There was once a father named Baikal, one day he decided to marry his only daughter Angara, eager to find her a fiancé worthy of his love for her, He chose someone for her: Irkut. But she fell in love with Yenisey a bewitching prince and under his spell they both fled to the land of blue mists. Father Baikal was on rage and he threw a large stone at the edge of the lake “the shaman’s stone”. It is today a privileged point of observation for Russians and tourists. This tragic love story has left us magical landscapes, as ice diving is a frozen dream that resists eternity. It is however possible to dive under ice around the world and it is even possible in France Lake Tignes in Savoy for example …
Ice diving: a protocol to follow
Ice diving: immersive diving
Ice diving is above all immersive and if summer approaches with big steps , I cannot resist to the urge to describe iced spaces and scenery crystallized by the cold Siberian because these unique landscapes are places that you will never forget ! You are probably a confirmed diver yet diving under ice is contemplating a silent world, a terrain that is not seduced so easily! To admire the funds, you will have to respect precise instructions. Your diving equipment will be specific because of the water temperature very cold, do not forget the gloves sometimes several pairs …. Your preparation will be primarily mental because if you thought you knew all about the diving, you must agree to start from scratch. As Yoda said, “you must unlearn what you have learned», to avoid accidents young padawan you will be! To succeed in your mission, you will be accompanied by a Jedi master who knows the environment well and will make you discover the force of the deep sea.
Team Spirit
Your Jedi Diving Instructor will make you aware of dangerous ice conditions, safety drills, and techniques for drilling access and exit holes. For inexperienced divers or baptisms, an instructor will be at your disposal to share his knowledge about an activity that deserves the greatest attention but being done in an almost absolute silence. For your safety, advice and instructions will be given before diving to approach your descent with confidence.
Hypnotic beauty
The diving equipment will help you physically but admire beauty has a price, under the ice you can not go back and out to breathe in the open air as you want. Ice diving will change your sense of perception and exacerbate your feelings. On Lake Baikal it is possible to see an improvised show, so you will see the locals in the winter of Siberian move by car on the mini ice floe 2 meters thick … The transparency of this natural road is not a simple aquarium living in the open air, it is a real observatory seabed of beauty! The translucent plates and the pure crystal will be under your feet, and this splendid show must not alter your vigilance because a “nerpa” freshwater seal could swim under your feet: and you are not even under water …
Freezing temperatures
To approach the depths, a dry suit is preferred because the temperatures drop, if you decide to use a wet suit you will not go down more than 10 meters deep, the temperature of the water can go negative in winter. Lake Baikal for example can impose a temperature of 4 ° in summer, and in the spring waters of Tignes the thermos will not rise much! If you thought that your kamikaze bathing of April in Brittany at 12 ° had vaccinated you: young Padawan impatient you are! Even well covered, you will feel the coldness on your face if your mask slips by accident : a facelift bio and free bonus …
The lifeline: the safety harness
Ice diving is an activity where the word team is the epicenter and relying on its monitor is not optional. More than just a collaborative activity, your beauty watchers association is a common life line. Divers equipped with a harness are connected by a life line to the surface and your partner ensures that your line is constantly stretched like a crossbow so that the diver does not get tangled with the fins … underwater the diver and the tensioner can communicate by pulling on the lifeline. In addition to this duo another diver is ready to intervene in case of danger to help if necessary. All security conditions are in place so that you do not lose your breadcrumb!
Different circuits
All our diving centers are approved, and the activity takes place under the responsibility of a state patent organized according to the regulations in force. Some centers offer different circuits and therefore different levels and several holes can be made so that your exit is not necessarily your entry point: claustrophobics are even welcome!
The wonderful world of silence
Scuba diving is a way to enjoy vibrant scenery and colors, fauna and flora, fish of all sizes … Ice diving has a different aroma, balance, your suspension, your senses crystallize because shadow and light mingle with deep abysses. The power of silence, ice above your heads and rivers are drawn under your feet to create unique reliefs. A game of bubble and light smooth silent echoes and the reflection of your souls are reflected on the ice. Floating under a natural ice rink is not all, the lake is alive and well, and as the seasons go by, the scenery changes with your dives day and night. This atmosphere in the light of the most beautiful moonlight is an experience to try: SpotMyDive gives you the opportunity to discover so, welcome to our magical matrix…
Written by Florence Fifi
