Antarctic Diving 2 - Inspect Hole Before Entering

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.

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Paul Ward - This picture may not be copied or used in any manner without prior written permission.