mndiver

Ike,

Will you have a dome port shade available as well or does another one already on the market fit the "Da Bigga Doma."

I have taken my Ike D70 housing/DS125’s ice diving several times.  I ice dive in Minnesota, USA so I can only speak to freshwater ice diving.  

Most of the extra care needed for ice diving happens before and after the dive.  Once you are diving, it is just a cold-water dive with a camera (and a rope, an overhead enviroment and so on).  

In general: I set up everything at home and then put it back in the Pelican case.  I leave it all there until I someone hands it to me while I am underwater.   I do a short dive first to make sure all is well with my other dive equipment then return to the hole and have someone hand me the camera.  I use it for one dive and then back in the case it goes.  If I do another dive, I don’t’ take the camera.

I had one problem last year, a tiny leak in the form of a few drops.  It came from the control that turns the camera on and off.  I saw it right away and handed the camera back up.  I could not duplicate the problem in the pool and Ikelite found nothing wrong with the housing.  I think that the tiny bit of water that gets around the controls froze, expanded, and pushed on a gland letting in some drops of water.  Hence, I only use it for one dive a day and or don’t let it freeze.  I have found it very useful to dive from a heated shelter so that the camera and housing don’t get too cold. --- OK, so I don’t freeze either.

I have used my Ike Housed D70 on several ice dives.  These dives are generally in your temp range.  Very cold on the surface and chilly under the ice.  I can't tell you exactly how long it will last, but I have never had to change the battery while doing several ice dives in one day.  I would say at least a few hundred shots.  Hope that helps.

I had one dive on the reg set as well. I agree with the last post but would like to add a bit.

From my limited experience and IMHO the work of breathing realy ruins an otherwise cool new toy (and I like cool new SCUBA toys).

When in normal swimming position the reg required quite a bit breathing effort, a real workout! It would be a good reg if you could stay head up the entire dive, but too much work otherwise.

I did not get it and consider it just another gimmick. It is high on the "great cool new toy" scale but it breathed so poorly I would not use one on another dive.

If you are considering one, please test dive it before you buy and see if you have the same experience.

Chris

I have the same set up you are putting together.  I have the B&W +4 (B&H # BWCU467) which works well.  It is in stock and $36.  

My 2 cents....

Chris