Ice Hole Festival — Lake Okoboji, Iowa

The Ice Hole Festival at Lake Okoboji is one of those experiences that stays with you long after the gear is packed away and the ice has melted. Each winter, divers from across the Midwest gather on the frozen surface of the lake for a weekend that blends adventure, community, and the quiet intensity that only cold-water diving can offer. This isn’t a class and it isn’t a certification. It’s an opportunity to step into an environment that feels completely different from anything most divers have ever known.

Once beneath the ice, the world changes. Sound fades. Light filters through the frozen surface in a way that feels almost unreal. The water is still, clear, and demanding in the best possible way. Every movement is deliberate. Every breath feels more intentional. It’s the kind of diving that slows you down and pulls your focus inward, reminding you why exploration drew you to the water in the first place.

What the Experience Is Like

The Ice Hole Festival isn’t just about the dives themselves. It’s about everything that surrounds them. Divers warming up between dives in heated tents. Conversations over coffee and hot food. Laughter, stories, and the shared understanding that everyone there chose to be exactly where they are — standing on a frozen lake, preparing to dive.

The diving itself is calm, controlled, and incredibly rewarding. With organized entry points, surface support, and a strong community presence, the experience balances structure with freedom. You’ll make multiple dives, experience the unique light and stillness beneath the ice, and gain an appreciation for cold-water diving that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere.

What the Trip Includes

• One night of lodging

• Two full days of ice diving

• Tank and gear transport to and from the dive site

• Unlimited air fills during the event

• Ice Hole Festival entry and participation fee

• Event swag

• On-site support from Divers Incorporated staff

Where This Can Take You

For many divers, this weekend becomes a turning point. It’s often the moment when cold water stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling familiar. When curiosity turns into confidence. When diving becomes less about checking boxes and more about embracing challenge and growth.

Some leave inspired to pursue more advanced cold-water or technical training. Others simply walk away with a deeper appreciation for what diving can be when you lean into the experience instead of away from it. Either way, the Ice Hole Festival has a way of staying with you — quietly reshaping how you think about diving and where it might take you next.