What is a cold water dive?

[spectrum]

I have been reading a lot of discussions that talk about differences between cold and warm water dives, and I have no idea how to classify most of my dives.

As a personal clasification of dive type I would say that if you wear a hood and gloves it is a cold water dive. The rationale being that you are diving with the impairments of those items.

If you choose to ignore your body and dive underprotected then you are just a cold diver.

Pete

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I have been thinking about getting one, but I have heard they can be dangerous if they are not fitted right, and I have no one to help me out here.

A hood that is too tight can be dangerous but it's pretty easy to determine that on your own. Put a hood on and wear it around the dive shop or house for 15-20 minutes, if it fits it should be very snug but your face should not turn red and you should not faint from pressure on your carotid sinus (think "sleeper hold").

66F cold? Around here that's tropical When you get below 45F THEN it's cold
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Lobbster]

a small hole in the top of a hod will held to release the trapped air. some companays have valves built in for this

 

[Brandon Belew]

God I wish the water here was as warm as some of you have stated. I turn purple everytime I dive.

 

[gitterdun]

I realize it is a lot more complicted because of the equipment. How does a dry suit compare in terms of weight needed to sink and mobility of 8 mm of neoprene?
Also, what would you define as a cold water dive?

Again, do I need to worry about my reg freezing in this water?

Weighting with a dry suit will be different. It will also depend on the underwear (fleece/thinsulate) that you are wearing underneath. You would have to do a weight check, just as with a wet suit, with 500 psi in your tank, and all the air out of your bc. Well.. hmm... a cold water dive... Well, some of us dive in the winter up here in Canada, and I can guarantee that it's pretty cold. Water gets to 32 (freezing).

Your choice in regs will make a difference too. They will freeze up in these types of temperatures. The folks I dive with use either Apeks or Scubapro, and we seem to have the most luck with those. There are other precautions to take before entering 32 degree water, with your regs too. Keep them in the "warm" car, do not breathe them outside, or get them wet before submerging... Just a few tricks. I haven't heard of many issues with freezing in waters above 39 - 40. The odd freeflow yes, but not freezing. If you look closely at my avatar, you can see the ice chunks on my valves..lol... That was -30 air temp, with wind chill, and 32 in the water! Everything froze instantly, upon exiting the water. Not a chance for a second dive that day!

The water here, has warmed up to 46 right now... Heavenly!

 

[scubawally]

you do not have to worry about your reg freezing. most regulator ice-up occur before you get into the water. when we dive in Nova Scotia (Canada) during the winter when the water temperature is about -1 degree celcius and the air temperature is about -10 degrees...then you have to worry about free flows.....alot of people here have environmentaly sealed regulators but I still think that the best way to go is double tanks with scubapro regs.

 

[scubawally]

for all those canadian here!! we all know what its like to do a 60 minute dive in ice cold water and come up and your lips are so cold that you cant really speak right. My favorite still has to be when I switch to my O2 bottle for my deco stop and the cold water that gets into your mouth gives you an icecream headach. or maybe when you get a hood squeeze (air pocket by your ear) and you have to lift the hood seal and let cold salt water in.

 

[String]

As a personal clasification of dive type I would say that if you wear a hood and gloves it is a cold water dive.

If thats the case all my dives are cold water including that frigid wasteland known as the Florida Keys

 

[MSilvia]

If thats the case all my dives are cold water including that frigid wasteland known as the Florida Keys

Almost all... you seem to have been on a warm water dive when your avatar picture was taken.

 

[String]

I was still wearing gloves