1.1 INTRODUCTION
Ice diving can be a serene and beautiful aspect of SCUBA diving. As a winter activity, ice diving offers the diver 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 many of the hazards associated with ice diving and how to plan and execute an ice dive.
1.2 WHO MAY TEACH
Who may teach this course?
1. An active SDI Instructor that has been certified to teach this specialty.
1.3 STUDENT – INSTRUCTOR RATIO
Academic:
2. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to insure comprehensive and complete training.
Confined Water (Swimming pool-like conditions):
3. N/A.
Open Water (Ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary):
4. A maximum of two (2) students per Instructor. However, it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate.
1.4 STUDENT PRE-REQUISITES
5. Open Water Diver.
6. Eighteen (18) years or older.
1.5 COURSE STRUCTURE AND DURATION
Open Water execution:
7. Two (2) dives are required with complete briefs and debriefs by the Instructor.
8. Dive plan must include Surface interval, Max no-deco time, etc. to be figured out and logged.
Course Structure:
9. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students participating and their skill level.
1.6 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Administrative Tasks:
10. Collect the course fees from all the students.
11. Ensure that the students have the required equipment.
12. Communicate the schedule to the students.
13. Have the students complete the Liability Release and Medical history forms.
14. The Instructor should review the Liability Release and Medical Forms before starting on the course.
Upon successful completion of this specialty the instructor must issue the SDI Ice Diver specialty experience card. The Instructor must:
15. Use either a SDI diver registration form or a Pre-paid Diver certification form to file for the specialty certification card if a SDI certification card is requested.
16. Award card and certificate.
1.7 REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
17. Basic SDI Open Water SCUBA equipment as prescribed earlier in this manual.
18. Dry Suit (recommended) - (Prior certification required).
19. Regulator tested at low temperature.
20. Harness.
21. Lines.
22. Lights (as required).
23. Cold weather surface support gear.
24. Hole cutting equipment.
1.8 APPROVED OUTLINE
Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics. The following topics must be covered:
25. Effects of the Cold
A. Physiological aspects of Cold Water Diving.
B. Emergency Aspects of Cold Water Diving.
C. Special First Aid for Cold Exposure.
26. Equipment for Ice Diving
A. Harness.
B. Lines.
C. Dry Suit.
D. Hole cutting equipment.
27. Surface Support Procedures
A. Duties and responsibilities.
B. Hole Cutting Techniques.
C. Lines and Securing.
D. Line Tending.
E. Communications.
F. Signals.
G. Ice Spokes.
H. Lost diver procedures.
I. Safety Diver
I. Equipment of the safety diver.
II. Search and Recovery trained.
III. Broken Line Procedures.
28. Navigation.
29. Diving Lights and their Care.
1.9 REQUIRED SKILL PERFORMANCE AND GRADUATION
Students are required to successfully complete the following:
30. Open Water – Dive One (1)
A. Review of SCUBA skills on land.
B. Test Lights and equipment.
C. Set up shelter.
D. Cut hole in ice and secure.
E. Dive Plan.
F. Descent and line considerations on land.
G. Line handling and short line signals on land.
H. Ten (10) minute familiarization.
I. Enter.
J. Each diver should rotate and practice both surface support and safety diver.
K. Exit.
L. Log Dive.
31. Open Water – Dive two (2)
A. Set-up and Dive Plan.
B. Enter.
C. Line handling and SIMULATED lost diver procedures.
D. Fifteen (15) minute exploring under the ice.
E. Exit.
F. Log Dive.