How does COLD affect your gear ?

[jonnythan]

I've been kayaking in temperatures similar to that. My drysuit zipper and PFD zippers froze shut. I had to sit in the car with the heater on for a while before I was able to get out.

Can't imagine it's much different wtih dive gear

 

[Snowbear]

Trust me, I was really hoping for a melt, snow gets really really grey over ther course of a month with nothing new falling on it...

No kidding! Then it's the great grey north for a while Until it thaws, then it's the great brown north again while the road grime accumulates on cars and a 40 mile trip to work uses up almost a gallon.... uh... I mean 3-4 liters ... of windshield washing juice. Then of course the slush left over freezes to make ice rinks of the roads. Then if it warms up again and rains... :11:

 

[diver_paula]

Its -20 degrees Centigrade out side and the water is far warmer than the air.

How does cold affect your gear when you come out of the water.

It has to be rough on it. I can picture my BC freezing up and crackin' or my fins getting kinda stiff and snappin'. (lol)

Haven't seen this mentioned in the string of comments yet....

Your regulator can freeze open as well causing an uncontrolled flow of air. Have seen that happen to a friend prior to getting into the water but could happen after a dive as well.

Paula

 

[FreeFloat]

I dived at Brockville today and it was -17°C with enough wind chill to make it about -30° (according to the weatherman on the radio). Yes buddy and I had the 'gear standing up by itself' issue - in fact when getting out of the water our drysuit inflators froze to our suits, and we had to go back in for a bit to melt them off! Then we sat in my truck with the heater on full-blast till the suits melted enough for us to crawl out of them. I myself had a minor neack-seal flood as well so I threw my suit on the truck's hood and sat in the cabin til I stopped shivering, then got into warm dry clothes and by the time I went to put everything away it was all a solid block of ice. In fact we held a flame near one of my buddy's boltsnaps just so we could work it and take his reel off his gear

I told him, if I ever volunteer again to dive when the air temp is -1,000,000,000°C to have my head examined...................

And to think I used to dive that in a wetsuit!!!! :11: I just don't know what I was thinking.

 

[Squalus]

Ice dive anyone?..lol I am sure I would be miserable but I would like to try it once, maybe twice.
Got to be careful with the gear when it gets cold or things can start to break.

We're diving in Gilboa on New Years day :11: , wanna try it out

 

[crpntr133]

We're diving in Gilboa on New Years day :11: , wanna try it out

Would love to but funds are limited so a dry suit is out for this year. Might be willing to try it in my semi dry but I haven't had it in cold water for a long period of time. Will be diving Bonne Terre later in January so I will get to see how it works.

 

[DI_Guy]

Temperature update... Its -32 C outside right now with the wind chill at - 44 C... with 1 foot of hard packed snow on the ground ( BTW first day of winter is tomorrow )

-40 C = -40 F

Warren: Those pics are hilarious, busting a gut here. That has got to be hard on your gear. I think my "wet suit" would snap in two.

 

[Limestone Diver]

My divecomputer has gone on strike until either it sences warm salt water or tropical or chlorine. Does anyone else have this problem with cold water????

Sad day as well--- the harbour at Portsmouth has frozen solid. SO unless we have a thaw before New Years--- no boat dive this year. With any luck the dive at the Henry will still be open. If not-- I will be seeing everyone down stream.

Cliff

 

[DI_Guy]

Cliff

I've had my dive computer in 8 degree C water temp and it worked fine... Do you know what the water temp was when you were diving ?

 

[msandler]

no problems with my Viking Vulcanized rubber suit. The icy coating just cracks and falls off. Leaves me totally dry.