what temp is too cold to dive in a wetsuit

[saintsfan]

I dove in a pool today that was 55(to try new equip) and immediately got a major brain freeze headache.been in ocean water that cold and had no problems.any reason cold pool water would feel colder or maybe all freshwater. yes i did have a hood on

 

[diver_paula]

I dove in a pool today that was 55(to try new equip) and immediately got a major brain freeze headache.been in ocean water that cold and had no problems.any reason cold pool water would feel colder or maybe all freshwater. yes i did have a hood on

It really is an individual answer. I've done many a wetsuit dive in 30some degree water. & multiple dives a day in those temps. It did make a difference when I could get out my wetsuit, change bathing suits and put some warm dry clothes on to warm up between dives. & yes, I'm more comfortable diving dry on days like that now. But, the temps certainly didn't scare me off given the number of years I dove the Great Lakes wet.

Don't know why fresh vs. salt water would cause a headache.

Paula

 

[archman]

I reference a scuba wetsuit manufacturer's guide a lot. They list the range for 7mm suits (plus accessories) as 40-55 degrees, but for SHORT PERIODS. I heartily agree on this, as will the majority of divers.
If you're still not sure, err on the warm side. With the high conductivity of water, you really have to work to overheat in a wetsuit.

 

[roakey]

Anything less than 70 and I'm diving dry.

Seriously.

Roak

 

[jviehe]

Anything less than 70 and I'm diving dry.

Seriously.

Roak

I second that! now if only i had a dry suit...

 

[Sport01]

I'll dive a 6 mill wetsuit anytime of the year i wish it was my head that got the first initial shock.

 

[wetvet]

Everyone is different. I did my ice diving specialty course in a 7mm, and had bottom times comparable with everyone elses. If you are going deep, or for a long time, dry is much better, but at shallow depths a wetsuit (properly fitting) can be just about as warm. The biggest advantage I find with a dry suit in cold water it the dry gloves.
As for the headache, in my experience it doesn't last....its kinda like an ice cream headache, and goes away about as fast. I still get em diving dry, because you still just wear a neoprene hood.

Wetvet

 

[FreeFloat]

Entirely true. I'm rather unique I think, in that I tend to chill rather uniformly throughout my body. The advantage to this is that I don't typically get hands or feet any worse off than the rest of me. The disadvantage to this is that once I start to chill that's that, it's to the core and I'll end up core-cold.

The reason this is important for me to know is that I do dive wet - I have a full 2pc 7mm suit and have dived it in 33°F water and still outlasted my gas supply (meaning I ended the dive on pressure, not cold). The two dives I have called on cold - one I called before really getting in, the other I shortened to 16 minutes - what happened both times was that I got chilled prior to getting in the water. Both times there was a wind blowing on the surface so that I chilled through the neoprene. Days like that are the only days I would really consider diving dry.

When I start getting into longer and deeper dives I may change my mind. But if I can last 30-40 minutes in a wetsuit in a Canadian winter, I figure I'm pretty much good to go

 

[Boogie711]

I don't mind diving in water that's just above freezing in my Mares Isotherm - once. And for anything less than 25 or 30 minutes. With a 2mm shorty underneath. But if I'm planning on multiple dives, or a cold suit-up, or anything like that, I'll grab my DUI.

Actually, when I have a choice, I'll dive dry now just about all the time anyway - why bother with the wetsuit? But if I had to, I would do it.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Anything less than 70 and I'm diving dry.

Seriously.

Roak

Anything less than 80F and I am diving dry. Seriously.

82F is where I am most comfortable, for 1 or 2 dives. 85F is better for 3 dives or more.