How cold will you dive wet?

Nudgeroni · Jul 14, 2007

A lot of folks strongly advocate for diving dry, but for those of you diving wet, how cold will you go? I ask being a new diver in New England, wondering what kind of season I could get out of a wetsuit (while I save up for a drysuit).

So...

Cow cold are you comfortable diving wet?

The Kraken · Jul 14, 2007

~ 55* F, then I don the old dry suit.

I used to dive a 7mm FJ/J to 42*F.

the K

jeffberry · Jul 14, 2007

I ice dive in my 7mm henderson with a 5mm hooded vest! Canging after the dive is a bit cold though!

jeffberry · Jul 14, 2007

I ice dive in my 7mm henderson with a 5mm hooded vest! Canging after the dive is a bit cold though!

Izu · Jul 14, 2007

I am good in my 5 mm/hood down to 16C- after that I go dry.

spectrum · Jul 14, 2007

By choice my cut-off is 50F. If we drop into the 40's for part of the dive that's OK.

As to the seasons, here in Maine that means wet shore diving is dandy from Memorial day to November first. Boat diving that will drop you into the cold deep water for nearly the whole dive will close that range in considerably especially for the first part of the season. Diving wet all year is not out of the question. You will probably be limited to single dives and the most challenging part will be changing down apres dive. There are lots of threads here and in the general forum on cold water strategies.

Pete

Hooked_on_diving · Jul 14, 2007

I dive a shorty 3mm at 19 Celcius but it can be a bit of a killer when you get out on that boat ride to the next site.

Matt

D_B · Jul 14, 2007

I picked 50* but at that temp with only a 7mm with no hooded vest, I get cold, and adding a 3mm hoodless vest does not seem to make enough difference for me to notice at those temps .. I would say upper 50's would be a practical limit to the gear I have now ... 7mm suit, 5mm boots, 3mm gloves, 3/5mm hood (going to get a 5/7mm hood though, that I'm pretty sure will drop the temps down to mid 50's for me)

Saltair · Jul 14, 2007

I am ok into the low 40's and have been in the upper 30's but wont be making a habit of that. I have a 7mm Henderson farmer John with the 7mm long sleeve shorty over that. I use a 7mm hood. My favorite is the gauntlet style goldcore gloves. They are a bear to get into but so warm. I use a much thinner pair when the water warms. Spectrum hit it on the head, if you can handle the middle 40's wet, and with the proper gear you probably can, you will be able to dive from the middle/end of May into November. My last dive in Maine last year was November 26, but it was a warm fall.

Puffer Fish · Jul 14, 2007

Depends on depth... but with a semi-dry, in shallow water, with hood, 7mm boots and mittens (my hands get cold), been comfortable to 39F. At 70ft, I'm cold at around 50 F.

The other issue is outside air temp and how long you will be out in it.

How cold will you dive wet?

How Cold Are You Comfortable Diving Wet?

40 F / 4 C

50 F / 10 C

60 F / 16 C

70 F / 21 C

If it isn't tropical, I go dry

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Nudgeroni

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