Ice Diving Prep, Scuba Obsessed, and Choosing a Drysuit

In this week's episode of Talking Scuba, the guys discuss ice diving preparation, interview Jim and Darrin from ScubaObsessed.com, and answer viewer submitted email about how to choose a drysuit.


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Ice Fishermen Hook Themselves a... Scuba Diver?

Ha! From the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

A pair of ice fishermen thought they had caught a monster fish -- but they got an even bigger surprise than they bargained for at the end of the line.

Jason Mechtel and Jeff Klein went out on Lake Waconia in Minnesota to try and lure a monster muskie, but they quickly got a shock, MyFoxTwinCities reported.

“I mean, it didn’t take two seconds and this rattle reel went off,” said Klein.

Soon, every line was going crazy. The pair thought they had a monster fish pulling their lines out until they looked down.

“I literally almost had a heart attack,” said Klein.

A hand broke the surface of the water.

“I didn’t know what to do -- if I should shake it, or what,” said Mechtel.

A scuba diver whose safety line got snagged began sending rope up to them, and soon, they found their hook.

They removed the hook and sent the line back down, and were given a thumbs up by their aquatic acquaintance.

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Preparing for Ice Diving

In their latest episode, Talking Scuba host Jim Norton introduces viewers to Derek Wheeler and discusses a whole host of scuba diving topics: a New Years dive and resolution, redundant tanks, preparing for ice diving, and Our World Underwater.

Be sure to stick around through the whole episode to see Bob Shoemaker drop by with a very... shall we say... special holiday gift for Jim.


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Scuba Divers Explore Icy Underwater World of Lake Sassolo, Switzerland

We're not quite sure why this article insists on referring to the underwater ice formations as "eerie" -- we think they're beautiful!

These stunning shots show the beautiful and eerie underwater world of a Swiss ice-filled Alpine lake.

Taken in Lake Sassolo, close to the southern border with Italy, these were taken by diving photographer Franco Banfi.

Although the high altitude region is known for its sunny weather, the lake was formed by the run-off of the Alps surrounding it.

The giant ice structures dwarf the tiny divers as they explore the nooks and crannies of the icebergs.

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Talking Scuba Airs Episode 2

The good folks over at Talking Scuba released the second episode of their show over the weekend, covering topics ranging from diving Versulis Lake to this fatal dive story and recommendations to avoid such accidents; and from fin reviews to a Wreck Diver Magazine review and story.

Take a few minutes and check it out...


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Yes, that's our Neutral Dive Gear Logo Flexfit Scuba Diving Hat on Bob's head and mention of a special 15% discount off your entire order of our scuba diving clothing.

Be sure to watch the show and let us know what you think about any of the topics discussed.

p.s. If you missed the first episode, you can watch it here.

Talking Scuba Launches First Episode

Our friends over at Talking Scuba recently launched the first episode of their show, which features topics such as ice diving in Michigan, a book review, tip of the week, and scuba adventure stories.

(Oh, the show also features a polished ad from us with a promo code for 15% off our scuba diving clothing.)

Check it out...


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Congrats on the first show, guys! We look forward to many more to come.

Scientists Dive the Extremes for Arctic Research

And you thought your place of work got chilly in the winter.

If you want to know how polar bears are doing, it's not enough to spy on them with satellite telemetry and other technology. You have to go where they live.

You have to tap into the stories these bears carry in and on their bodies, and drop in on the tiniest of organisms beneath the places they walk, the ones that feed the shrimp-like creatures that feed the fish that feed the seals that feed the bears.

That's what scientists did for five weeks this fall aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea as they addressed the question: How are polar bears coping with sea-ice loss due to climate change?

To get some answers, they traveled to a part of the world few get to see, and far fewer get to see from beneath the sea ice. Or would want to.

"It's definitely not for everyone," said Katrin Iken, associate professor of marine biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who led the team of ice researchers from UAF.

The ice divers, layered in polypropylene, fleece and dry suits, went to work through holes cut in the ice to gather samples from biological communities associated with sea ice. Tethered to a team member above, they went as deep as 40 feet to explore the bottoms of ice ridges -- the underwater version of the pressure ridges up top -- for a look at what lives down there.

In the big picture, it's all about understanding what melting ice means to the larger food web in the Arctic.

To Iken, the underside of sea ice is a beautiful and fascinating place.

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Don't forget to check out the photos.

Ice Diving the White Sea

There was a terrific article and stunning video posted by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, entitled Beneath the Ice.

Every winter, hordes of divers head to the congested, overdeveloped scuba-diving destinations of the Caribbean and the Red Sea. But there's a less-traversed option: Fly to Moscow, take the railroad 27 hours north, and drive two hours along snow-covered dirt roads to a village almost on the Arctic Circle, along an inlet of the White Sea. Then, take a snowmobile to a small black triangle cut into the ice.

(Be sure to watch for the Beluga Whales 2 minutes and 39 seconds into the video.)



Hat tip: Two Tank