TRAVEL
financially possible. A trip costs $15,000 at a minimum and that does not include dive equipment, airfare, or travel ex- penses. That said, you very well might have a client or even a small number of clients ask you to help them join a polar expedition. As unlikely as it would have seemed only a few years ago, it is happening all over the United States today. So, let’s also look at what a diver needs and how you can
ment. Dry Glove: s One of the more common problems divers face in polar waters is cold hands. Hands and fingers don’t just get cold, they hurt and quit working. Dry gloves help. Heated dry gloves help more. But even then, cold hands are a big obstacle for many snorkelers and divers. When your hands go numb, it can be very difficult to perform simple, yet vital, tasks such as clearing a mask, depressing the inflate
help your clients, even if you or your dive center is not leading or going on the trip. Keeping Warm: Some Scuba Diving Industry Magazine readers have quite a bit of experience diving and selling drysuits. Others have minimal to no experience. In any case, divers need a drysuit, dry gloves, and the right under- garments. But more important than owning the equipment is diving with the equipment enough to be competent using it before a trip to polar regions. In addition to drysuit under- garments, a lot of divers use heat- ed gloves and a heated vest or even a fully heated suit worn under the drysuit. These items require practice setting up the equipment in a timely manner and using them effectively in the water. The gear will also greatly impact a diver’s buoyancy. The takeaway message is that the Arc- tic and Antarctic waters are not the places to learn how to set up and operate your equipment. A properly fitting 10mm or 11mm thick hood is recommend- ed. A diver will want to be sure
and deflate buttons on a bc, adjusting a weight belt, removing your bc and fins, operating camera systems, assisting a buddy, etc. No doubt about it, dry glove systems are bulky and even when wearing them in the comfort of your home, you lose a lot of dexterity and the ability to feel and do things with your hands. To help get the “feel of things” before my trips, I set up my camera system and put it on my living room table. For one month, every time I walked past the table I put on my heated dry gloves and practiced manipulating the controls on my camera housing and strobes. I thought I had things all figured out, but on my first practice dive in southern California I was unable to turn on my strobes because I could not get a grip on the controls in the water like I could in my living room. To solve the problem, I attached a weight keeper to my strobes and used them to turn my strobes on and off. That is just one ex- ample of the benefits derived from in- water practice.
A close-up encounter with a highly sought-after leopard seal.
An iceberg in Antarctica that reveals that only a small percentage of an iceberg floats above the surface.
The batteries made for heated gloves are typically connected via a wiring system that passes through the inflator valve of a drysuit. That might require purchasing a different valve and having it installed on the drysuit to allow your heated gloves to function. Buoyancy and Body Heat: Getting proficient diving with a drysuit requires some practice. At first, almost everyone feels overly buoyant and somewhat “out of control.” Even if you are an experienced dry suit diver, odds are you
to try it on and wear it during practice dives. If it is too small, that much rubber creates significant jaw discomfort. If the hood is too large, it leads to the constant exchange of cold water and/or air pockets. Once again, the takeaway message is to get what is needed well ahead of a trip and make some pre-trip dives to get comfortable with the equip-
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