Ice Diving with wet suit?
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David_57
Contributor
I have seen a guy dive in 3mm with a 7mm over vest he did not last long think the water temp was around 50F.
Minimum should be at 5mil full suit with 7 mil over vest, IMO a 7mil full suit with a 7 mil over vest would be much better.
Ice diving can be a great experience, but if you do not have the right equipment and thermal protection it can be a miserable one and spoil the opportunity to enjoy another type of diving.
Minimum should be at 5mil full suit with 7 mil over vest, IMO a 7mil full suit with a 7 mil over vest would be much better.
Ice diving can be a great experience, but if you do not have the right equipment and thermal protection it can be a miserable one and spoil the opportunity to enjoy another type of diving.
Jimmer
Contributor
I've done it. I was fine in the water, infact I've done dives in July/August that were colder, and we had a trailer with 2 propane heaters going, so it wasn't a big deal at all.
JeffG
Contributor
Tomikp
Registered
Yes, possible, I have been diving in a wetsuit during the winter. But frankly, this has some limits. When the outside temperature is less than -3°C, It is a problem also for me. I do not mean the water temp, because it is still +/- same. But when I need to dress off out of the water and everything is beeing frozen immediately. If there is a possibility to dress off at any warmed place, no problem. Such a winter dive has from 30 to 40 minutes. I wear 7 + 5 wetsuit + "special" homemade system of dry/wet gloves, neoprene socks and further such a "special " homemade torso thin insulation. But it is possible to dive without it, but the dive length is around 20 - 30 min. 
I've seen people ice dive with a 7mm with a 3mm hooded vest with a 5mm hood on top of that. We have taped around the ankles where the suit and boots match and around the wrist. Pour warm water into the suit and then tape around the hooded vest and suit neck to reduce water exchange. Depending on the person I have seen them last 20-30 minutes. The killer is changing from the suit to dry clothers. That where a nice heated tent comes in handy.
So yes it can be done.
So yes it can be done.
flareless
Contributor
During our Ice Diving course this past February one of the divers dove wet. He wore a Bare Arctic 7mm suit. Over the suit he wore the Bare 7mm "overgarment"; sort of shorts, core and hood. The first day was zero degrees celsius with sun and light wind. The second day was -12c, sleet and blistering winds.
Ice Slide
He said it wasn't too bad. Not sure if he plans to do it again next year. We did have a heated fishing hut near the entry point.
Ice Slide
He said it wasn't too bad. Not sure if he plans to do it again next year. We did have a heated fishing hut near the entry point.
've been in 45 deg. water in a Henderson 5-4-3 with a 3 mil vest. (gloves, hood and boots... obviously)... that wasn't bad at all... BUT... it was 80 deg. on the surface that day so re-warming was pretty easy.
... as some have aluded to, much of this has to do with your own cold tolerance and a whole raft of other considerations. For example, "A British explorer has braved sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh took to the freezing waters on Sunday to highlight the devastating impact of climate change on the natural world. It took him 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim 0.6 miles in waters created by melted sea ice at temperatures of 29-degree F the coldest a human has swum in." [I'd note that he did it in a pair of Speedos....]
I think your question falls into that immortal category of questions that lives somewhere between "Can you"... "Should you"... and "Hey fellas' watch this."... Might be able to... but not sure I'd join you in trying it...
... as some have aluded to, much of this has to do with your own cold tolerance and a whole raft of other considerations. For example, "A British explorer has braved sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh took to the freezing waters on Sunday to highlight the devastating impact of climate change on the natural world. It took him 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim 0.6 miles in waters created by melted sea ice at temperatures of 29-degree F the coldest a human has swum in." [I'd note that he did it in a pair of Speedos....]
I think your question falls into that immortal category of questions that lives somewhere between "Can you"... "Should you"... and "Hey fellas' watch this."... Might be able to... but not sure I'd join you in trying it...
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