Having cut the hole, you then mark it with a
painted pole and go off to get your mates to go for a dive. The first
prospect of under-ice diving is pretty daunting, even for those who done this
before it needs a particular focus.
I'm always reminded of a guy I met in Antarctica
who like many of us, learned to dive there. However unlike most, his first ever
dive was through a hole in the ice - he was pretty nervous as you can expect,
but it was made worse by the dive-master getting his weight wrong, so as he
slipped into the water, he immediately sank to the bottom in about 5m of water!
Not something you want to experience given the choice, but a good story for the
dive-club.
Paul Ward -
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