Ice Diving in Russia | Russia Travel

Brave the Cold and go Russian Ice Diving

For many of us this is still an unfamiliar sport and pastime, but many inhabitants of and visitors to Russia say this is the most extreme, yet most beautiful sport they have ever experienced. You haven't really done sub zero cool until you have tried ice diving.

The White Sea in Russia is surprisingly rich in marine and bird life and it is also covered in an average of 1.5m of ice for most of the time during the year, which makes it the perfect destination for ice diving.

Ice diving is performed in dry suits which protects the diver against temperatures too cold to normally bear. Divers usually penetrate the ice through sawed rectangular holes, which makes it a little easier to get out. Divers usually go down in teams of two. The diver has a rope tied to his waist line and holds the rope in his right hand. The other end of the rope is fixed down by an ice-screw and is also held by a tender person in case of an emergency. In Most cases of ice diving, six people are involved: 2 divers, 2 tender people and 2 people providing general help.

When ice diving the beautiful White Sea of Russia, you can expect to see some breathtaking views nowhere else to be seen in the world. You can expect to see cod, wolf-fish, sea perch, butter fish, basket stars, bright sea anemones, crabs, urchins, shrimps, huge unique flickering jelly fish and the huge Beluga whales. Apart from the adventure and excitement of diving beneath ice, there is also a major practical advantage: when the sea's surface freezes over, the water underneath is not affected by waves and low light conditions keep algae growth to a minimum. Together these conditions combine to create unparalleled visibility and a diving experience that cannot be described in words.

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