Tips for staying toasty in the Californian ocean!

[diverkid]

Yah, everybody, I am sure you are tired of my posts, but I am a diver with 5 logged dives and am curious. So anybody know about ways to stay toasty warm? Besides drysuits! ( Man, I elimenated your best choice, figures)

Thanx y'all
For hanging in there with my posts!

P.S Special thanks to DandyDon

 

[pt40fathoms]

Just look at all the bikini clad women on the beach.

Your kidding of course, California and cold in the same sentence?

Just for comparison sake, it was -36c (-32f) here last night! Now that is cold, even for me.

On a serious note, try a 5/4 wet suit with a hood and gloves. If your a real warm climate "I think cold is 20c (68f)" kind of person, then try a 7mm. But a dry suit in my opinion is just too extreme.


(California,,,cold,,,what a joker LOL)

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

California waters average between 50-60, thats cold, drysuit is best option, 7 mil is only other choice.

 

[caliscuba]

LOL...there aren't any other ways to stay warm. I use a 7 mm wetsuit with hood, gloves, boots, etc. and have never been completely warm on any of my dives. In some cases, I've had to signal to my buddy (my dad...who dives dry <sigh> ) that I need to ascend because I'm so cold.

 

[NEWreckDiver]

I personally wouldn't dive anything but a dry suit.

 

[Scubaroo]

There was another thread within the last week on this topic - try the warm water in the wetsuit trick.

 

[Mo2vation]

Yah, everybody, I am sure you are tired of my posts, but I am a diver with 5 logged dives and am curious. So anybody know about ways to stay toasty warm? Besides drysuits! ( Man, I elimenated your best choice, figures)

Is Redlands still even IN California? Everything east of the 605 is Egypt to me.

7mm is your choice. But the key here, and this is important, is to get ouot of the wind when you get out. This means parka. This means bini. This means towel off and get out of the wind.

When I was diving wet I was colder out of the water than in - once I learned to cut the wind I was able to warm up on my SI and do several more dives.

You're new here, and you're east of I15 - so here's some free advice from a guy who's made these gaffs: You will get NO love writing about the cold in California. Not now, not in January, not ever. There are freakshows out there that are icediving right now in 7mm (or less)... There are SB members who dive in the 40's (and colder) year 'round. Trust me on this... just accept that we're soft and roll with it.

K

 

[scubabills]

If your not going to dive dry try a semi dry suit. Keep in mind that a good semi dry suit will cost as much as a cheap dry suit. I dive with a semi dry one piece with the hood attached. When the water gets in the 40s i wear a 5mm vest under my suit and three finger gloves. With a good fitting semidry suit you get very little water in the suit. If your going to dive deep thats when you realy need a dry suit. The suit you buy realy should be based on what kind of diving you do. Dont skimp on your exposure suit.

 

[Warren_L]

There are freakshows out there that are icediving right now in 7mm (or less)... There are SB members who dive in the 40's (and colder) year 'round. Trust me on this... just accept that we're soft and roll with it.

K

Hey, I resemble that remark! Yes, Ken speaks the truth. The challenge around these parts this time of year is not the water temperature, but finding the water itself. It's either drill a hole in the ice or somehow find some open water in the ice. I've also discovered that having a thermos of hot coffee serves a dual purpose - for warming up after a dive and for defrosting a frozen 2nd stage. 2nd stage freezes up. No problem. Just flood it with hot coffee and you're good to go.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

7mil semi-dry 55 degrees F and I was nice and toasty