Ice Diving Guidelines

Philosophy:

The overall principle is to provide a safe and fun experience for all participants. The MUC will be the permit holder and therefore held responsible; things need to be orderly, however it is the MUC’s intent to be reasonable. If you feel that any of the guidelines harshly limit your ability to have a fun and safe ice dive please contact the dive master. She or he will explain the principle behind the guideline, and change things if appropriate.

Diver Qualifications:

Any diver that is a certified ice diver by a recognized training agency may participate. However any other diver that can document ice diving experience (civil, commercial, or recreational) will be considered for eligibility at the discretion of the dive master. Such candidates are encouraged to contact the dive master, at least one day before the event. The MUC wishes to promote the value of diver education but is prepared to recognize prior and experiential learning.

Student ice divers may participate under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Instructors are responsible for their student’s suitability as ice diver candidates and for their safety. Suitability includes prerequisite training, medical fitness, equipment and candidate readiness etc. If requested to by the dive master, an instructor must be able to document that he or she is in teaching status, insured, and authorized to teach ice diving.

As is always the case, all divers are responsible for assessing their own (and their buddies) fitness to dive. The dive master may at his or her discretion deem a diver unfit and bar that person from diving.

Equipment:

The MUC will have ropes and rigging, harnesses, ice tongs, picks and other tools and equipment available for members to facilitate their ice dive. None the less the MUC encourages divers and instructors to bring their own equipment, particularly appropriate harnesses. Divers find that having their own harness allows them to make adjustments for their comfort at their leisure, rather than at the dive site. As the organizers, the MUC finds that this expedites procedures at the dive site, and therefore encourages ice divers to think of a harness as a piece of personal gear. Harnesses are available at local dive shops.

All divers are responsible to assure that their equipment is in good working order and appropriate for ice diving. The dive master may at his or her discretion deem equipment unfit for an ice dive and bar it’s use.

Conduct:

In the interest of safety all dives will be conducted in accordance with procedures set out by the applicable training agency and to the satisfaction of the dive master. To ensure that all divers understand the standard line signals, signals will be reviewed in the dive briefing prior to the commencement of diving, and again between tenders and divers prior to each dive. If you are unsure of the signals do ask! It is understandable that a tutorial is necessary on signals between ice dive seasons. The MUC would rather have you be safe than all of us be sorry!

It is the policy of the MUC that all divers, students, instructors, and officials act cooperatively, courteously, prudently, and in a professional manner at all MUC events. The MUC’s officials may act to abate behaviour that is incongruous with this principle. Liquor consumption will not be allowed at the dive site as this is a condition of the MUC’s use permit.

Safety Divers and Tenders:

At least one member of a buddy pair should be available to act as a safety diver. A safety diver must be ready, willing, and able to rescue an imperilled or stricken diver. Effort will be made to schedule safety divers to be sitting for the dive prior to their own dive so they may be warm and dry. Tenders will be required on all dives and officials may call on a participant to tend as necessary. Participant cooperation is requested for these duties.

Scheduling:

The general principle with regard to the dive schedule is first come first serve. Therefore pre-registration is advantageous and encouraged. Participants may register at the Saturday morning breakfast or during the course of the day’s activities and will be given preference accordingly. Some flexibility may be requested to accommodate a particular diver’s scheduling issue, diver and equipment readiness, availability of tenders and safety divers etc. It is our aim to allow twenty minute dives for each buddy pairing. This interval could be extended or abridged depending on the available time, resources, weather, and consensus. It will expedite things in general (and make it more fun) if all participants come prepared to share in the various ice diving duties and cooperate to facilitate other participant’s dives.

Conclusion:

The fun is in fully participating so try and plan to come out for in the morning for breakfast and registration and stay for dinner even if you can not stay the entire weekend. It is the MUC’s hope that divers will have so much fun that they feel inspired to become active members of the MUC and participate with what resources they can offer in organizing and conducting future events. For now come out, enjoy, and support your local dive community.