Having had a few weeks of cold temperatures recently, ice diving might sound like something you could achieve relatively easily at your nearest lake! We are, of course, joking, but in reality ice diving is a fantastic activity and a truly unique experience to be had. Ice diving anywhere gives you amazing views of the underwater world beneath the ice, with great visibility and soft light coming through from above the ice, but through this activity you also have the opportunity to discover some other amazing parts of the world, such as a stay at the incredible Ice Hotel Sweden.

The kinds of creatures you see when ice diving will depend on the type of water you go diving in. There are different creatures to be seen in freshwater to marine environments, for example. On a North Pole holiday with us, you could also expect to see all kinds of amazing Arctic wildlife above as well as under the water, many of which you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Get Proper Training

Although ice diving is an unmissable experience for any adventure lover, you will still need to undergo the necessary training to make sure that you are safe and capable while in the enclosed environment under the ice. On your training you will learn important skills, such as how to correctly cut a hole in the ice in order to enter the water, and how to act and react while tethered to the rope, which can be an unusual feeling for those who are used to scuba diving. The rope is extremely important for ensuring that you don’t travel too far away from your exit and entry hole. You will also learn how to fulfil a support role for other divers, dealing with their safety ropes while they are under the ice.

Ensuring Safety

Normally speaking, you will dive in a group of four to six people. Two people would go under the ice at any one time, while another two would tend to each of their safety ropes, as each diver would be tethered separately to ensure that there is another means of exit should there be a problem with one of the ropes. While you are diving, it is important to signal to the person tending your rope that you are OK. Training will also teach you how to do this.

Preparation

Before going diving, you will need to prepare yourself, both by having the appropriate gear and also by ensuring that your body is in the right condition to dive. Make sure you have warmed up, and certainly do not attempt repeat dives until you are fully warmed up. You will burn a lot of calories while diving, so make sure that you eat plenty of high energy and hot food to replace them and to keep your body warm.

Special equipment is required, such as an environmental regulator set, which you should submerge in the water before diving to get it acclimatised to the freezing temperatures. Only use it to breathe from while you are fully submerged.

If you have an adventurous spirit and already love diving, diving under ice is one of the best ways of indulging your passion, and reaching a new and utterly beguiling underwater world.

And, while many divers may, perhaps understandably, feel rather nervous in advance, the fact is that with the right equipment and a little training it’s incredibly safe. Equally, you will love enjoying some of the clearest visibility you’ll experience in any kind of diving.

You do need to appreciate, however, that diving under ice is considered and advanced and specialised form of diving, and so some extra training is needed.

For example, you will have just one exit point from the water – the same place where you came in under the ice.

Specialist training in this enclosed environment includes:

•    Appreciating a number of things about the ice itself
•    How to spot any dangers or unsafe conditions
•    Equipment requirements
•    Proper dive site preparation
•    Being aware of what the different tugs on the tether mean and how to communicate within the team using signals.

Another aspect that makes ice diving different is that you will generally be tethered for safety, and to stop you from drifting too far away and so that you can either be pulled out or guide yourself back to the exit if visibility changes.

So bear in mind that ice diving is very much a team activity because of the tethering, and your dive buddies are important.

Wetsuit or Drysuit?

In fact you can dive in a wetsuit or a drysuit, but the latter is usually recommended.

If you are already an experienced diver and what to take your own regulator, but it will need to be adjusted to handle the cold temperature of the water. (Take your lead on this from a highly experienced and qualified professional.) It’s also often suggested that extra cylinders are used for additional safety.

Equally, only learn from an instructor who is highly trained and qualified, and never dive in a team of fewer than three people.

Take these common sense precautions, however, and you will be in for an unforgettable diving experience.

Ice Diving and More from Arctic Direct

At Arctic Direct, we have scuba diving trips to Iceland, Norway and the White Sea, as well as diving as part of a North Pole holiday. With full ATOL licencing, we offer specially tailored holidays to suit your needs and can provide unforgettable experiences for any number of travellers.

And because our staff have all visited the areas where we travel to, they are highly knowledgeable about local areas and well-placed to answer any questions you may have.

As well as diving trips, we offer Northern Lights holidays and some exciting activity packages, from dog sledging to ice climbing and Icelandic horse riding, not to mention snowmobiling and rally driving.

Learn more from our website today about our seriously cool holidays, and get in touch if you have any questions to ask our specialist sales team.

When images of holidays are conjured up the vast majority of people instantly think of long sandy beaches, waves rolling in, and, most importantly, the sun high in blue skies. Its a natural reaction, particularly considering the unpredictable nature of British summers. All too often, it’s a washout and everybody is left disappointed. However, there are other types of holidays available that can change how you think about holidays and what they could mean. Snow has always been a poetic substance, from images of Christmas perfection to expeditions to the North and South Poles. However, many people don’t associate it with travelling and a holiday, but with Arctic Direct, all that could change. We offer holidays to the very North of Europe and Canada where the North Pole starts to set in and there are a whole host of different activities to indulge in.

One of our biggest attractions is the famous ice hotel Sweden has to offer. This place is a million miles away from any sun-kissed island basking in tropical temperatures, but this doesn’t mean it won’t stay with you forever. The Ice Hotel will possibly be the most unique place you ever sleep in and everywhere you look will be an element that is alien but also familiar to you. A trip like this is definitely for the explorers who want to experience something amazing and different that will provoke wonder and amazement in all you tell about it. We offer stays which are tailored for those who have a few days to spend in a fantasy place. It typically includes arctic clothing rental, 2 nights stay in the ‘warm’ accommodation and 1 night stay in the ‘Ice Suite’. It also includes a Husky Sledge from the airport, Raidu/Sámi activity, reindeer sledging and ice sculpture. On top of this it also includes a snowmobile to see the aurora borealis – an event which has to be experienced at least once in everybody’s life. It is a wonder of our planet that allows you to truly appreciate where it is we live.

If you are looking for a little more adventure and activity, however, we can also offer you ice diving holiday alternatives. This activity can reveal an under-ice and underwater world usually reserved for specialist television crews and scientists. The beauty and magnificence ice takes on in this context is truly something to behold and the sights that greet you will only ever have been experienced by a very small number of people.

If you’ve ever dreamed about launching your own expedition to a world made of snow and ice, then Arctic Direct is perfectly positioned to bring your wishes to life. We are a fully ATOL Protected company and are always on hand to lend some information or experience. We have a large amount of knowledge about the places we run holidays to because we have been there ourselves. From local information to assurances about the safety measures in place, we can provide you with all of the information you are ever likely to call upon.