Wetsuit, Semi, or Dry suit?

[String]

Drysuit.

UK inland waters in mid winter are definately not warm and the air temperature/wind/rain make surface intervals when wet miserable.

You'll probably find stoney surface temperature around then is 6c and dropping to maybe 4c at depth. Air temperature similar or lower.

You certainly wont get me diving in the UK in anything except a drysuit.

 

[String]

Rugby players rub grease fat into keep legs and arms warm, do divers do similar?

Where on earth did you read that ?! Ive never done that playing rugby and certainly never come across anyone that does that. Forwards tend to use vasline to stop ears getting rubbed/bitten and so on but thats about it.

I HAVE heard of divers smearing their cheecks and face with vaseline in cold water but how effective this is or isnt i cant say.

 

[kamloops_diver]

I've tried 7mm 2 peice wet suit in about 10 C water here in Canada and have felt absolutely fine, even after 3 dives in the one day. Of course the diving I did had no current to speak of (which can be a contributing factor to the cold).
I've never tried a drysuit but I'm considering it.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

When I'm diving on vacation, Cozumel, Cayman Island, Florida, Jamacia I usually wear a 3 mill full or shorty. The water temp normally runs 78 to 84.

I don't have lot of body fat and when the temperature starts dropping I reach for my drysuit. When I'm working with students at an area lake the first thermocline is about 72 F the second is 50 to 52 F. It's like getting an ice cream headache.

I get called a few names but at end of the dive or when we're doing our surface interval I'm not shaking trying to get warmed up. I usually dive with a pair of warmup pants and a wooly top. I have a 7.5 mm O'Neil and wear 8 lbs with a PST 100 or 120 steel tank.

Spend the extra get a drysuit new or used. Pick up a drysuit hood and a pair of gloves and you can dive in some really cold water and be comforable.

If you opt for 7 mm farmer john you have got to add more weight to help fight all the rubber and you still won't be nearly as comfortable.

Jim
Louisiana


I

OK, having done my first dozen dives in the red sea, 28 degrees centigrate, basically like bath water, I'm now back home.

Home is in the UK, not too far from Stoney Stanton...or rather Stoney Cove National Dive centre.

Question is, Come December/ January time I guess I won't be wearing a 5mm shortie wetsuit! :11:
SO, semi wet or Dry? I've spoken to divers experienced of that fresh water at Stoney that time of year. Some say Dry, so say semi?
Rugby players rub grease fat into keep legs and arms warm, do divers do similar?

Anyone else care to chip in?

PS, we're talking temperatures of 6 degrees centigrade

 

[coreypenrose]

OK, having done my first dozen dives in the red sea, 28 degrees centigrate, basically like bath water, I'm now back home.

Home is in the UK, not too far from Stoney Stanton...or rather Stoney Cove National Dive centre.

Question is, Come December/ January time I guess I won't be wearing a 5mm shortie wetsuit! :11:
SO, semi wet or Dry? I've spoken to divers experienced of that fresh water at Stoney that time of year. Some say Dry, so say semi?
Rugby players rub grease fat into keep legs and arms warm, do divers do similar?

Anyone else care to chip in?

PS, we're talking temperatures of 6 degrees centigrade

http://www.dui-online.com/index.html

If you're going to go dry, do it right.

 

[scutterjoe]

http://www.dui-online.com/index.html

If you're going to go dry, do it right.

Will do!
I have my first dry suit try out/ dip lined up for an upcoming weekend shortly.
Realistically, if I get on with a dry suit (Heard it's totally a different experience than wet), then I'll probably be using the dry suit more than the wet. There's plenty of potentially really good dives I've heard and read about around the British Isles. Plenty of war time wrecks to explore. I'm looking forward to it
...if only I could be rid of this cold/flu at the moment.

"Where on earth did you read that ?! Ive never done that playing rugby and certainly never come across anyone that does that. Forwards tend to use vasline to stop ears getting rubbed/bitten and so on but thats about it."
I played second row for a while. String, Try a little chilli powder in vaseline, then rub into the legs. Makes you slippery to tackle and keeps the opponents eyes warm too! (not that I really did this, or would advocate dirty tactics though )

 

[lamont]

drysuit. crushed neoprene or trilam.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Forwards tend to use vasline to stop ears getting rubbed/bitten and so on but thats about it.

I'd always thought forwards were a strange bunch...