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MOUNTAINLIFEONTARIO
WINTER2016
“I like to create a storywith the composition of the diver.
Imagine the conditions interactingwith the violence of storms.
It’s interesting to help explain that,” says Jerzy. “Wide lens work
is harder to accommodate, macro is easier
—
and lighting is
always a challenge.”
Spending an hour underwater inFebruarymeans you’ve got to
keepwarm somehow, and Jerzy says his drysuit is “heavy-duty”
to say the least. Andwhen you factor in thewater temperature, a
mere .5C at one point lastwinter below the surface, he stresses the
importance of secondary layers rather than a 10mmdive suit; it
sounds as thoughhe’s heading into the backcountry, not the depths
of shipwreck central. “Iwear a goodwool or fleece underlayer…
My fingerswill always be frozenby the time the dive is over, but
good clotheswill keep youprettywarm.”
Dives last an average of one hour, and require a huge amount of
setup time, from above the surface andbelow, to ensure everything
stays as safe as possible. Jerzy says he’s hadholes close inonhim
while still underwater, and that’swhere having a solidplanB comes
inhandy. If his point of entry closes due to currents and ice floe
movement, the plan is tohead toopenwater as fast as possible.
“Theproblem is thewind…During
thedive, youhave towatch the
openings in the ice, because suddenly
they’ll closeabove you.”
ZsoltVincze under BigTubHarbour.
