What's the coldest water temp you will wetsuit in??

[caribean-ted]

That seems cold to me. I have dived in 54 degree water and it wasn't too bad. I had on a triple layer of wetsuits a hood and gloves.

I have heard that the Henderson Aqualock in a 7 mil is a good system and may be worth investigating for your needs but for 40 degree water temp a drysuit is probably the most comfy way to go.

i have the henderson aqualoc 7 mil suit boots hood gloves. dove 38f. was ok up to 40 mins hands got cold. tobermory ontario canada. its an awesome suit but you do feel the cold.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

46°F was my coldest wetsuit dive, but I used to make long deco dives in wetsuits down to 48°. Those long deco stops while shivering forced me to realize I needed a drysuit.

 

[caribean-ted]

46°F was my coldest wetsuit dive, but I used to make long deco dives in wetsuits down to 48°. Those long deco stops while shivering forced me to realize I needed a drysuit.

made me realize how much i love diving the caribbean lol

 

[lowlysubaruguy]

My whole family certified in 36 f degree water it was in the mid 20s ambient temp that morning. Its rarely below 45 in this area but winter had different plans for us. Ive since seen it like this twice. Today I’m not that interested in cold water diving any more. But from time to time I still do so just to make sure my dry suit still fits.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It depends on how old you are.. LOL.. What I did in my 20's is not what I do..

Jim..

... what I did in my 50's is not what I do now ... I just don't tolerate cold like I once did ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[60plus]

Home See this link, its Capernwray my local quarry dive site. Mid water temp is currently 6 degrees C (43 F). See my post "the relief of success". Whilst chatting at this dive club on Wednesday night they were hoping Capernwray would be up to 7 C by the weekend so the diving would be comfortable, 5C being a bit cold. Some were going to use drysuits but most wet. I think the wetsuit divers take a warm shower to preheat the suit before diving. On the same night I was in the pool my son was white water canoeing in a fell fed river a few miles away, air temp about 5 C, water temp lower (snowmelt). Post #96. We Northern Britts have no choice but to learn to live with the cold otherwise our outdoor activities would be severely restricted. In summer I often swim in Ullswater for up to 1 & 1/2 hours where surface water temp is about 15 C. I wear socks, trainers, tracksuit bottom and long sleeve or T shirt. Sometimes some of the canoe club have a swim in just swimming gear after canoe training. We are all fine, our hands and lower legs get a bit cool / numb but thats all. However nearly every year the same or warmer water kills several people. We get what we call "Townies" coming to the Lakes for summer holidays, the air temp is maybe in the high 20s C, top foot or so of water 18 C but underneath its still only 15 C. These Townies take a dip to cool off, swim out a bit, suddenly get cold / shock / cramp and drown. See also 10 Open Water Swimming Tips ahead of the Great North Swim - English Lakes Blog My son has done the Great North Swim several times (15 C) but so far has not tried the Big Chill Swim (5 C). There are about 10,000 swimmers take part in the Great North Swim.

 

[woodcarver]

Apparently a lot of you guys are nuts! The reason the drysuit was invented was because water can be below 75° in some places. That being said, I have suffered 64° in a 5mil, but only for about 25 minutes at a time. And that was only because the drysuit flooded.

 

[TMHeimer]

There have been many discussions about cold tolerance. Particularly the "I'm new and going to -------- to dive. What thickness wetsuit should I buy".
And people start to give opinions.
Growing up in NYC area I did not like swimming in cold ocean water. Maybe liked it by mid July when it ocean temp. hit 72F.
Age 23 moved to Northern Manitoba, featuring 7 months of winter including 3 with the AVERAGE daytime air temp. in the sun (It's colder when no clouds up in the North) being -25C (-15F or so) and night -30 to -40 (C-F is same at -40 as that's where they overlap). So, I got used to it. After several years there, I found returning to NY in summer to overbearingly hot, though it never bothered me when 10 years younger and living there.
Now--after 13 years in Nova Scotia, the cold is creeping back in, because it's so much warmer here than up North. I've dived my 7 mil farmer john the whole 13 years and gradually have begun to feel the cold diving more and more.
It's not age, and not whether you're a wimp in the cold or are crazy for diving wet in such frigid waters as the 50sF--or even 60s. It's what your body gets used to over time. That's the only (well at least main) reason some people actually use drysuits in Florida, and apparently not just on the panhandle in winter.

 

[woodcarver]

I still think you're nuts! But I run around in our mountains in a t-shirt in October, so maybe I've got something loose to...

 

[xmass-Eve]

When I started diving, I didn't have money for a dry suit. I was still a student. So I did all my diving in wet suits the first years. Water temperatures were between 4C/39F and 23C/74F. I had a 7mm long plus 5mm shorty over it. In winter, I had to ask for help for opening my suit because my hands were frozen off...
After that, I moved to tropical waters so I still don't have a dry suit.