Operating on thin ice presents hazards not common to the emergency response diver and special training
is required. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the diver with many of the hazards associated with
thin ice operations and how to plan and execute a thin ice dive. Thin ice is for the purpose of this program
defined as less the 2” thick or in the thaw state.
Student Prerequisites
1. ERD I or equivalent
2. Minimum age 18
3.ERDI Ice Diver Ops or equivalent
Required Specialized Equipment:
1. Minimum of 4 ice screws to set the load distributing anchor system
2. Throw bag to make distributing anchor system
3. Minimum of 400’ piece of 1/2” rope for the shuttle
4. Minimum of 4 pulleys
5. Minimum of 4 prussic
6. Ice Sled with rigging points
Required Skill Performance and Graduation
1. Open Water Dive 1
a. Review of thin ice skills on land
b. Test lights and equipment
c. Set up shuttle
d. Establish hole in ice and secure anchoring system
e. Establish tender location
f. Maintaining 100% tie off ride shuttle to ice hole
g. Deploy from sled to ice hole
h. Ten minute familiarization dive
i. Self-extricate from ice hole onto sled
j. Each diver must rotate and practice both surface support and safety diver
k. Log dive
2. Open Water Dive 2
a. Set-up search pattern and dive plan
b. Enter ice hole using shuttle system
c. Line handling and simulated lost diver procedures as safety diver
d. Fifteen minute exploring under the ice dive
e. Exit ice hole using sled and maintain 100% tie off
f. Log dive
