What do you consider "Cold Water" when wetsuit diving?

[Soggy]

chrpai once bubbled...
1) I don't have the money

There are some drysuits that are almost as cheap as wetsuits.

2) I'm not looking forward to relearning buoyancy

If you are diving properly, there isn't a lot of extra air in the suit...you still use your BC for bouyancy control

3) I'm not looking forward to all the extra weight and drag

What extra weight? I use the same weight with my 7mm+5mm core warmer as I do with my drysuit and thick undies. If you do it the right way, you may drop weight from a 2 piece 7mm, and the drag is negligable.

 

[cornfed]

chrpai once bubbled...

I'd go dry but

1) I don't have the money

Let's see, I could buy a drysuit or go on how many dive trips?... yikes, I'm with Chris!

2) I'm not looking forward to relearning buoyancy
3) I'm not looking forward to all the extra weight and drag

If I was going to drop the money one I'd probably look seriously at a custom fit which should help with the your last two points.

Cornfed

 

[Doppler]

cornfed once bubbled...


Ok... you're a wimp!

Ah, but I am a warm, dry wimp!!!! =-)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I did my first 120 or so "cold-water" dives in a wetsuit. Water temps varied between 41 degrees and 56 degrees. Never really got cold till I got out of the water ... and even then only during the winter months. Then again, I'm built like a harbor seal.

However, now that I'm diving a drysuit I really don't like wearing my wetsuit anymore. Not because of the cold so much as the inconvenience ... especially during multi-dive days.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Snowbear]

I get cold in the pool at 75F in a 5mil wetsuit!! But last weekend in my dry suit I had to lose the Argon 'cause it was scalding me in the boiling 50F water!

 

[double125's]

cornfed once bubbled...


Let's see, I could buy a drysuit or go on how many dive trips?... yikes, I'm with Chris!

Cornfed

Or yu could buy a drysuit, schedule your own trip then spend many hours in the water.

When I was at vortex I spent 9 hours in water per weekend and was getting cold (constant 66 degree's) by the end of the weekend. Now that I have a drysuit I am planning another trip over there and looking to spend more time underwater than breathing air at the standard 14.7 PSI

 

[dvas]

i am not entering water if the water is below 21C (70F)... if it is 21C-23C, i will enter for short dives only

 

[cornfed]

double125's once bubbled...

Or yu could buy a drysuit, schedule your own trip then spend many hours in the water.

When I was at vortex I spent 9 hours in water per weekend and was getting cold (constant 66 degree's) by the end of the weekend. Now that I have a drysuit I am planning another trip over there and looking to spend more time underwater than breathing air at the standard 14.7 PSI

True, but at this point in my "career" I'd rather spend time diving than buying equipment.

 

[Rick Inman]

Dove (or DIVED) yesterday at Diamond Lake and at bottom it was 39 degrees! I dived (or dove) a 7.5mm wet, and was just starting to chill when my heaving-breathing buddy gave the thumbs up and we moved back above the thermal.
Not-t-t-tt t-t-too ba-ba-badddd......

 

[farrakhan]

The water here at the moment is 12 - 14 and I'm diving it comfortably in a 3/5 mm semi-dry suit. Add on a hood and gloves and It's very nice. Except of course for the initial spray of water that comes in through the back zipper.