Some divers need bigger tanks; Some need thicker suits...?

[String]

Not quite a thicker suit as i learnt to dive in a drysuit. However my first 7 or 8 dives i didnt feel cold at all presumably as my attention was fixed on the driving the dive gear, looking around and doing some drills.

After that despite the water being about 1c warmer (up to about 9c) i noticed my feet and hands were starting to chill and needed to wear an extra pair of socks and thin top underneath my undersuit. Presumably by this time id gotten more relaxed underwater, my concentration wasnt 100% on surviving and i was beginning to notice cold more.

Ive noticed this with other people too, they dont complain of cold on the first few dives but do after it.

As for air consumption, mine dropped over 25% from first dive to now and has further dropped now ive fine tuned my weighting.

 

[dweeb]

One factor that can be a significant issue for women (especially here in asia) when is comes to retaining heat, is that of body mass.

An interesting geometric fact in the animal world has to do with the relationship between surface area and volume. In the formulas for each of those values, as "r" (the radius of the object in question, in this case human beings) increases, the surface are increases by "r squared" while volume increases by "r cubed", the latter at a much greater rate.

So, big things gerally hold more heat, because they have a lower surface area to volume ratio, which is why overweight people sweat a lot. Conversely, small people have a lot of surface area for thier volume and give off heat much more quickly to water or air.

Also, although women generally have more body fat, it's concentrated in a few (aesthetically pleasing) areas, not distributed subcutaneously like a marine mammal's, so it's not of much insulation value. Quite the contrary, it creates those curves we find so enchanting, thus further increasing surface area and enhancing heat loss.

 

[DandyDon]

By the way whats the law about distance from a diver down flag a vessle must stay. Only wondering cause it seems to be diff in every place I go.

It's different in every state and every country. For information, you can run a SEARCH...

Sometimes more exposure protection can be as simple as a hood, and not a thicker wetsuit. Here in Jeddah, the temp's about 29C now. A hood without a bib works just fine to keep in a goodly amount of body heat. Gloves too. It's just like winter back in Vermont. You lose so much body heat through your head and hands, if not covered.

I like Beanies with chin straps, as I don't like a hood on my neck, and the beanie on the head certainly helps. Many warm water wusses, especially one of the with one of the genders, won't wear them until they have to, though. I wear a Do-Rag even in warm water - Texas Lone Star, of course.

 

[DORSETBOY]

being to skint (or is it too tight?!) to buy a dry suit Im still diving in winter up here in a 2 piece semi, always warm up nicely though between dives with a cup of coffee and a few ciggies

 

[DandyDon]

being to skint (or is it too tight?!) to buy a dry suit Im still diving in winter up here in a 2 piece semi, always warm up nicely though between dives with a cup of coffee and a few ciggies

Being "tight with money" sounds like a Scottish thing. Sounds good to me, if it works. {My family name was derived from McHenry, for whom Harridan's Wall was built, I think. }

 

[DORSETBOY]

Being "tight with money" sounds like a Scottish thing. Sounds good to me, if it works.

When in Rome...

 

[Albion]

i was diving with two newly qualified divers this weekend who also smoked like troopers, well actually like the french, which they were. One lady would get through two cigarettes just listening to the dive brief!!!!!, yet with only 5 dives under her belt she was consuming same amount of air as me!!!!!

I was amazed, thought i was in for some short dives

 

[voop]

When in Rome...

....be a Romanian?

 

[Kim]

i was diving with two newly qualified divers this weekend who also smoked like troopers, well actually like the french, which they were. One lady would get through two cigarettes just listening to the dive brief!!!!!, yet with only 5 dives under her belt she was consuming same amount of air as me!!!!!

I was amazed, thought i was in for some short dives

Small lungs!

 

[DORSETBOY]

i was diving with two newly qualified divers this weekend who also smoked like troopers, well actually like the french, which they were. One lady would get through two cigarettes just listening to the dive brief!!!!!, yet with only 5 dives under her belt she was consuming same amount of air as me!!!!!

I was amazed, thought i was in for some short dives

hey, could we have found a benefit for smoking?! lol. I reckon my lungs must be that much more economical with their now greatly reduced capacity! lol lol lol.