Coast Guard, Navy conduct under-ice water diving in Minnesota

U.S. Coast Guard conducts cold water ice diving course

U.S. Coast Guard instructors lead the students of the Cold Water Ice Diving [CWID] course through the process of diving under the ice on Lake Ferrell, Feb. 3, 2022. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Gregory Schell)

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. - Diving is a challenging skill in and of itself, but stakes are even higher when diving in ice water.

That’s the training members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy are undergoing at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minnesota. The Coast Guard recently launched the course aboard the Minnesota National Guard Base.

A video showed instructors leading them in cold water ice diving on Lake Ferrell on Feb. 3. Students had to dress, conduct communication checks, enter the water, conduct suit and tank checks, submerge, return to the surface, and exit the water.

The week-long training prepares military divers to execute missions in cold water and ice environments.

Camp Ripley provides arctic conditions for real-world ice and cold weather dive training, according to the military. The training begins with setting up tents, cutting proper holes in the ice, dry suit familiarization, and scuba cold-water set up training before participants dive under the ice.

"The support from Camp Ripley over the last year in moving this course from Seattle has been outstanding, and we are really looking forward to the continued partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Minnesota National Guard at Camp Ripley," Navy Lt. Nicholas Pavlik said in a statement.

"As our focus shifts to a different environment, Camp Ripley is proud to work together with our Navy and Coast Guard partners," Army Brig. Gen. Lowell Kruse added. "Our focus is to be a premier training site for all branches, and we will continue to meet the needs of the modern military."

"Camp Ripley continues to evolve, and we will work tirelessly with all of our partners to ensure that when they leave our installation, they are excited for what they have done here during their training," Kruse continued.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.