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An attempt at what could be considerd crazy

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drkebs

New Member
May 6, 2003
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OK, so I finally decided to "balls up" and go and find an open spot in the ice and hopefully shoot some unsuspecting carp for a field test of the MT1.........

So I loaded up my gear and the dog and headed down to lake; it was a cloudy day with wind gusts up to 35 or so miles per hour sporting a temp of about 45 F, gotta love Wyoming:duh . So I drove around the lake to one of the deeper parts close to shore where I figured I could find some reasonably clear water. I rounded the corner and found that the whole damn bay was frozen over except for a small portion on one side. From my vantage point the water looked clear enough so I parked and hauled my stuff down to the edge and proceeded to dawn my 3mm wetsuit (something Im in the process of replacing with an Omer 6.5mm:D ) . Of coarse I forgot the soap, so I about froze standing there in my birthday suit:eek: trying to pull on the pants that I had to dip in the lake to avoid ripping every hair out of the bottom part of my body. During this whole process the dog just staired at me with a look of wonderment as to what I was about to do.

As I tryed the same tactic to put my top-half on I got stuck and felt like I was going to sufficate, got to wobbling and feel into the damn lake!!! While I was trying to get the top half off and find the surface the dog must of gotten nervous and jumped on me then he tryed to climb on top of me. I jurked the top off and shot out of the water and had a reasonably long though between shivering like hell as to whether this was the right thing to be doing on account of how events had compiled to this point. I dipped the top half into the water again and it slid on as good as it ever had.......was the day about to change?

I finally was ready, speargun in hand with dreams of cutting thoose 3 bands-of-death off into a carp. I stepped onto a rock, looked at the ice around my melted pool-of-hope, closed my eyes awaiting the shock of high 30, low 40 degree water and jumped in......

I wasn't as cold as I was guessing it to feel I remember thinking as I took that first plunge. I openned my eyes only to find that I had about 4 feet of viz :waterwork . I was now experiancing a mix of emotion; saddness, and pure anger. I procceded to load the gun so I could say I at least shot the damn thing and found I could just make out the tip of the spear when I streched my arm out. I didn't kick bad like I was expecting and seemed to be rather quite which I was excited about.

All in all would I have done this again.....well..... I think so:duh, as stories like this are the ones one seems to remember and can laugh about for a long time to come.

I am now awaiting warmer weather and a chance at clearer water, no more ice:p .

Hope you all enjoyed it from the other side. Other than that just been training in the pool and trying to get the cash rounded up to pick up a suit designed for water colder than 70 degrees:eek: .

Hope life is going well for all as summer is coming close.

Until next time,
Justin
(I have a pick or two, if I can get them smaller I'll post them)
 
As I look back onto this moment I think the only way it could have been worse is, well, if the gun exploded and the dog was eatten by a shark.

Until next time,
Justin
 
rofl

was the vis bad because you stirred it up falling in?
 
Fuzz,

I wish that were the case:D ; but, alas it was like that everywhere and down about 15ft or so I went.......

Hope you enjoyed,
justin
 
Nice Story

It was enjoyable to read. I feel for you man. We fave been trying to find a place to shoot some carp with the poor Vis and restricted waters its kind of hard.:friday


Austin~
 
Justin!

Great story man!

While you're considering wetsuits, take a look at the Cressi Supercompetition on the DB store. About $205 US + shipping... I've got one, and I can personally verify its warmth in water as cold as 33F... I'm good for about an hour in water that cold. I don't know how much the OMER wetsuits cost, but the Cressi seemed like a good deal to me last fall!

Cheers man,
Aaron
 
hey Aaron,

thanks for the suggestion! I appreciate it...... What temp of water do you dive in? I am getting one to handle my up coming Washington trip for lingcod, which should be exciting as its my first trip to the ocean!!!!!

I will look into them, thanks alot man,

Justin
 
Last edited:
Justin,

I'm going diving today and the water temp will be around 33-34F (1C). Lake Ontario dosn't freeze over due to the prevailing wind most years in this area, it just gets very cold. Sometimes it stays at 32-33 for quite a while. I dive often in this water using both my Supercomp and my Picasso 7mm suit, but I find the Supercomp not only easier to put on (it fits me better) but at least as warm as the Picasso. So I'm good for about an hour in the water with the Supercomp in water that's as cold as it can get!

On the other end of the scale, I dove in my Supercomp recently both on the reef in FL and in one of the springs. Water temp 70F on the reef, and 72 in the spring. It was overcast on the reef and I was very comfortable. In the spring however it was really sunny and I found myself slightly on the warm side. I just took off the hood for a few minutes though and I was fine.

In Washington I think you'll get water temps in the 38F (4C) range at the lowest depending on wht time of year you go, however that's just based on memory of what I've read, so that really needs to be backed up by someone from the West Coast!

If you're planning on doing alot of winter diving you should invest in some warm socks and gloves too if you haven't alredy. I use picasso bio-termic 5mm socks, and picasso 3 finger gloves. I know that OMER has some excellent cold water stuff too including some 6mm socks. There is an OMER dealer in somewhere in Wisc. Madison or Milwakee I think, Jon is the guy to ask.

Have a great time on your trip to the coast! Spear some extra dinner for me... ;)

Dive safe,
Aaron
 
As far as I am concerned, ice is something you put in drinks! You are absolutely correct. This weather wimp definitely considers what you tried to do . . . CRAZY! Nothing personal you understand . . .
 
That was absolutely great. God knows that I have had days like that. They suck, but they make for a great story for other people.

Cheers

Aquiles
 
30ish water and a 3 mill suit.......that gave me shrinkage just reading about it. You are a brave man.
 
Im glad you've all been enjoying my finely exicuted plan.......:D

There's a saying that if one's gonna be tough you've gotta be dumb or very smart........ Im not about to label myself as I don't want to come to reality yet....hehe.

Easter break is coming up for me soon and a new wetsuit with it, so hopefully my next story will somewhere along the lines of opposite in relation to this one. Knowing myself though, I am beginning to prepare myself already:duh .

Hope all is going well for the participants of this great place as summer (for some) is coming!!!!

Unitl next time,
Justin
 
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