We were diving in water that was 29F (-1.5C), as cold as saltwater can get before it freezes. But because the water was so cold, there was hardly any life in the water column. The best part was that we could see at least 600 feet (180 meters) underwater, which rivals the best underwater visibility anywhere in the world. We saw the most incredibly beautiful ice structures, multitiered ice with light refracting through it. They were some of the most beautiful formations and shades of blue I've ever seen.
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In the summer and fall the ice is drifting in the Beaufort Sea. Where we were diving there was often strong current. We'd go down through an ice hole or crack into water around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) deep, so there was no bottom to rest on and because we were under the ice we didn't have a surface either, except our entrance point. One day the current started to pick up and carried us deeper and deeper under the ice. We tried to kick out but it was very strong. What's more, our gauges indicated that our main tanks (we had safety reserves) were getting low on air. We were on safety lines and could have signaled an emergency by jerking the line four times, but we didn't want to panic our line tenders on the surface. Eventually we made it back to the hole, but it took a long time. We were very tired, and my legs were cramped from kicking so hard in the cold water. They just quit working after a point.
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We were on a government-run Coast Guard ship. They served delicious food, but the eating hours were 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 4:30 p.m. Three huge meals in a span of eight hours. I was stuck on the ship for five weeks with little room to exercise and often with nothing to do but eat. And they served all the finest foods—very rich and fattening. At lunch I'd tell myself, All right, I'm just going to have a salad. But they'd have the best Mexican food I'd ever tasted. Then dinner would be roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I would still be full from lunch, but I couldn't resist. The worst part was that by 10 or 11 p.m., I'd be hungry again because I hadn't eaten in six or seven hours. They had a huge refrigerator full of desserts, so I'd go in there and eat pie and ice cream right before going to bed. I gained 20 pounds (10 kilograms) in five weeks. When I returned home, my wife was horrified and put me on a strict workout regimen. But luckily, all that extra fat kept me warm underwater.
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