News
Diving under the ice

Ice diving is one of the most adventurous types of diving and is a great way to immerse yourself in environments few other people ever get to see. It is challenging, different from most other types of recreational diving, and one to add to your liveaboard diving wish list for 2019.
Why go ice diving?
Ice diving offers the chance to experience dive sites like no other and enjoy marine life encounters you can’t find elsewhere. Surrounded by blue water and ice formations, there is nowhere as peaceful as under the ice.
Where can you go ice diving?
The Arctic and Antarctica are two of the best places to go ice diving. These unique destinations offer exceptional wildlife watching opportunities, varied diving and the chance to visit some of Earth’s last wilderness areas.
Antarctica
You can go ice diving around the Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea during Antarctica liveaboard diving cruises, plus explore iconic destinations such as the Falkland Islands and South Shetland Islands. A liveaboard safari to South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands is not to be missed to explore areas that have never been dived before. These wild and remote areas are teeming with wildlife and dive trips include zodiac diving, shore dives, wall dives and ice dives.
The M/V Plancius and Ortelius both offer Antarctica dive safaris and diving is available during November to March.
The Arctic
Ice diving in the Arctic is more accessible than Antarctica for most people and the best dive sites are reached by Arctic liveaboard diving. There are varied dives on offer, including at Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago, and you can enjoy ice diving, boat dives and even wreck dives. It is also possible to dive Scoresby Sund in Greenland; the world’s largest fjord system. Reaching depths of up to 1450 meters, this fjord is a unique liveaboard diving destination with ice and boat-based diving on offer.
The M/V Plancius offers Arctic liveaboard diving, with Scoresby Sund diving available during certain itineraries.
What can you see when ice diving?
A better question would be what can’t you see when exploring the Arctic and Antarctica. These species-rich destinations offer something for everyone to enjoy.
Antarctica hosts numerous seals, penguins, diverse bird life and around 15 whale species. Dive there and you have the chance to see sea lions, leopard seals and fur seals, plus various fish species and invertebrates. There are sea caves to explore, ice formations, kelp walls and bright blue water to immerse yourself in.
Head north to Spitsbergen and you can see equally diverse marine life, including invertebrates and plentiful fish, sea lions, bearded seals, walruses and various whale species. If you visit Scoresby Sund you might even get to see narwhals and beluga whales.
Can anyone try ice diving?
If you want to try ice diving you’ll need to be a PADI Advanced Open Water diver (or equivalent) and have a minimum of 30 logged dives. You also need to be experienced in cold water and dry suit diving.
How do ice divers stay warm?!
The water temperature in Antarctica is typically 0°C (32 °F), whilst the Arctic water temperature ranges from 5°C (41 °F) to 0°C (32 °F), dropping to -1°C (30.2°F) at Scoresby Sund. However, you shouldn’t be cold when ice diving. By using the right equipment and exposure protection, you can stay warm when diving and afterwards.
What dive gear do you need to go ice diving?
You need to bring your own dive gear, suitable for polar diving, if you want to join an Antarctic or Arctic liveaboard diving cruise. Your gear should include a dry suit, appropriate thermal undersuit, hood, gloves, boots, fins, buoyancy control device, mask, snorkel, dive computer, octopus set-up and weight belt. Other equipment that is recommended includes a compass, dive knife and underwater torch.
Discover liveaboard diving holiday solutions around the world at Liveaboard.com.
Competitions
WIN a Beuchat Air Light Bag!!!

For this week’s competition, we’ve teamed up with our good friends at Beuchat to give away an Air Light Bag!
The Air Light Bag from Beuchat is a practical travel bag that takes up minimum storage space.
- Material: 600 denier and 1,000 denier nylon/PVC
- Soft roller bag, easily stored in its mesh bag
- Internal retaining straps
- Zip fastener with eyelets for padlocks
- Side compartment for fins
- Outer document pocket with coated zip and carry strap
- Backpack style straps concealed behind the foam back-plate
- Drainage vents
- Red over-moulded wheels; detachable wheel block
To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize, all you have to do is answer the following question:
In a recent post on Scubaverse.com (which you can read here), we reported that Mexico is to host the first annual Cancun International Boat Show and Marine Expo this year. But when is the event due to take place?
Is it:
- A) 9th – 11th July
- B) 16th – 18th July
- C) 23rd – 25th July
Answer, A, B or C to the question above:
Miscellaneous Blogs
Jeff chats to… Jill Heinerth – underwater explorer, author and presenter (Watch Video)

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Jill Heinerth.
Jill is one of the world’s premier underwater explorers, and the first person to dive inside iceberg caves. According to filmmaker James Cameron, “More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the places Jill Heinerth has gone right here on earth.”
An acclaimed polar explorer, cave diver, author, speaker, filmmaker, and climate advocate, Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She is the inaugural recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration and Canada’s Polar Medal.
Jill leads expeditions into extreme environments to advance scientific and geographic knowledge. Her projects have been broadcast on the CBC, BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel, and television networks worldwide. Jill was announced as the recipient of the William Beebe Award from the Explorer’s Club and was inducted into the International Scuba Divers Hall of Fame in fall 2020.
Her bestselling book INTO THE PLANET – My Life as a Cave Diver has drawn acclaim from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and O Magazine. Heinerth details her journey into the extreme world of underwater cave exploration, where she has had to overcome fear in order to go where no one has gone before.
Find out more about Jill and her work at: www.intotheplanet.com
Rather listen to a podcast? Listen to the audio HERE on the new Scubaverse podcast channel at Anchor FM.
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