(all images and text are copyrighted January 2001 by James M. Johnson. Written permission must be obtained prior to using any portion of this page for commercial use. An appropriate copyright notice must appear with each use, commercial or non-commercial.)
The area to be used has been shoveled for several days to encourage thicker, more solid ice for safety. The day of the event begins with marking out the hole with an axe.
After cutting the ice with a chain saw and chopping the corners free, the ice is pushed to the sides under the surrounding ice.
After freezing an exit ladder into place, we have time for a few brief dives before the main event. Notice the use of a safety line between the diver and the tender. The line is used for communications via tugs and a path back to the exit. Its much easier to follow than a trail of bread crumbs.
The Portage Canal is not known for clear waters and the clouds rolled in. Visibility is about 8 feet. We are about 25 feet from the hole, further out into the Canal, and just under the ice. You can see the exhausted air bubbles pooling on the ice just above the diver's head.
The main reason we are here. The air temperature is around 20ºF. with a 15mph wind coming right down the Canal. Wind chill on dry flesh is around -6ºF. The water temperature is 32ºF. That makes the water much warmer than the air? Notice the safety diver to the right wearing full exposure gear. He was in the water for a solid hour and a half and said he was just starting to get cold. Its safe to guess that the participants noticed the cold water much sooner.
When everything is done, the divers had to retrieve the cut ice and pull it back into the hole. That's a diver carried line reel in the foreground.
Putting all the ice back in the hole is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle.
The MTU Aquanauts really did roll out the red carpet for the Polar Bear Plunge participants. Now its time to roll it back up.
The last step on the ice is to mark the hole until it can refreeze.
No Diving?! Well, the MTU Aquanauts still enjoyed the hot tub at the Hancock Ramada after a full day on and under the ice.
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