Pond Safety in the winter

[blackie65]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on the best way to check ice thickness and when you all think it is safe to get on ice. Not with tractor but people and maybe an ATV. Is it best to try and keep snow off of ice?

 

[grnspot110]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on the best way to check ice thickness and when you all think it is safe to get on ice. Not with tractor but people and maybe an ATV. Is it best to try and keep snow off of ice?

Cut a hole in it & measure, more than one location is best. And, the snow will insulate it, causing less freezing. ~~ grnspot110

 

[MikeInEburg]

If you want to skate, snow ruins the surface. We always shoveled then cut a hole and flooded the surface with water that would freeze and make very nice surface.
Mike

 

[MossRoad]

I ice fish quite a bit. 3" of really hard ice is safe to walk on by yourself while a foot of mush is dangerous. There is no hard and fast rule because ice conditions vary so much. Snow insulates the ice and can make it mushy, or in layers.

General rule of thumb.... never go on the ice by yourself. Always have a rope handy to toss to someone who has fallen through, or to toss to someone if you have fallen through. :thumbsup:

3" of hard ice is safe for 1 person to walk on. Stay away from your large friends.
4" of hard ice is safe to stand close enough to your large friends to pass the thermos.
5" of hard ice is safe to give your large friend CPR (he didn't realize how strenuous hauling a fish shack out to the lake would be).
6" of hard ice is safe for the rescue squad to bring out the gurney and stand next to each other in a group.

Best advice I can give you is to get an ice auger, walk out about a foot onto the ice and drill a hole. Look at the ice to see if it is hard ice or mushy ice. Stuff the auger in the hole and pull it up against the bottom of the hole, then grab the shaft at the water level. Pull it out and see how thick the ice really is. You cannot tell by just looking at it. If it is 4" of hard ice, move out another 5' and check it again. Ice thickness can vary wildly on even a small pond due to springs, water depth, wind when the ice was formed. Heck, even something as minor as a dark bottom will absorb heat and warm the ice faster. Know the body of water you are on.

 

[rus_geek]

Like Moss says, until you *know* a body of water, assume that even if the ice you're standing on is a foot thick, one step to the right might be an inch thick. Punch a bunch of test holes to see if the ice is consistent.

Or using the redneck methodology, put on a life vest and drive the quad all over the pond looking for thin spots

One body of water we ice fish has a good current. We'll be fishing through two feet + of ice, about fifty feet from open water. Some people fish closer, but I've seen too many chunks break off twenty feet from open water.

 

[LD1]

Everyone here pretty uch hammered down how thick the Ice needs to be, but my personal preference is to see at least 8". At 10" we take the 4-wheelers out on the Ice and have fun.

But what I use to check depth is a lot cheaper than an auger.

I got a 1-1/2" wood spade bit for a coordless drill. On the backside where it tapers back down to the shank, I grind it flat, so when I punch through I can "hook" it on the underside of the Ice fo get a measurment. But you either need a long bit, or an extension.

 

[blackie65]

If you want to skate, snow ruins the surface. We always shoveled then cut a hole and flooded the surface with water that would freeze and make very nice surface.
Mike

THat's a great idea :thumbsup:
Do you use a hose to flood the surface?

 

[blackie65]

Everyone here pretty uch hammered down how thick the Ice needs to be, but my personal preference is to see at least 8". At 10" we take the 4-wheelers out on the Ice and have fun.

But what I use to check depth is a lot cheaper than an auger.

I got a 1-1/2" wood spade bit for a coordless drill. On the backside where it tapers back down to the shank, I grind it flat, so when I punch through I can "hook" it on the underside of the Ice fo get a measurment. But you either need a long bit, or an extension.

I will try this tonight! I also thought about a 2-4" hole saw so I could view the condition of the ice.
Thanks for all the input

 

[MikeInEburg]

THat's a great idea :thumbsup:
Do you use a hose to flood the surface?

A hose and a pump. It's slightly better if you had another source of water - but we never worried. If you want to be fancy, cut a hole in the ice and put a short piece of PVC pipe into it such that it extends an inch or two above the ice surface and fits snugly into the hole. Thus, when you flood, your water won't drain back into the hole you've cut.
Mike

 

[MossRoad]

As far as overall pond safety goes... if you have a pond on your property, just like a swimming pool, you should have some safety equipment that is easily accessible, in good working order and in plain sight. And you should have a plan. I would recommend a throw bag in a dry box on a post near the pond. Similar to this... example
Basically, it is a floating rope stuffed into a bag. You grab the end of it in one hand and throw the bag over the victim's head with the other hand. The rope pays out of the bag as it travels through the air. A good toss over the victim is easily grabbed. Then you can try to pull them out and to safety. I made my own and carry it with me ice fishing. Never know when you or someone else may go for a dip! :shocked:

 

[boatyard]

Knowing the depth of the water is handy. We skated last weekend on a marsh complex that is no deeper than 3 feet with barely 2-3 " of ice, minimal, but falling into 3 feet of water is not life threatening. I would not have gone out on the local lake with ice that thin.

The skating was perfect for a few days and then it rained and snowed.

 

[20 20]

We've had so much cold weather up here our ice is allready at 5"

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I always kept an extension ladder around when we would go on my pond. It is very difficult to pull someone out of frigid water with a rope. An extension ladder gets laid out and distributes the weight. It is also infinitely easier for someone in the water to grab a ladder rung and pull themselves out as opposed to them pulling on a rope.

 

[MossRoad]

I always kept an extension ladder around when we would go on my pond. It is very difficult to pull someone out of frigid water with a rope. An extension ladder gets laid out and distributes the weight. It is also infinitely easier for someone in the water to grab a ladder rung and pull themselves out as opposed to them pulling on a rope.

When I was a kid, maybe 12, I was out digging worms in my yard to go fishing in the lake behind our house. It was early spring. I heard screaming and ran to the edge of the escarpment and saw three people about 1/4 mile away floundering in two holes in the ice that still covered half the lake. I ran inside and grabbed my dad, an extension ladder, some rope and we threw it into our VW bus and drove a mile and a half around the lake to get to the people in the water. By the time we got there, two of the kids (it turned out) were out on shore. Our next door neighbor had broken a path through the ice and was out about 30' from shore swimming in his underwear, pushing a smaller gentleman (who was in the park taking pictures) up onto the ice. The smaller gentleman was attempting to crawl across the ice to another kid that was in the 2nd hole. My dad and I tied the rope to the wood ladder and floated it out to the neighbor in the water. He pushed it up to the smaller man, who used it to get to the last kid and pulled him up onto the ice. They then tied the rope to him and held him there until the fire deprt finally arrived. Unfortunately, a 4th child succumbed to the cold and drown. We never saw him and did not know he was there. He was 8, I believe.

Anyhow, just the week before my father and I attended a Boy Scout Klondike Derby and took some winter safety training. That's how we knew about the ladder and the rope and spreading your weight across the ice. A ladder is great if you have one, but not practical to carry when fishing, skating or skiing. If you have a personal pond however, no reason why you couldn't keep one near shore by the throw rope. Just make sure it is up off the ground and not frozen in when you need it.

 

[9973720wb19]

the safest and best way is to not find out...why take the risk?

 

[boatyard]

Why take the risk? Because skating on pond ice is one of winters joys!


Just be careful, screw your head on,i.e.; don't skate on thin/lousy ice, plan for the worst and enjoy.
Christopher

 

[scoutcub]

Great information so far.
I was in the USCG for many years and spent 8 years flying in the great lakes. Picked up way too many ice fisherman that got into trouble. Saw several that weren't so lucky.

Our motto to the public was "no ice is safe ice"....

Having said that, we would land our 9000 lb helicopter on the ice.....we required 12" minimum. Our rescue swimmers would pre-drill holes to check thickness. Always interesting seeing the ice cracking underneath you....!

The best advice I can give is plan for the worst possible scenario. Strength in numbers. Stay as close to the shore as possible. Ladders - good...Rope is good, or a safety ladder (for egressing a second story house) would be easier for someone to grab onto. Our rescue swimmers would carry "ice awls" in their pockets, to get back on the ice, after they intentionally broke thru. (training)
Always keep in mind it only takes a few minutes in the water to start losing motor skills....and the more clothes on the body, the heavier you are when you're wet...

I've always had a plan in my head to someday dig a "skating pond" on the property.....just a rectangular hole no more than 2' deep, hopefully it would hold water or have a way to fill it when freezing temps are present....that takes away a lot of worries!

Best of luck, have fun, and be safe!!

 

[MossRoad]

the safest and best way is to not find out...why take the risk?

I have been in more danger in my car on a public road than by traversing across the ice of a frozen body of water.

There is just something neat about walking up to a frozen lake and taking that first step onto the ice for the year. I figure given my past track record it will be the only time I get to walk on water so I'll take advantage of it. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

Great information so far.
I was in the USCG for many years and spent 8 years flying in the great lakes. Picked up way too many ice fisherman that got into trouble. Saw several that weren't so lucky.

Our motto to the public was "no ice is safe ice"....

Having said that, we would land our 9000 lb helicopter on the ice.....we required 12" minimum. Our rescue swimmers would pre-drill holes to check thickness. Always interesting seeing the ice cracking underneath you....!

The best advice I can give is plan for the worst possible scenario. Strength in numbers. Stay as close to the shore as possible. Ladders - good...Rope is good, or a safety ladder (for egressing a second story house) would be easier for someone to grab onto. Our rescue swimmers would carry "ice awls" in their pockets, to get back on the ice, after they intentionally broke thru. (training)
Always keep in mind it only takes a few minutes in the water to start losing motor skills....and the more clothes on the body, the heavier you are when you're wet...

I've always had a plan in my head to someday dig a "skating pond" on the property.....just a rectangular hole no more than 2' deep, hopefully it would hold water or have a way to fill it when freezing temps are present....that takes away a lot of worries!

Best of luck, have fun, and be safe!!

We had a good family friend fall through the ice last year. He is in his 70s. He was able to push his friend up onto the ice, but he could not get out of the water himself. He was in for 30-40 minutes before they got him out. He had a lot of bruises from hitting his face on the ice trying to get out. He knew better than to go out on that ice, but he had just been there the week before and didn't think the conditions would have changed that much. He said it stopped hurting about 15 minutes into it. He could not talk, he could not move and he could not think. He was done but somehow managed to hang onto the edge of the hole until rescued. Lucky to be alive and very happy. :cloud9:

 

[tcartwri]

Grew up next to a lake, and saw a lot of people and equipment go through. The scariest was the sister of my best friend, who stepped on a tire that was used as a bouy for a sailboat. The tire went through and then popped back into the hole sealing her under the ice. She was very fortunate that her father was able to push the tire back down and pull her out.