Pond hockey--ice thickness

[bbruins8 0]

Just back again off the ice with my 4 year old. This time the cops came and kicked us off. Go figure....

No, the fluorescent spray paint didn't really work too well -- didn't have enough dry time and really didn't show up too well on the ice. We tried what we thought was some glow-in-the-dark paint, but it was actually this pasty-glue stuff that didn't stick. But a little smeared on one-side was good enough to pass around. I'm pretty sure they make glow-in-the-dark pucks, but never really looked before.

Anyway, the big thaw is on. It's supposed to get near 50 today. Knowing the weather here, this is probably it for the season. Well, it was great for the few hours I was out there. I miss Vermont....

FTP...bastards.

[-brady2 0]

Wow. And hear I can skate to my friends houses if they leave near the lake, never heard of anyone getting kicked off a lake or pond by the cops before

[Zamboni 6]

Can't blame the cops, many ponds are unsafe to skate on even up here. A little current from small creek that moves through your pond may keep a trail through your ponds ice unsafe even if some ice is 6". Someone mentioned a spring-that's correct, thin ice above....the water in your pond is coming from somewhere.

Also, don't think stormwater runoffs are shallow- those 'ponds' don't follow the natural landscape, what apears to be 2' deep may have been dredged out with a bulldozer to increase capacity. New sub divisions have large culverts that dump stormwater into these ponds hidden, so where culvert is it is much deeper.

You asked earlier how to check ice thickness, its easy with a battery powered drill and a $5 augar type bit (bit with screw thread on tip-easier but not actually necessary) Take you 1/2 hour to check a wide area, tie a rope around yourself if no survival suit available. 10 seconds a hole, shove poles in holes to warn of thin areas you may find.

Keep an eye on how your pond thaws this week, first open water will be your ponds thinnest. Can you unplug-turn off that fountain in winter?

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Considering he doesnt own the apartment complex and they already kicked him off several times, I doubt that fountains gonna get turned off.

[Sven 1]

Ive never, ever skated on a pond, so this may be a stupid question, but, here i go:

Is skating actually different than in an arena? Same/different feeling? I know there are some bumps and dents but all in all, whats it like?

[hudsonhockey22 0]

its definetly harder than rink ice. very fun times while skatin on ponds. there are bumps and divets, but its still basically the same feeling

[EBondo 232]

Finally got the chance to skate on a pond last night/today for the first time in a good four years. Felt amazing. Smooth ice, glide was forever. Probably around 35 people on the lake and two fires going on the edge if you had to warm up a little. I'll never forget it and might actually have a chance to go back tomorrow morning as it's supposed to snow a little tonight/tomorrow morning.

[Sven 1]

Oh man, thats insane.

I really want such a pond right behind my backyard. I would go there everyday and practice my skills and hang out with other buddies and shoot saucerpasses for hours.

[flyerman 0]

VERY Nice!

In DE I used to go with some sandwiches and a big thermous of hot cocoa and stay out all day on the weekends. Had to be practically dragged off by my parents. I actually have a watercolor of a skating/hockey scene at these ponds where I skated as a kid hanging on my wall. I am sure others, esp. the Canadians amongst us, have some great hockey stories from the pond. I look forward to seeing the new Pond Hockey documentary.

Perhaps we should start a Pond Hockey "favorite memories" thread. I didn't see one specifically encompassing this topic.

Anyway, got up to about 60 today, so bye-bye ice....

Hey Ebondo: Flyers or Devils? (maybe a dumb questions?)

[wetwilly17 6]

Finally got the chance to skate on a pond last night/today for the first time in a good four years. Felt amazing. Smooth ice, glide was forever. Probably around 35 people on the lake and two fires going on the edge if you had to warm up a little. I'll never forget it and might actually have a chance to go back tomorrow morning as it's supposed to snow a little tonight/tomorrow morning.

that is beautiful

[cris8 0]

Finally got the chance to skate on a pond last night/today for the first time in a good four years. Felt amazing. Smooth ice, glide was forever. Probably around 35 people on the lake and two fires going on the edge if you had to warm up a little. I'll never forget it and might actually have a chance to go back tomorrow morning as it's supposed to snow a little tonight/tomorrow morning.

This is in New Jersey? Where?

[sabby47 2]

Ive never, ever skated on a pond, so this may be a stupid question, but, here i go:

Is skating actually different than in an arena? Same/different feeling? I know there are some bumps and dents but all in all, whats it like?

It's flippin cold!!!! Definately wear layers and layers and layers until you look something like the little brother from "A Christmas Story"

Even with that said, it was definately a lot of fun and something that will stick with me. The ice was so hard and smooth it felt like you could glide forever.

[EBondo 232]

flyerman: Definitely the Flyers.

cris8: Southern Jersey, about 15-20 minutes outside of Philly

Entire lake was frozen for about a half mile long. It was beautiful

[TheBert 0]

I'm in Canada, and I haven't seen a frozen river/pond in this town since I was 6.

[kovalchuk71 212]

pshhhh.....global warming

[QandA 0]

I'm in Canada, and I haven't seen a frozen river/pond in this town since I was 6.

I'm living with a couple BC boys here in NB and they can't live with the weather here. Snow, cold...they're lost.

World Pond Hockey Championships in less than two weeks in Plaster Rock, NB. Just thought I'd let you know.

[moose77 0]

Finally got the chance to skate on a pond last night/today for the first time in a good four years. Felt amazing. Smooth ice, glide was forever. Probably around 35 people on the lake and two fires going on the edge if you had to warm up a little. I'll never forget it and might actually have a chance to go back tomorrow morning as it's supposed to snow a little tonight/tomorrow morning.

that is beautiful

Amen to that!

I had a chance to get out on this little pond in my development yesterday with my 9-year old son and we had a fantastic time for about 1 1/2 hours. Later that night, the rain came back and I'm sure the ice is now shot. We maybe get to skate outside in Western Washington a day or two each year so we really treasure the experience. Maybe next year it won't even happen. I just wish I'd remembered to take the camera to the pond with us.

That being said, I want to go to THIS pond!

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Was playing almost half the day yesterday. It's the first time in a few years that it has frozen this early in the year. The lake in my backyard had a good 30 people on it, and i didn't wanna skate with my net to the other side of the lake to play 1 on 1 with my friend, so i went a cross my street to play, it felt great. Sadly it's supossed to be getting warm this week, so it looks like i'll have to wait a while to play again.

[ean 0]

Finally got the chance to skate on a pond last night/today for the first time in a good four years. Felt amazing. Smooth ice, glide was forever. Probably around 35 people on the lake and two fires going on the edge if you had to warm up a little. I'll never forget it and might actually have a chance to go back tomorrow morning as it's supposed to snow a little tonight/tomorrow morning.

This is in New Jersey? Where?

thats beautiful.

[LkptTiger 1]

My Spot

If you zoom-in there, right on the edge of the lake (or right where the "pin" is located), you'll find the Tuscarora Yacht Club - where my girlfriend's father keeps his boat and where I spend quite a bit of my free time during the summer (sailing can be very, very relaxing).

There have been a couple times this season (at least since it really started getting pretty cold) when I've managed to sneak some of my gear out of the dressing room after practice...and on the way home, I'll stop by the club (which is still about a half-hour from my house), throw on my skates, grab my gloves, a stick and a puck and then hop onto Tuscarora Bay and just skate until it either gets too dark or my ears are about to fall off.

It's really pretty perfect - the wind (and there is a lot of it) blows all the snow off of the ice; which almost works like sandpaper, as the flying snow "scrapes" the ice smooth. The whole thing freezes pretty solid right-up to the mouth of the lake, so the whole thing is my playground. On clear days, I can see downtown Toronto (the Tower, the Rogers Centre and some of the larger buildings) easily - it's a straight shot across the water and a relatively short sail, too - as well as some of the HUGE tanker ships that move through the Great Lakes. Quite a few of the people with "summer homes" on Sunset Island are pretty avid ice-fishermen, so if I get tired or lonely, there are usually one or two guys I can sit down and talk to for a little while.

It's a pretty awesome, scenic spot to skate. I'll try to remember to bring a camera next time I decide I'm going to try to get out there.

[doogie24 0]

Spent alot of time over the last few weeks at my local pond, the ice is very crappy and gets chipped easily, and when you are shovelling you can hear that deep "thud" sound of the ice cracking... its actually a really scary sound but we just ignore it, haha. Nothing like getting out there and throwing saucers and just having a relaxing skate. We get the lawn chairs and the boombox out, a couple six packs and make a day out of it. Just writing this makes me bitter that the ice is unplayable right now, and we don't know when it will be good enough. But like others said, when you do get the chance, there is few things better.

[jds 20]

http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/ice/ice_load.html

[maxamillion 3]

flyerman: Definitely the Flyers.

cris8: Southern Jersey, about 15-20 minutes outside of Philly

Entire lake was frozen for about a half mile long. It was beautiful

Whereabouts? I'm from Mount Laurel, and when it got cold enough to play, I was back in school in philly with a shit ton of design work.

[roller to ice 0]

We have had frozen ponds for about 2 weeks almost steady here in northern jersey. I usually play 4-5 times a week and have saved about 40 bucks a week by going to play on the pond with my buddies instead of open hockey. But i ended up with 5 stitches in my noggin.

And we just use those giant nails, the kind you would hold a big tent down with, drive them in to the ice to make sure its past 3 or 4 inches. And man made concrete bottom ponds are the best because they freeze quicker (usually shallower and the concrete bottom gets and stays colder than a normal pond) and you always have some type of concrete boards.

[napsy 1]

man, this is bringing back lots of memories for me. i played on ponds all the time growing up in the chicago suburbs, and would get up before school to skate on a small retention pond a block from my house that would freeze overnight. by the time i got home from school it would be a slushy mess.

there's nothing like a crisp clear winter day and a lake completely covered in hard black ice. my friends and i would spend all day playing hockey outdoors during our christmas break, and when we could find retention ponds in office complexes with lots of lights around we'd stay out till midnight or later if the cops didn't kick us off.

i haven't skated on a pond in maybe ten years, at least. these days i'm living in the middle of africa and truly, the closest i get to ice is what shows up in my glass when i order a drink.