Quarry diving with wife

[Sn1per9000]

My wife and I did our confined water dive today. We were in a pool indoors in swimming suits. She was cold. REALLY cold. Most likely to the point of it being bad. The pool was about 82 degrees f. Any ideas on how she can manage to make it trough the quarry dives? Supposedly the water will be in the 40s.




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[drrich2]

Well, I'm chubby and cold-resistant, and for me, diving down deep into a quarry with 45 degree bottom water (after I drop through 2 thermoclines) means:

1.) 7 mm hood. The hood is critical; regardless of how warm the rest of you is, if your head feels completely dunked in ice water, that's not going to work.

2.) 5 mm full wetsuit (most people would go for 7 mm or a dry suit).

3.) 5 mm gloves.

4.) Boots, of course, and you ought to get cold water boots (I use my tropical pair, but my feet get really cold).

And that's during summer, so when I get in, my suit initially fills with warm water. What part of the country are you in? How cold is the surface water?

If your wife got really cold in 82 degree water, I question the practicality of even a 7 mm full wet suit keeping her warm enough in water in the 40's. People use dry suits for that, but I'm guessing you guys aren't training for that.

Have you considered doing dives on referral, or with a dive shop trip, to a warmer location?

Richard.

 

[buddhasummer]

With those temps and her intolerance to cold I think she's going to need a drysuit to be comfortable. I too feel the cold and wear a full 5mm in 82 waters. Nothing ruins a dive like being cold and in 40 water that can be dangerous.

 

[TSandM]

I got thrown out of the pool on the first night for shivering. I bought a 3 mil wetsuit the next day, and did the rest of the pool sessions wearing it. I did my open water dives, in water in the low 50's, in a dry suit. If she's that cold, look into a dry suit option.

 

[Steve_C]

Dry suit best option.

If it has to be wet, then a 7mm may not cut it, I would not want to dive in a plain 5. Especially if it is cool topside. Go with the warmest wetsuit possible. Hood should be a hooded vest or integrated hood. There are warmer wet suits. I did a pair of 50 minute wet dives in a fiord north of Vancouver with a hour long SI in 55 degree air. Was toasty. I wore a rented 10/14. (yes that is a 10/14). If boots are 5mm then wear scuba socks or the like in them to push them to at least 7. Wear 5mm gloves.

Note that there are different types of wet suits. A semidry can be warmer than a regular wetsuit for a given thickness.

I only dive wet and have some high 40 dives in local quarry. I wear a 7 mm + hooded vest + 5 or 7 mm gloves, 5mm boots with dive socks.
That is good for one dive.

 

[stuartv]

Drysuit is the obvious answer. 82 is pretty warm water by most people's standards.

But, I'm guessing your wife is not actually going to dive in cold water in the future? I.e. her future diving will be at warm water destinations only? In which case, shelling out for a drysuit may not make financial sense. If you can rent a drysuit for her to use, that would be great, but I'd guess that's a 50/50 chance on whether you can find a place to rent her a drysuit. And, even if you do, I think she would have to take the Drysuit Diver course before she'd be allowed to do her Open Water qualification dives in it. So, again, that path may not make sense for you/her.

OTOH, if she does want to dive in cold water in the future, may as well get the drysuit and training now.

However, the OTHER option is just to wait and do referral dives for the OW qualification dives. IOW, don't do your dives at your local quarry. Wait until you are going somewhere with warm water and get a local shop in that area to take you for your 4 OW qualification dives. It will cost a bit more, but not as much as buying a drysuit and a Drysuit class.

 

[RJP]

My wife and I did our confined water dive today. We were in a pool indoors in swimming suits. She was cold. REALLY cold. Most likely to the point of it being bad. The pool was about 82 degrees f. Any ideas on how she can manage to make it trough the quarry dives? Supposedly the water will be in the 40s.




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I'm a huge proponent of drysuits... but before putting your wife into one there a few things to consider.

You say you did your "confined water dive today"? Was that the ONLY confined water session you'll have? (I sure hope not.) 82F water in a swimsuit for any more than an hour or so is going to chill almost anyone... so it's possible she's no-more subject to cold than most folks.

Assuming - hopefully - you have additional pool sessions, have here use a wetsuit to see how that goes.

Assuming she actually does get "more cold" than others...

When/where are you planning to do your OW dives? Can you wait? Here in NJ/PA the water in the quarry is much warmer in July than it is currently.

Are you getting certified to dive locally... or will you be warm-water vacation divers? If the latter, consider doing your OW dives as referral students someplace warm.

Assuming you guys want to dive to have fun... there's no reason to have your wife start off NOT having fun!

 

[C P]

I'm not sure where you are located but temps tend to get much warmer thru the summer. If you have a deadline and/or are planning a trip a referral might be your best option. That is where you complete your book work and pool work at one location and then the open water training dives in another. Takes a bit of logistics but can really be worth it. Another option that is popular in this area, central NC, is do do your book and pool work here and head to the Florida Springs for the open water portion. The springs are 72 degrees year round and vey clear, at least until stirred up. A good wet suit can take care of those temps. About the end of the second or third night in a row in the pool I get cool also and I use a 3 mm core warmer, one of my dive masters always insists on wearing her 1.5mm full suit from the first night. Hopefully she is taking classes to have fun so find out what works and have fun.
Talk with your instructor and DMs to find out your options. Good luck

 

[rivers]

Drysuit is the obvious answer. 82 is pretty warm water by most people's standards.

But, I'm guessing your wife is not actually going to dive in cold water in the future? I.e. her future diving will be at warm water destinations only? In which case, shelling out for a drysuit may not make financial sense. If you can rent a drysuit for her to use, that would be great, but I'd guess that's a 50/50 chance on whether you can find a place to rent her a drysuit. And, even if you do, I think she would have to take the Drysuit Diver course before she'd be allowed to do her Open Water qualification dives in it. So, again, that path may not make sense for you/her.

.

You can do open water combined with drysuit. in the UK, it's the norm with most schools. Stuart, you are a new diver, there is still a lot you don't know.

Back to the OP, drysuit is the way forward. There will most likely need to be an extra pool session, but it will be worth it.

 

[FinnMom]

How long did you stay in the pool? Hanging around, not moving much in a normal pool is darn cold after 40-50 minutes, esp. if you aren't carrying much body fat. I'm not sure your wife's reaction was all that unusual. Most of our students need a hot shower/sauna break after about 60mins, either that or several laps of swimming to get warmed up.

A dry suit is very nice though, no denying that. I found that an excellent wetsuit set was comfortable in pretty cold water, but the above the water stuff was the dealbreaker. Sitting around during a surface interval or getting undressed post-dive with your bare, wet skin exposed to the cold and maybe even a brisk wind is bone-chillingly miserable.