Tropical vs. cool lake - do you ever get use to the differences?

Needless to say, I loved diving in the Keys far more then the quarry and lake dives I have done in West Virginia and Wisconsin.

I have about 14 dives, about half in the Keys and half in cold water (surface 65 degrees F down to about 40 degrees F). I find warm water diving easy and comfortable (bouyancy controlled, easy of movement, etc.), while I find cold water diving always has me adjusting and very, very conscious of where I am in the water (boyancy constantly needs adjustment as I move through thermoclines, all that neoprene, etc.).

Does cold water diving ever become like second-nature, which warm water seems to have already done for me?

Hi Starfish

The quick answer is: Yes, it does!

I do most my dives in what I think you would consider cold water. Minmum is around 2deg. C (35 deg. F). And even with a drysuit I never really think about it anymore.

I also dove i the Pacific at 29 deg C (84 deg. F) in a shorty. And it is much easier.

This is also why a warm water diver might need to train skills again when moving to colder water (That and the poor visability and....)

DSAO

Hey Starfish,

I have no "positive definitive" answer to your dilemma, but rather an observation. I love it here in Florida, and the 68 degree springs are just perfect for me in neopreene. Our seas (as you know) are usually warmer!

My observation from DD's post is this... learn to dive a dry suit, and do it quick. Cold is death. People react differently to the heat drain on their body, but eventually it will rob you of your strength and mental resources. Your body actually stiffens in the cold, that's why there are so few "World Record" times running in cooler weather. Your body loves the warmth and does better in it. On the other hand, your brain can be preoccupied with getting comfortable as well. Mental distractions are never advisable under water.

A dry suit will better insulate you from the cold, giving you a more enjoyable as well as safer dive. You might also consider a full face mask as well, and definitely use a hood. You will find those "easy tasks" becoming easy again when you are not preoccupied with your comfort. I have only four cold water dives to my credit. Up in Fontana Lake in the Carolinas. Awesome fun, except for the cold. Nothing seemed to work for me, and I almost blew off the last dive. It can be frustrating when the small things become big tasks! Frustration under water can also be spelled DEATH. Dive safe... dive warm!

:cold:

Good points made by all. I especially agree with Netdoc about the drysuit.

We only have two sets of suits: full 1/8" wet and DUI trilam drysuits. That's it!

I learned to dive in the Great White North (aka Canada). Cold water. Low vis. In a 1/4" wetsuit my longest downtime was 30 minutes. And I was ALWAYS uncomfortable, so I found I'd rather dive in the tropics. As soon as I switched to dry, I was enjoying my diving in the Great Lakes. And there is some truly GREAT diving in the GL! Plus it extended my dive season.

Now that we live in the SE United States I find the drysuit invaluable for diving FL Springs all year 'round, or the Gulf of Mexico during the cooler months. It also was wonderful in the Red Sea in March!

BTW, the longest time I've spent down in my drysuit was 1:30. This was taking pictures on a relatively shallow wreck in Tobermory. Water temp was about 55F.

So relax. As you gain more experience with your equipment in various dive conditions, you'll have less "transition" problems.

~SubMariner~