Earliest dive with a 7mm suit (in Mass)

I live in the South Shore, and I'm dying to go bug hunting this year. I bought some new (used) gear and I can't frikkin wait to try out some south shore sites with it.

What's the earliest, or coldest temps do any of you think I can dive with using a 7mm suit?

Much appreciated.

The earliest I hit water with a 7mm was May 5th. I don't remember the dive now, but I'm sure it was chilly. Depending on your tolerance to the cold you could dive at that time of the year.

My son and I (and a buddy) dive wet (O'Neil farmer john) all year round in the Oregon Pacific NW. The water was 48 degrees Fahrenheit last Friday (Jan 22) and it was about the same out of the water. We were fine. I usually do 2 dives, and then I'm ready to get out - starting to chill all over, but not "freezing".

drdaddy

End of March for me with a Bare 7mm full with a 7mm FJ top over it with cutoff sleaves. Get the water flow in the suit reduced as much as possible. I also duct taped my ankles and wore mitts.

I have done ice dives in a 7mil full suit Like the earlier poster depending on your cold tolerance you should be Ok

BostonDiver99:

I live in the South Shore, and I'm dying to go bug hunting this year. I bought some new (used) gear and I can't frikkin wait to try out some south shore sites with it.

What's the earliest, or coldest temps do any of you think I can dive with using a 7mm suit?

Much appreciated.

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Before I got my dry suit, dove pretty much year round wet. I had a Bare semi-dry with attached hood. I wore a 3 mm vest underneath. With good new booties and gloves, your hands and feet are ok. It wasn't really in the water where I got cold. (except for initial shock after you enter), it was topside (getting out of suit or surface intervals where got cold) You don't realize how much you exert yourself getting in the water, finning around. The water trapped in your suit warms up rather quick.

I would not recommend diving wet if overcast, ANY WINDS or air temps below freezing or advocate doing a deep dive (wetsuit compression). I had some of my best dives in winter after the seas had been calm a few days. One of my more memorable dives was a winter dive at Norman's woe off cape ann. Air temps were about 36, absolutely no wind and sunny. The sun warmed us up during surface intervals as we layed on the rocks. The key is staying out of wind as you're wet.

I've seen others bring warm water to pour into wetsuit to accelerate the process before going in. Captain Fran Marcaux provides us hot water for our gloves and hood. Sooo nice.

It's kind of a pscyological thing.. You always want to hesitate doing a 2nd dive after the 1st. 9 out of 10 times, have had no regrets doing a 2nd dive as warmed up on 2nd dive.

Thanks for all of the excellent advise. I have two piece 7mm so it doubles up over my torso area, and a hooded-vest on top of that. I may invest in a better hood, gloves and boots as reefseal mentioned, just to be safe.

I will try the duck-tape technique, and think it is a brilliant idea to have warm water to insert into the suit before and after the dive.

Thanks again! Happy Diving!

You might not freeze your cajones off but you will see prescious few lobster on a shore dive in the winter. The lobsters head offshore for the winter, where they are less likely to suffer from winter storms. Of course, you still get a dive in and that's never a bad thing.

PTN

I did a New Years day dive and one a week later with a couple of folks that dove 7MM suits (single dives). 39 degree water, 35 minute dives. Both claimed no discomfort while diving, one duct taped the gloves and was fine, the other forgot and his hands did get cold. The only 'discomfort' (temporary) was getting out of the suit and getting dry quickly. On both days the air temp was between 10-15. The only other datapoint would be that both were in excellant physical shape. While those conditions might be considered a little extreme, if the air temp and water temps were higher, it might not be to bad. (But I'm sticking with the dry suit.....)

You might find some useful info on cold weather/water diving here.