How thick do you call safe ice?
01-31-2007, 07:20 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Calgary,Alberta,Canada
Posts: 2,123
RE: How thick do you call safe ice?
Safe enough for you to walk on is 3 inches and i think something like 8 or 10 inches to drive on.GOne on 2 1/2 inches and didnt fall in but there was alot of cracking under the feet goin on, little scary.
01-31-2007, 07:29 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Orr, Minnesota
Posts: 937
RE: How thick do you call safe ice?
You check it by walking out with a long pole and a life jacket, I usually wait for 4 inches but I see guys going out on their 4 wheeler when there is about 3 inches. But they are insane.
02-01-2007, 12:58 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Crescent Valley, NV
Posts: 2,271
RE: How thick do you call safe ice?
Depends. One resivoir I fish, I would go on about 6 inches, no problem. Another resivoir I have been on 10" of very soft ice and have gotten kinda nervous. I don't like the idea of falling through. Around here, we have problems with freeze/thaw cycles. It can get down to -5 and then warm up to 30+ in some instances, and then not get real cold for a couple days, and then drop down to -5 again, and then warm back up. There is plenty of ice, but it is very soft, and really not safe, IMO. I like a good solid, one time freeze, and then the temp stay low enough to keep it there.
Later,
Marcial
Later,
Marcial
02-01-2007, 02:41 PM
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location:
Posts: 175
RE: How thick do you call safe ice?
I never feel 100% comfortable on ice.... this year we brought my '06 silverado crew cab out 4 miles onto the lake.... creaked and moaned a bit.... lots of vehicles infront of us... and between 16-23" of ice solid hard ice... but still nervous.. when the big moans and cracks go by you when your sittin on a pail.... EEEEEE.... a little bit of pee comes out everytime....[
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02-02-2007, 02:27 PM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 12,564
RE: How thick do you call safe ice?
I think it all depends on how crazy you are! Here 4 inches of black ice is good to walk on, anything less and you are looking for trouble. I was fishing on 4 inches and was walking along and goty to see the ice cracking under my feet! Needless to say I very slowly backed up. You see 4 inches is plenty strong enough but, how about 10 feet away when unknowingly the ice might be 2 inches thick? That happens here alot with the cold water springs we have coming up from the lake bottoms. So for the most part becarefull on the ice!