What do you consider "Cold Water" when wetsuit diving?

[mars2u]

Just WETSUIT diving poll...it's obviously different for Drysuit diving.

I'm curious since I see some folks talking about S. Cal being cold and some that say diving the the Great Lakes as not being cold.
Given, I was seeing a girl from San Diego who once said she never owned a jacket...so I can see that her idea of "cold" might be different.

My Open water dives were at 60 degrees F...but it wasn't bad once you were in the water. Now the outside temp. was 58F which caused the brief spout of tourettes syndrom when you exited the water and changed clothes. So my threshold in a 7 mil at the time would be no less than 60F.

I definitely don't look happy in my pic when I was getting ready to exit.:shaking:

[Soggy]

For me, below 50 degrees and it's pretty cold. I'll dive, but not for too long and not too deep.

In a drysuit, 38 degrees is my Tourette's limit.

[double125's]

Lower 50's makes my lips go numb. I have dove 50's in a 3 mil wetsuit and all parts of my body were fine except my face. Same effect in 7mil and I am assuming it will be the same in my new drysuit.

[MikeFerrara]

If it's cold enough that I need to wear a suit it'll be a dry suit. The exception is when I'm teaching in the pool. There I'll wear a wet suit.

[Doppler]

Call me a whimp... hey, cut that out... but if it's colder than blood temperature, then it's cold!

(well, ok... colder than 80 of your imperial degrees)

[PaulB]

I'm ok up to the point of 60 degree water. After the first dive in water that cold, I don't enjoy it anymore. That's with a 7mm

[MiniMe]

From "I'm a wimp" department... I dove in North Carolina recently. The water was 68F. I was in a drysuit and freezing.

I my defense though, I dive year round in great lakes and seam to cope with it.

M

[canuckdiver]

well, I know this is going to qualify me for the nutbar award, but I did a bunch of ice dives this winter in my 6.5mm 2-piece.
The water temp was reading on my guage as 35*, we were looking at air temps in the 25* range. No real problem with the cold other than around the mouth.

(yes I have the pics to prove it!)

[cornfed]

Doppler once bubbled...
Call me a whimp... hey, cut that out... but if it's colder than blood temperature, then it's cold!

(well, ok... colder than 80 of your imperial degrees)

Ok... you're a wimp!

[chrpai]

Hell I'll dive a 2 pc 3mil down to 55f and a 2pc 7mil down to 40f comfortably.

I'd go dry but

1) I don't have the money
2) I'm not looking forward to relearning buoyancy
3) I'm not looking forward to all the extra weight and drag