Is it scary underwater? Is it pitch black? - From Kim Kalantzis' 5th grade class at Kendall Elementary School in Illinois

I wouldn't say it's scary underwater, but it definitely made me a bit anxious before my first dive under the ice. There aren't any dangerous animals to worry about - no sharks, killer whales, or leopard seals. It's the other, less sensational things that I was concerned about, like: 1) the overhead environment of a 7-17 foot thick ice sheet above me (which meant I could only surface at one of the holes that we made in the ice; = DON'T FORGET WHERE THE HOLE IS!); 2) the coldness of the water (which is below the freezing point of freshwater), which can make you so numb that you can't feel your face or fingers, or can freeze up your mask so you can't see, or freeze up your regulator and drain your tank in a few minutes; 3) the darkness under the ice, which hinders seeing how much air pressure you have in your tank (without a dive light); and, importantly, 4) water currents, which could prevent you from swimming back to the hole if you're caught too far down-current. It took me a few dives to get more comfortable with the conditions here, and I'd say I'm still adjusting to it somewhat, gradually building up my comfort zone with respect to the distance I'll travel from the hole underwater and the depth I go down to. But I'd also say that I'm more confident now that I know my dive gear will perform well, the cold isn't so bad (I've actually felt colder in California), and the water here is so clear that I can see pretty well down there once my eyes adjust. The main thing to be concerned about is always knowing where your hole is, which you see by the light spot in the ice and the flashers that we hang down from a rope. It isn't exactly pitch black, but it's pretty dark underneath the 17 foot thick ice that has snow on top of it. On the other hand, you don't even need a light at some of our dive sites where the ice is "only" 7 feet thick and there's not much snow on top. -Mike

What the dive hole looks like from below

Bob checking his air pressure with a dive light

The line with strobe flashers attached to it, which we use to help find the hole