Diving in fall and winter

[idratherbedivin]

I am starting a diving club at my high school and I was hoping i'd be able to take trips down to north carolina to do some diving. I just talked to my LDS about it today and he said that during the fall and winter months it is too cold to dive north of florida really. I thought I would get a second opinion since the person I talked to wasn't from north carolina. Is it really too cold or can you be comfortable in a 7mm during that time? I just did some diving in 55 degrees with 7mm and I was fine but I think much colder than that would get a little cold.

[PaulChristenson]

I am starting a diving club at my high school and I was hoping i'd be able to take trips down to north carolina to do some diving. I just talked to my LDS about it today and he said that during the fall and winter months it is too cold to dive north of florida really. I thought I would get a second opinion since the person I talked to wasn't from north carolina. Is it really too cold or can you be comfortable in a 7mm during that time? I just did some diving in 55 degrees with 7mm and I was fine but I think much colder than that would get a little cold.

You can also encounter some serious swells during the winter months...:D

[roturner]

I am starting a diving club at my high school and I was hoping i'd be able to take trips down to north carolina to do some diving. I just talked to my LDS about it today and he said that during the fall and winter months it is too cold to dive north of florida really. I thought I would get a second opinion since the person I talked to wasn't from north carolina. Is it really too cold or can you be comfortable in a 7mm during that time? I just did some diving in 55 degrees with 7mm and I was fine but I think much colder than that would get a little cold.

If it gets much colder than 55F you'll probably find it uncomfortable without a drysuit.

And "cold" is a matter of dressing for it. In lots of places people dive in water that's only 1 or 2 degrees above freezing. Some people don't even think they're having fun unless their dive kit includes a chainsaw.

R..

[LindaBluedolphin]

The bigger more important question I would have is (and I really don't know the answer to this), you say a dive club in your high school. I am guessing parents will be going along, I ask because I did not think you could go diving on a charter if you were under 18 without a parents signature someplace on the liabililty release.

Anyway back to your question, I learned to dive in California so cold water is the norm. I dove in a 7mm, but keep in mind the air temps in SoCal are generally much warmer in the winter months the off the NC Coast.

Like one of the posters said cold is a matter of opinion.

[BigWhiteSquare]

Here's a great site for recent NC dive reports.

http://www.ncdivers.com/

If you can handle 55 degrees in your 7 mil, you'll be fine. We had 57 degrees on the U-352 wreck yesterday, and offshore water temps in the 70s can last into November.

___

[ChrisSoutherly]

For most of the dive operators here in NC, they consider their season late April to November. Even in winter months diving offshore can be good because of the gulf stream. The biggest issue is the unpredictable weather, one day like glass the next chop and swells. A gamble if you are travelling to dive.

Another thought comes to mind reading your profile ... most of what people consider the "good" diving in NC involves wrecks at least 50-60 feet deep and as much as 110-120 feet. You may want to consider advanced or specialty training. That could be a good "excuse" to come. Open water training dives for boat diving, deep diving, wreck diving, etc.

[idratherbedivin]

As one of the main parts of my club classes for all skill levels will be available. As for my own experience I have dove at every possibility but since i just started in the winter there aren't really any local places to go. I am taking my AOW in april at Key Largo and I think after that is when I'll really start the trips for the club. It is just in the planning stages right now.

[RAD Diver]

Getting some experience diving is more important than going AOW too soon. Ive been diving almost 2 years have close to 50 dives (most being open ocean wrecks off the Va. & N.C. coast) & Im just going AOW now. I have seen plenty of OW divers that jump into AOW right after & they are not comfortable in the water & need serious work on bouyancy. AOW just gets you into different diving situations. It doesnt help with the basics.

[idratherbedivin]

I understand that in no way will the advanced class make me an experienced diver. I have read here and heard from 2 instructors that going into the AOW class soon after OW is good because after too many dives the AOW may not be too much new information and therefore can get boring. Also since as of now I don't get the opportunity to dive that much I would like to learn some more skills that I will be able to work on when I am not diving in a class.

[RAD Diver]

Thats cool I just have seen just the opposite. I never consider diving boring & with the experience AOW was a breeze. Nothing like trying to read a compass or run a reel while not being able to hold a steady depth. Good luck & if your ever down this way (Va. Beach) give a shout & we will go diving.

[idratherbedivin]

When I said boring I didn't mean the actual dives would be boring. I meant that the information that was learned probably wouldn't be too new. I would never consider a dive boring, I just wouldn't want to pay so much money for the class if I was not going to learn very much. I think that taking the class earlier will speed up the learning curve and I don't think anything I do will be hindered because of my little experience.

[fpsndiver]

oh learning new stuff or even reviewing old stuff is never boring. You never stop learning until you die........I even like going to re-read books I have read multiple times....diving and non diving....I am on oxyhackers for the 5th time right now.....

Good luck with your advanced class, and come diving down in Wilmington! Lots of cool stuff here to see.

By the way....where are you diving at up there in MD? I grew up in Virginia....Northern VA.....cut my teeth in Haymarket Quarry, Bainbridge Quarry, Willow Springs, and Dutch Springs..........and the Chesapeake Bay......Potomac River....blah You are up in my former stomping grounds, and I was diving at your age too.......it is a life long addiction for sure! You better go to college and get a good education so you can afford all the cool new toys that are out there for diving!

Tom

[scuba_aqua_girl]

Whitman I am also from Maryland and all my diving is pretty much in PA and VA at local quarries. I feel that all the diving in the cold low viz water has made me a more experienced diver. I went to NC and dove the 1st weekend of June and water temp was 69-71 degrees and I wore a 3mm and didn't get cold because I am used to 55 and below for water temp.
When are you planning on going? If you feel your not that experienced you guys can stick to inshore wrecks. Let me know if your intrested in doing some local diving. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.