over an interesting spot is enough to hold my attention for a day of diving.
I think diving in rocky bottom areas are more interesting than sand, gravel, and especially thick silt.
I think when I added the neoprene knee pads and elbow pads to my dry suit, I increased the drying time of it considerably. In hind sight I probably would add Kevlar pads instead even though DUI says they are not as durable for some reason.
As much as the 20 CF pony bottle attached to my main tank served me well, I think I would like to sling a 30 CF.
I learned that Gorilla brand duct tape is really good for sticking "hot packs" to my kidney area, but the glue on it leaves a residue on my my t-shirt and kinda ruined a couple nice dive shirts before I realized it.
I think the oxygen content in a tightly sealed dive shelter can get pretty low with a big propane heater going. Open vents - problem solved.
I learned that cutting a couple "blood grooves" in the ice from each side of the triangle hole towards the main part of the shelter lets the excess water run back into the hole and less puddles on the floor.
I learned that it is possible to run out of vertical real estate between the bottom of the ice sheet and the bottom of the lake. I didn't get close to getting stuck but it did cross my mind a couple times.
I learned that when Nate asks if I hooked up his HID light, it means hooking the battery wires to the light head wires, and not just threading it on his harness. Dark dive for Nate that time and even he was questioning my competitive nature that day ;D.
I learned that I like ice diving more than open water diving just for the better viz and not for the major logistics of the ice diving process. Besides what else is there to really do in the winter?..
All good ideas,
Young Joe, "a hole taking more then a min. to cut being a waste of time" I never saw more then 25-26" last year, going to have to really lean into my new saw when/if ice gets to 34-35" this winter to do it in under a min. but I'll try.
John, your 20cft pony should be sufficient (based on breathing rate), as most all ice dives are pretty shallow, I did one years ago in Grindstone up near Hinkley to 127' where you might want more volume, but I dont think we ever hit 70' this winter. I use to back mount my 30cft, but am happier to side sling it. Although when my air shut off 200' out in West Minnetonka, after I exhailed to desend from just under the ice surface, and I give the signal to be hauled out before I reached for your pony, thinking she has been sitting out on the ice for 6 hours or so :-\ sure made me glad I had, ANY pony, she'd of been a LONG 200' otherwise.
Huski makes some covers to fit over the air vents along with some baffles that can be modified to pull carb. intake air off the piston cooling fins to help keep the carb from icing, but I found the best way to keep the chain from freezing to the bar or clutch assembley was to take her to WOT for a few seconds after pulling her from the ice to help blow some water off everything.
Will remember the "blood grooves" for this winter, that I saw on Forest L. looks like a good idea with a shack.