A solo sailor sailed about 30 feet out onto 1" ice before breaking through. Ice claws were very helpful for trashing back to thicker ice.
Disclaimer
Ice is never ‘safe’, even on a rink. All lake ice activities have risk levels considerably higher than spending the afternoon on the couch. Every ice user should be ready to take care of themselves and others when things go badly and to accept that, once in a while, these precautions may not be sufficient (more).
Ice conditions are complex, variable and sometimes difficult to assess fully. Occasionally conditions that look OK can be terrible or conditions that look terrible can be OK. The information in this website is each author’s understanding of what they are describing. It is their considered opinion rather than a complete and accurate description of reality. Additionally, it is likely that some of the things you encounter on the ice may appear to fit one of the ice situations described here but actually be something completely different.
A local ice rescue trainer commented that activities on lake ice are a 'buyer beware' situation. It is up to the reader to make their own decisions about how to use the information on the Lakeice website and about any ice they are considering going on.
