Cold water diving

[mddolson]

A cold face is just part of the dive, in the north as we Canadians & upper US residents know.
Spring water temperature right now is 32-34°F (0-1°C).

I wear a dry suit with attached latex hood. I find it seals better than neoprene.
My hood is trimmed close and overlaps the top of my mask skirt.
This allows me to exhale air into my hood the make anice warm bubble.
I wear a neoprene under hood for insulation. I wear dry gloves in water below 50°F (10°C), and 7mm wet kevlar (zebra mussels) gloves above 50°F.

Mike D

 

[DiverLS]

My coldest dive was Puget Sound in January. Everything froze. I was diving dry with the heaviest undergarment DUI makes, wool socks over heavy booties & 7 mil gloves. I got so cold I couldn't even press the shutter on my camera.

But the coldest I ever got was after the dive. In the 80s I did my PADI Advanced course. It was night dive time and that was at Lake Tahoe in late November. In the water I was fine. When I got out of the water was the bad time. I was screaming for someone to pull that wetsuit off. The wind was 10-15 and air temperature about 29F. It took about 3 hot brandy's to stop the whole body from shaking.

And I don't call it an ice cream headache, I call it a margarita headache.

Lyn S

 

[fire_diver]

I was screaming for someone to pull that wetsuit off....... It took about 3 hot brandy's to stop the whole body from shaking.
Lyn S

Why do I keep picturing three hot "Brandys" as women? :shakehead Gives a new meaning to 3 dog night!

Comrade Stroke

 

[river_sand_bar]

Come on.... whats better then punching thru a wave with 54 deg water rushing down your back through the little part of the zipper that your buddy didn't zip all the way up for you.... then looking over and seeing him laugh his butt off watching you shiver.

Nice dive buddy!!!!

 

[skinnydogdives]

river sand bar after my buddies daughter did it to him he didn't realise untill we had reached 18m .on our assent his legs filled up with so much water he had to ditch his weights on the surface to keep his head out of the water till the boat picked us up
now we always say your responsible for the last half inch your self

 

[river_sand_bar]

Skinny... YES, now I am fully aware of that.... a lesson well learned.

Nope, nothing like cold water diving to appreciate the warm Cozumel waters!!!

 

[sambolino44]

river sand bar after my buddies daughter did it to him he didn't realise untill we had reached 18m .on our assent his legs filled up with so much water he had to ditch his weights on the surface to keep his head out of the water till the boat picked us up
now we always say your responsible for the last half inch your self

I'm struggling to save enough/sell enough stuff so I can get a drysuit. I'm weighing the extra cost of a self-donning suit. I'm starting to think it's worth the extra bucks. Dry gloves, too.

 

[Matt S.]

There are frequent drysuit offers in the classifieds here. That's where I got mine. It wasn't a custom fit but the price was sure right. Check your local craigslist too.

Self donning: IMHO, not worth it. I'll always have a dive buddy to zip me up.

Dry gloves: Absolutely worth it. You don't have to use them every dive but it's great having the option.

 

[mddolson]

Climbing under the covers with my hot naked wife, to warm me up after the dive. That what's better!

Mike D

Come on.... whats better then punching thru a wave with 54 deg water rushing down your back through the little part of the zipper that your buddy didn't zip all the way up for you.... then looking over and seeing him laugh his butt off watching you shiver.

Nice dive buddy!!!!

 

[tbeindit]

the coldest i dove was where it was in the high 30s to lower 40s in a 5 mm.