Polar Diving

Diving in the Antarctic is an unforgettable and unique experience. However, you must be a very experienced diver to book this activity. Experience in diving in cold water and dry diving (at least 30 dry dives) is required. Before departure, you must present an internationally recognized diving certificate, the diver's logbook (copies must be attached when filling out the Diver Personal Information Forms), and a statement from your doctor (not older than two years) certifying that you are in sufficient physical health to dive. Please note: There is no decompression chamber and medical care in these polar regions is almost non-existent. Although there is a doctor on board the ship for first aid, no risky ventures are accepted from divers. If the dive leaders feel that the diver does not have the necessary experience, they may exclude the diver from the dive program (this decision is made for your own safety). In this case Oceanwide Expeditions cannot be held (financially) responsible and will not grant any compensation claims. All divers are obliged to follow the instructions of the dive leaders and guides at all times. All participants dive 100% at their own risk; this is also the case during the shore excursions. The trip begins with a test dive so that all divers can get used to the cold water and try out their equipment and the number of weights required. Before each dive there is a briefing about the planned dive site, the weather and ice conditions and the course of the dive. The dives are carried out according to a buddy system. There are no dive guides in the water to accompany and guide you. The guides will remain on the surface for the safety of the divers and will "check in" and "check out" the divers after each dive. Divers must be able to read their compass and depth gauge and look out for each other to ensure a safe dive. The following items are provided on board by Oceanwide Expeditions:

 Compressor: On board we have a Bauer compressor (200 liters), 35 steel cylinders of 12 liters each (200 bar), with DIN and Yoke compatible connections and two separate outlets. This allows the attachment of a primary and secondary safety regulator so that in the event of a malfunction or freeflow, each regulator is independently isolated.

 Weights: You will receive hard lead weights and a belt. We do not have foot lead or any other equipment rental on board. Important personal clothing and equipment that you must bring with you: - Hooded dry suit - Thick and warm underwater clothing (2 pairs), dry gloves or appropriate thick wet gloves (make sure these keep your hands warm in water temperatures below freezing) - 2 separate, frost-proof regulators, as we dive with special bottles with two outlets. We use 12 liter steel tanks. They are equipped with a "Y" or "H" valve configuration, with DIN or Yoke (INT) compatible connections. - Pressure gauge - Buoyancy compensator (BCD) with quick release - divers without a BCD who rely solely on their dry suit for buoyancy control will not be allowed to dive. - Depth gauge, watch or computer - compass - Knife and a flashlight - Mask, fins and snorkel - Weight belt (hard lead weights are available on board) Please check all your diving equipment before departure. Containers for equipment storage are provided.