Ice Hole Festival in Lake Okoboji, Iowa Creates Enthusiasm, Brings in an Ocean Full of Scuba Divers for the Past 6 Years!
The yearly Ice Gap Competition will be Held Feb 9th – 12th at Lake Okoboji, Iowa, appeals to hundreds of ice divers.
LAKE OKOBOJI, Iowa, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Ice Hole Festival started out as a look at on a scuba divers bucket record. A diver walked into Worldwide Scuba in Carrollton, Texas. He inquired about scuba diving underneath ice. Everyone understands there is no ice in Texas. So, Richard Thomas, proprietor of Worldwide Scuba, termed his buddies in South Dakota, which is identified for its ice.
Conference up with Colonel Echols of Land Shark Scuba in Sioux Falls, they structured the 1st weekend of ice diving. Locals confirmed up to view the outrageous Texans inclined to chance freezing on a -20F day. It turned out the joke was on them. Every person experienced so a great deal entertaining and bonded whilst finishing an excessive sport that a pact was created to repeat it all over again up coming year with the locals. So became the legend of the Ice Gap Pageant.
Richard Thomas explains, “The mission of the Ice Gap Dive Fest is to make a collecting of scuba divers that want to increase their talent established. Also, to foster working interactions with Scuba Dive facilities from all reaches of North The united states.” To get began a store sponsors an Ice Diving Teacher. They are now regarded as a stakeholder. They can reward every 12 months mainly because the infrastructure is already in spot. In future yrs, the Scuba Dive shops just want to reserve their space.
The celebration has developed each individual yr. It now attracts licensed scuba divers from Canada, Mexico, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois, and California. In accordance to Thomas, “The unique nature of the ecosystem appears to really attract the southern scuba divers that want to examination their ability in a harsh surroundings. And the Friday Night time Ice Hole Cutting and bon hearth has grow to be famous. It features pizza, drinks that warm your coronary heart and toes, and a bonfire on ice.”
The added advantage is a lot more and a lot more Scuba Dive shops get a probability to collaborate on other events throughout the 12 months. For case in point, Ocean Impression out of Arkansas hosts a spearfishing tournament. Every single yr, the other outlets are eager to assist that party – hosted by Justin Sours. It permits stores that usually have a modest accumulating of nearby scuba divers to demonstrate off the best they have to present and make a bigger following.
The Ice Hole Pageant grows the diving field and has established what they like to simply call a Scuba Mafia. A selection of Scuba Dive Shop entrepreneurs that are ready to share the limelight and have their divers be the winners.
Thanks to globe renowned, award successful underwater photographer Tom St George from Tulum, Mexico, everything gets documented by him and his digicam.
PADI has generously stepped up as our headline sponsor giving unparalleled accessibility to ice training for both of those Instructors and divers and will be major the certification delivered on-site. On the other hand, all outlets and businesses are welcome to take part and use our logistics, we have outlets from SDI and SSI attending as perfectly.
Are you completely ready to move up and receive a put with the Ice Hole divers? All you have to have is an adventurous spirit and questionable judgement. The entrance price for the occasion is $200.00. That consists of 2 times of diving, an occasion shirt, entrance to Social, scorching lunch, and drinks on ice.
Thursday and Friday there will be expert stage education for any scuba instructors or assistants seeking to develop into Ice Dive Instructors. Certifications are purchased by your community store. If you will not have a participating shop, we can get you set up with a single of our collaborating dive stores.
You can indicator up on-line here. You can also connect with the store at 972-416-8400. Divers that have equipment rental desires please simply call the shop or e mail [email protected]. We have tanks at the function for those flying in.
Global Scuba in Dallas supplies scuba diving certifications for all practical experience levels, compact courses, adaptable schedules, and 12 months-round diving. https://internationalscuba.com/
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Source Intercontinental Scuba