Polar Region Diving

Polar diving brings all sorts of fun and excitement to the world of diving. The polar regions of our world have extreme conditions that are challenging in ways that other diving areas are not. It’s a breathtaking diving realm and is a thrilling place to pursue science diving. Every dive is different in the unpredictable waters of the poles and diving there demands an extremely high diving skill level.

Waters in the polar region hover around 29 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. That is frigid. Cold water can cause a diver to breathe faster, use more energy, and get tired quickly. It also makes basic tasks harder to perform - tasks that may be critical to your research, data gathering, and observations. This is a major problem when you need your fingers to function to check your diving computers or turn on your air. Small tasks can prove to be exceedingly difficult in cold weather, especially underwater where the cold can cause irrational thinking.

The polar regions offer scientists the opportunity to dive beneath the ice. Similar to cave or wreck diving, polar diving requires divers to dive with no direct route to the surface. In order to enter the water, the dive team must dig a hole through the ice with a big drill. It can be disorienting and often cause panic because it can be dark and it can be impossible to push or dig through an inch or more of ice to regain the surface. Polar diving demands practice, an extremely high level of skill, and confidence in your skills.

Problems often arise in polar situations that wouldn’t happen in tropical waters. Regulators tend to free flow or freeze up, air is consumed faster, decisions are hard to make, rescue is harder, and extra precautions must always be taken. Cold can cause increased risk of decompression sickness or hypothermia. Divers must wear proper equipment like dry suits and full-face masks to attempt to stay warm.

Polar diving can be an amazing experience if you are prepared for the environment and competent with your diving skills. Diving under the ice is a spectacular experience. Clear waters and incredible colors come alive. Unique creatures like seals, penguins, and krill are prime subjects to study. Research on ice is becoming more important with the onset of global warming. The polar regions offer large quantities of research for qualified scientific divers that are up to the challenge.