TRINITY'S 3rd annual 2012/2013 icing challenge

[Hydro]

Newbie ice diver is still an experienced diver tho, everyone has to start somewhere. In three weeks there will be open water peeking through.

[Terry]

you should be carefull what you wish for.

                              I normally am Popo, dont have any problem with newbies, as long as they can dive, Joe's right by the time your starting icing, and in a drysuit you've usually got a few dives under your harness, hell I had 7. Just thinking some fresh ideas,,,, on procedures, tools, techniques, jokes, personalities, locations, one liners, would be handy. I remember John telling me few years back about him and Nate using a 5 gal. bucket for the line, and thinking that wouldn't work for us, (I actually tried it) it dosen't fit, looks like our line is maybe a little thicker, and (I think) longer, 200' vs. 150', or the fabric shelf John made or bought somewhere, for glasses and land cameras in the shack, thats a dandy good idea, depth marking the chainsaw blade, etc.. Its that kind of stuff.  I've noticed myself with diving when your not diving as much (as you were) your normally getting bored, so I ventured off, to wrecks, caving, reefs, photography, scary depths, sometimes even new dive partners, (Hi Lynn) and the thrill came back.
                            Not too concerned about hords of divers, or even diving whores (like young Joe  :-*)overloading the ice surface. The ONLY thing I've ever asked is they show up with their own dive gear (and an icing card) and we'll provide everything else, yet next to no takers. Is it the bantering, mistakingly, thinking guys like Nate and I are just dinks, ok well, maybe just me then
                            On a side note, liked the jumps up at Millacs and think some northern lakes sure have decent potential. Although didn't think it was the best thing for my saw to submerge the muffler and front couple inches of the piston's cooling fins in ice water at full throttle, so I ordered up a monster 42" bar that hopefully I'll never have to use. I remember trying out Dangerous Daves big blade out on Bald Eagle and thinking it didn't cut that well. It makes sense that the longer the blade, the more force you'll need further from the power head, especially to plunge cut, but not sure what Dave had as modifications on that chain.

[Terry]

The only thing man made I saw on the bottom was an old cement block.
[/quote]

                     and thats a statement from the champion! I remember from the 1st challenge it was often like you and Nasty Nate had magnetic arms for finding iron. "Famous" Green Lake???? I dove that chit hole once with Scuba Steve off the Impulse in the summer, and the only thing I thought, is we would be better off in the Misissippi, so we didn't have to kick between blindly bumping into stuff on the bottom.

[popolarbear]

we should build some ice art this weekend .

[arcFlash]

Active Divers: Everyone knows why we have so few active divers, summer or winter.  Ask people if laying around 'relaxing' is fun and you will get a yes from 90% of them. Sitting on a beach or deck doing nothing is the new American past time next to sitting inside doing nothing. Look at the images that sell vacations, everyone is sitting and eating. Add to that, outdoor TV's so you have something to look at.

If doing nothing (aka "relaxing") is fun then dragging 100 pounds of scuba gear to a lake and swimming for an hour is out of the questions. May as well lump up on the couch and watch Gold Miners wash rocks.

Most people don't want to put in the effort when they have so many other low effort options.

[scubafreek864]

This is a great, but sad truth, post!    Absolutely love it.

Now, lets get back to doing some ice diving! 

[popolarbear]

weather looks good so far. i think we could have done it.what a bunch of sissies...

[Terry]

                    Yes Popo, we could of done it, but it wouldn't of been the same without the warm sunshine, or maybe the warmth of Nate and John, well compared to the ice water anyway. Went out to jump White Bear Lake today, still 23" of clear ice but in some spots 4-6" of water on the ice to blast thru. Popo and I each brought up a river anchor, the rest of the guys,,,, not sure what they were doing underwater. Heres a couple of pics, we had no stickmen to mark the holes so the guys decided to build a snow woman to mark the hole. Then after finding nothing but a warm beer, the guys tried cooling one for me thru ice screw augered holes in the block, it was only marginally successful,,,,,,,

[popolarbear]

ha ha ha. thats some funny stuff.

[popolarbear]

Hey, whats this article of Nate and John diving minnetonka this week?