Cold Water Safety

[MXGratefulDiver]

Jax, there used to be a time when they also recommended sharing a sleeping bag butt naked with the victim, but I can see that it is no longer part of the checklist. I think it is mainly due to too many circumstances where people had to explain to the victim as to why they felt they should not do it...same sex, not same sex, hairy chest, not enough room in sleeping bag, etc

... those were the days when you chose your dive buddies very carefully ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Doppler]

...

Like, how many carry a thermometer that can measure temperatures much below 96F?

And how many of us know where to put it?


:mooner:

 

[RTee]

And how many of us know where to put it?


:mooner:

Especially when not knowing where it had been put previously?

 

[DivemasterDennis]

TMI, guys. As to the cold water test, I too think it is more theoretical than practical. From a practical standpoint, here are the best tips to avoid cold water stress and hypothermia:
Don't dive in really cold water.
If ice touches the body of water you are diving in within 500 miles of your entry point, you are in really cold water
For purposes of this list, really cold water is water below 77 degrees F.

I regularly dive in water between 55 F and 75 F, but that is nothing compared to what some of you rough and tumble guys do. My serious tips for staying warm: wear adequate exposure gear- especially a hood. Get dry asap after exiting the water. Stand in sunlight whenever possible. If you are cold, stop diving for the day. Cudos to all my dry suit wearing cold water fanatic friends. I'll take 80+ any time!
DivemasterDennis

 

[Teamcasa]

Here's my cold water test:
If I get cold when diving, I get out of the water.

 

[straitscuba]

I got a whopping 5 out of 13 right. I thought I would have done better since I have been a cold water diver for 95% of my diving career. Some of the stuff in the quiz really didn't make much sense to me.

 

[soltari675]

5 of 13. I didn't know some of the terminology. That's ok. I get the point of it though. I like to dive year round. Water temperatures anywhere from 30's on up. I decided I didn't want an off season, so I bought a dry suit. No matter which suit though, if I get cold I just get out of the water for the day and go warm up. Only had the shivers in the water once and I dried off and sat in my car for a bit with the heat on full blast. Problem solved. I am looking forward to doing ice diving when I can. Not going to get cold enough this year here in MO to do it. But sometime..

 

[TracysaCADiver]

Here's my cold water test:
If I get cold when diving, I get out of the water.

The voice of the uncommon common sense speaks again!

 

[fncrow]

I also got 5 out of 13 and probably only got that many right do to lucky guesses and a little basic understanding of hypothermia.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I got 12 right and the one i got wrong was questionable...(#8) They say the body thermoregulates by controlling evaporation???? Maybe by controlling sweating, but the body can NOT regulate evaporation because it is a function of ambient relative humidity, temperature and wind speed.. DAN don't always know..