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...to the boards, the only place to be when you're not in the water....
We've just been talking about cold water diving in another thread... living in THailand, I'm fascinated by it as I can't imagine diving in chilly water, in a dry suit no less. Brrrr is what immediately springs to mind!
Everyone here would love to hear about your experiences and help with any questions...
A warm welcome from someone north of you. Although cold, "our" type of diving gets you ready for almost any other kind. I mean if you can get your bouyancy, manipulate things while wearing "thick cold water" gloves, and survive that frozen face when you first hit the water --- well you can handle alomost anything.
and welcome to the boards.I'm fairly new to diving also,15 dives. All of mine have been in warm water(caribean). I'll be checking out freshwater diving near home (Rochester NY)for the first time in a week and a half.I think I'm goona wish I took that Drysuit coarse!
Tavi
Don't know where you'll be diving, but as Rochester is just a couple of hours south of me, you might be diving in the St Lawrence River, if you are, the water temperature in St Lawrence two weeks ago was about 50F - I was in a 7mm, and was comfortable (except for the face freeze). Others on the boat were either in a 7mm or in dry suits.
We'll be diving in a quarry west of Rochester.The shop Debbielou and Paul trained with has a group of new divers going and asked us if we wanted to go too.I guess water temp last week was in the 40's but if the sun keeps shinning they expect 60 or so by then.I thought about My 5/3 with a .5 skin under it, but I'm probably better off just renting the 7mil.I won't buy one til I try out a drysuit too.
The St. Lawrence is in my plans for this year. I read about the Zebra Mussels cleaning it up and the vis being great.
DivingGal... that was going to be my next question concerning cold water/dry suit diving...
Your face is exposed so it goes numb right? Isn't it really painful when you get out of the water? And do you have to do a special course for cold water diving? I agree with you, if you can sort out your buoyancy etc in freezing cold water you must be able to dive anywhere...
Tavi
The vis in the St L is outstanding. I have both a wet suit and a dry (new this year). As I don't get cold easily (lucky me)it just depends on how I feel what to use. Dry is what I plan to use when I'm DMing on any course (just three more dives to go then I'm done for my quals) -- you tend not to move so much with OW students. If you do head to the river, drop a line, I might be able to join you.
Keralucu
Ah numb face. It's actually only a temporary feeling - at least for me it is. It gets cold, I don't feel it, but once at the surface, there is no pain. Cold water diving????? I know some folks would consider anything below 80 cold, around here, it would be a shock if it went that high! As all our training is done in the same water temperature range you learn to deal with it. In PADI, they do teach you that for any "cold" dive to add 10 feet to your dive plan ~ with the tables (e.g. if the dive is for 35 ft, in cold plan it as if it was 45 ft). So, no, there is no special training. Ice diving ~ that's another story. I have friends that do it. But I think they're crazy!
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