What are Cold Blooded Divers wearing in April?

[opalobsidian]

Hello!

The last week of April I'm going back for my second dive experience in Coz. My first time diving was in Coz in January and I just about froze my tercera clean off. I was finally okay layered up like Mrs Michelin man (or maybe a kid from South Park) wearing a 3 bibbed hood, an old 6ish full body, and my 2.5 shortie.

What do ya reckon I should bring for this trip? After my first trip I went internet shopping like all git out, and now I have a 3 bibbed hood, a 4/5 full body, the old 2.5 shorty, and a .75 skin.

Please, only feedback from cold blooded divers or their loved ones! If you're a good ol boy who dives naked in the Great Lakes or the likes, please refrain from asking me what my problem is.

Thanks so much!
Pamela

 

[MMM]

I hear you and feel your pain. (In an earlier report, or post - I forget which - I noted how I had bitten right through my reg's mouthpiece because I was so cold.) You should be OK now although I'd replace the hood with a 3mm hooded vest to wear under my 5/4 and ditching the shortie (but if you don't do that, keep the shortie!). Ditch the .75 skin because it is useless..

Hello!

The last week of April I'm going back for my second dive experience in Coz. My first time diving was in Coz in January and I just about froze my tercera clean off. I was finally okay layered up like Mrs Michelin man (or maybe a kid from South Park) wearing a 3 bibbed hood, an old 6ish full body, and my 2.5 shortie.

What do ya reckon I should bring for this trip? After my first trip I went internet shopping like all git out, and now I have a 3 bibbed hood, a 4/5 full body, the old 2.5 shorty, and a .75 skin.

Please, only feedback from cold blooded divers or their loved ones! If you're a good ol boy who dives naked in the Great Lakes or the likes, please refrain from asking me what my problem is.

Thanks so much!
Pamela

 

[94GTStang]

A few weeks ago, another couple, my girlfriend and I went diving in ~50 degree weather. We donned 7mil suits, 3mil gloves, 5mil hoods, 3mil boots. We walked around like we were in a full body cast, but the cold didn't seep in much.

If you want to make lots of money, invent something that will keep your lips warm where the hood comes up short.

 

[H20Bubbles]

When we were there in March, we used 3mm farmer Johns, and a 2.5mm hydroskin top, plus booties. We may have had on more than most people but we were warm.

 

[DandyDon]

I wore a skin on 4 long dives at Coz today, got a little chilly and added a beanie.

One lady got chilly in a 5 mil.

Know any more than you did? The water was 78 today, those little stinging jellies not too bad. I know one girl who wore a shorty for the last time ever Thursday. Her kness look bad.

 

[slingshot]

I got water temps of 79-80 while in Coz the first week of April. Opalobsidian, don't let people give you a hard time about your preferred suits, keep yourself comfortable and enjoy your dives. Dandydon, are you referring to the little brown thimble-sized jellies? Had clouds of them one day, pretty much none the rest of the week.

Still hoping to get my trip report together...

 

[jpdunc]

We dove in Cozumel 6 days between April 2 and 8 and the bottom water temps were consistently in the 77 to 79 degree F range. My wife is tends to get colder quicker than most in our group and she used a 3/5/3 mill one piece wet suit and was quite comfortable.

Hope that helps,

 

[opalobsidian]

Hello everybody!

Thanks so much for the advice! I definately know know what I'm packin'- the cozy full body and hood!

Say, DandyDon, you're not an alumni of Monterey HS are ya? Naw, I bet you went to school in Dimmit or Shallowater.

 

[scubawife]

I am always cold. In Aug we were in Hawaii and I wore a full 3 and added a full 1 under it on the third day. Got lots of laughs on the boat for it, but I was comfortable.

In Cozumel and the mainland for our trips between Decemeber and April I've been layering a core warmer, full 1mm and full 3mm. This past Dec and Feb the temps seemed colder then past years and I finally decided that that layering is not working too well after about day 4. I just picked up a new full 5mm that I'll be taking it for my trip next month. I'm also taking my core warmer, in case I still get chilled. I don't like anything tight under my chin so I haven't done well with hoods or beanies. I have found that wetsuit socks with my booties do add a little warmth.

 

[cxg31s]

Hey, when are you leaving--I leave this Friday! Will we be there at the same time?

I'm always cold, too. I went the last week of April last year and was SO cold that I actually ended some dives early because I was shivering. I had on my old 2 piece 3 mil suit so I was cold even with 6 mil over my core. I also wore a 3 mil beanie. Water temps ran about 77-79, and from the reports I've been seeing, are about the same this year.

This year I decided to upgrade my suit to a 2-piece 5 mil, so now I'll have 10 mil over my core--if that doesn't keep me nice and toasty nothing will!

Oh one important note--my torso is too long for a 1 piece suit so I have to wear a 2-piece. Layering generally isn't as effective as a 1-piece suit--just something to keep in mind.