# How much ice is needed to support a snowmobile??



## thill

I'm talking safely. 5 inches or greater? 8 inches? 

How much ice do you snowmobilers like to see before taking the sleds out fishing?


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## bigshot846

id say 3" or better, snow mobiles the weight isn't dispersed all at one point like when we stand on the ice, it's spread out more, i won't go on a lake if there isn't atleast 3" of ice, but id say if there is atleast 3" your pretty safe


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## GOTONE

I will only take it out on at least 6 inches of good ice


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## chuckwagon157

color me cautious, but I would'nt go out on less than 6in. and that might be pushing it. while the weight is not dispursed the same, there is alot more of it (well, unless you are a guy like me, then there is just a bit more). You also have to remember the shock waves you are sending through the ice. If you are going over shallow water, it could spell trouble.


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## muliefever

According to my resources here at the Station about 4". But ofcoarse that depends on what kind of ice it is!


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## jjc155

here ya go.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/safetytips/icethickness/tabid/2884/Default.aspx

There was another chart that I was looking for that had vehicle weights and minimun thickness needed to support them. Went all the way up to like a 36k lbs vehicle:yikes:

Don't forget that ice is not a consistent thickness all the time. May be 6 inches at one point and then get thin etc.

Be Safe 
J-


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## basskiller46

I would say 3.5 inches for a quad because that distributes weight more than a snowmobile and it weighs less. I would go about 5 inches for a snowmobile.
I dont know about 3 inches for a snowmobile thats pushin it. I have a small pond behind my house and its only a 1.5 feet deep at most so I experiment a lot but i did take my blaster out on about 2 inches of ice and it was cracking
but not breaking but once it gets about 3 inches any quad should be safe im talking clear black ice. If its not good ice then i would say 5 inches and like 7 for a snowmobile. But overall quad 4 inches and snowmobile 5 inches.

If you feel the ice isnt safe at 10 inches then dont take the risk everything can always shift or move you can never whats happening under you.


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## William H Bonney

:yikes: 3 inches???:lol:


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## wally-eye

William H Bonney said:


> :yikes: 3 inches???:lol:


Got that right there Mr. Bonney. WON'T even think about taking my quad out on anything less than 6 but I will take a snowmachine out on 5 if its hard ice.

Snowmachines with the track etc spreads the weight out more evenly........with the quad you are limited to 4 little tire patches on the ice....figure out the weight of a 450 Griz and then gear and then a 240 lb driver.........3 inches not me.........heck I hate just walking on only 3....:lol:


Dan


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## RoadKillCafe

I think you're nuts to go out on 3" of ice. As was stated before, its not an even thickness. Especially on those lakes with springs feeding them. New springs open up occasionally as well.


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## basskiller46

I would feel safer on my quad then on my feet. Take total weight and divide by four and then take just body weight. Plus you can get going faster if you think ice is unsafe instead of slipping and sliding on your feet.

Me 135lb+Quad 310lb=445/4=111 I also know that my tires spread out weight better than my feet.

Every one has a different opinion and have different machines and are of different size so i would mostly trust whatever you feel safe with.


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## Sailorman

I dont care what anyone says, there is NO rule for safe ice for anything. 3 inches on a lake could be safe but on another 3 inches could not be safe. You are an idiot if you are asking this question because if you live on the lake you want to drive on, you should know what safe ice is. If you are asking this question to go on any lake (ones you dont know) then dont go on them until the ice is plenty thick, and watch out for creeks and rivers and other obvious areas. I work at gander mountian and 9&10 news asked us to do an interview about safe ice, and we refused for these same reasons.


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## wackmaster

5in of good hard ice is the minimal for a snowmobile if you ask me...


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## Sliver Sidejob

Ask a coasty and he will tell you there is no such thing as safe ice.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e

I was out on a body of water this weekend had 5-8 inches and i wouldnt take a quad or snowmobile on it. . crap one spot i had a tip up you couldnt have 2 people standing within 10 feet of each other. . i dropped the spud and it went through the ice


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## thill

Sailorman said:


> I dont care what anyone says, there is NO rule for safe ice for anything. 3 inches on a lake could be safe but on another 3 inches could not be safe. You are an idiot if you are asking this question because if you live on the lake you want to drive on, you should know what safe ice is. If you are asking this question to go on any lake (ones you dont know) then dont go on them until the ice is plenty thick, and watch out for creeks and rivers and other obvious areas. I work at gander mountian and 9&10 news asked us to do an interview about safe ice, and we refused for these same reasons.



I'm asking for any lake. I just bought a sled for ice fishing and I'm dying to try it out. Sounds like I should wait for 6 inches plus.....or wait till I see other sleds on the ice.


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## thill

jjc155 said:


> here ya go.
> 
> http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html
> 
> http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/safetytips/icethickness/tabid/2884/Default.aspx
> 
> There was another chart that I was looking for that had vehicle weights and minimun thickness needed to support them. Went all the way up to like a 36k lbs vehicle:yikes:
> 
> Don't forget that ice is not a consistent thickness all the time. May be 6 inches at one point and then get thin etc.
> 
> Be Safe
> J-



Perfect, thanks!


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## Chad Smith

Or another idea, get a dog and sled like me, my dog pulls my lazy ass everywhere and he tests the ice for me too.


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## chuckwagon157

Sailorman said:


> 3 inches on a lake could be safe but on another 3 inches could not be safe. *You are an idiot if you are asking this question* because if you live on the lake you want to drive on, you should know what safe ice is.


No, he would be an idiot for not asking on here and just taking his new toy for a spin without finding out some info. If you don't know, you have to start somewhere.


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## Passmeabrewski




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## nick 74

I always wait for someone else to do it first thats the only safe way. My quad (polaris) is about 750#s dry. I've been out on 4 inches with no problems, but it was after someone else did it first.


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## chuckwagon157

It would take one hellova bite to get me out on two inches of ice


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## Banditto

I have fished plenty of times on saggy ice (2" or close to it). 

You walk out and every step sinks slightly. You spud a hole and water comes up... yikes.


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## chuckwagon157

:yikes:^^^^^:yikes:


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## jjc155

Passmeabrewski said:


>


yeah that was the one I was looking for.

J-


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## Papascott

nick 74 said:


> I always wait for someone else to do it first thats the only safe way. My quad (polaris) is about 750#s dry. I've been out on 4 inches with no problems, but it was after someone else did it first.


That might sound like a good idea but how do you know your not following an idiot? lol I don't care who I am with I am doing some checking on my own!

Last year there was very little ice off the mainland in Ohio. My bud and I spent 2 days finding a semi safe trail to get out as deep as possible. We were on about 5 inches of ice and packed light. We followed our trail precisly following spud marks and still checking often. Word must have gotten out as not an hour later here comes 3 quads in a line right to us. We were on the edge of the last decent ice in fact our holes were spudded in 2 inches and we were sitting on a little less than 5 and spread out. They finally stopped about 50 yd short of us and got the hint that it was not safe way they were just running around. One guy got off his quad checked the ice with his gas auger and immediatly left, white as a sheet. 

Scott


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## Ausable Junkie

That chart is missing a critical number, the area the weight is placed on. Guessing its lbs./square foot?

My Ski Doo Elan is 310# dry. I feel very comfortable on 4" with my old Elan.


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## muliefever

Just be care ful guys if you are using that graph as your savior! You could have 10" of let's say Frazzle ice and it may not be safe for you or a sled. But then 4" of Clear ice is plenty strong. 

And yes, no ice is safe ice.


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## Ieatantlers

basskiller46 said:


> I would say 3.5 inches for a quad because that distributes weight more than a snowmobile and it weighs less. I would go about 5 inches for a snowmobile.
> I dont know about 3 inches for a snowmobile thats pushin it. I have a small pond behind my house and its only a 1.5 feet deep at most so I experiment a lot but i did take my blaster out on about 2 inches of ice and it was cracking
> but not breaking but once it gets about 3 inches any quad should be safe im talking clear black ice. If its not good ice then i would say 5 inches and like 7 for a snowmobile. But overall quad 4 inches and snowmobile 5 inches.
> 
> If you feel the ice isnt safe at 10 inches then dont take the risk everything can always shift or move you can never whats happening under you.


How would you ever figure a quad has more surface area than a snow mobile? This is backwards thinking. Have you ever seen a quad driving across open water like a sled? Exactly.


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## BeWild

Why not play it safe and wait till there's 8 inches to take the snowmobile out. It's easier and cheaper to walk than to hire someone to haul your sled up from the depths.


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