As the last step in gearing up, the diver's dry gloves are pulled over the drysuit's wrist seals and assistance is helpful. Scientific diving is hard work and not a vacation dive experience . The divers working on research projects centered at McMurdo Station have specific objectives and tasks underwater. There is usually little time for sightseeing dives because a large body of work has to be completed within a relatively short period of time. Here some divers are surveying a site of a long-term experiment.
Antarctic storms can blow up quickly, pinning field teams down until the blizzard relents.
Blowing snow greatly affects the ground visibility. Three weather conditions are defined by the US Antarctic Program. Travel by open vehicle like snowmobiles is allowed. Travel is allowed only by covered vehicle like the tracked Sprytes. Condition One has ground visibility less than a few hundred feet or almost none.