DFW area cold weather diving

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Zen1300

Contributor
Messages
226
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52
Location
DFW, TX
# of dives
0 - 24
Anyone dive locally in colder weather - CSSP, Athens, etc.?

I seem to get the bug to dive and then simply run out of weekends. Trips to warmer climates are difficult to manages, so I thinking how I can extend my diving season.

I've not tried dry suit, so I'm curious how many of you are out there when it gets colder. How cold is too cold?

How do you deal with surface interval and the cold?
 
Thanks Joe! My son and I have a competition on the 15th, but I may be able to make the 16th.

BTW, How did the deep dives go?
 
Thanks Joe! My son and I have a competition on the 15th, but I may be able to make the 16th.

BTW, How did the deep dives go?

Speaking for me..... It didn't. The 7 mil wetsuit I brought was so tight I couldn't breathe so I called it after 1 short dive. I guess it shrunk in the 2 years since I last wore it....... Or maybe I need to lose some weight.

Didn't find the deep water but the shallower water was rather murky and below about 30 feet or so, it was totally dark. I think the deepest I went was 43 feet. There were submerged trees that when I swam into one, I'd go around it and lose Joe even though he was just a few feet away, both of us with flashlights. Temp was 54 according to my computer. Gives me an appreciation for those public service divers that dive in that stuff all the time.

I may try to make this event to see if I need to put a drysuit on my wishlist.

Jim
 
Thats too bad. I have one of those "defective" 7mils also.

Yeah, I heard about the trees from the local LDS. they mentioned fishing line everywhere as well.

They also said there are rumored to be jellies in the water.
 
Hope to see you out at the DUI event.. I plan on trying to get back out to Wheeler Branch and explore further and find the 60+ ft. once I get back from Cozumel in a few weeks. The VIS really was bad at 40+ feet, maybe 3-4 ft.. I've never tried a drysuit, but I'm open to the new challenge.
 
I've never seriously thought about getting a dry suit. The
reason is I only know one person that has a dry suit that
will dive in the winter. In the winter I just wear my
2.5mm shorty and 5mm full suit. I can last 45 minutes or
so. I have a 7mm now that I want to try out when the
conditions warrant it. We'll see how well it performs.
I do very few winter dives due to the lack of a willing
buddy/victim. I avoid CSSP when it's cold because the vis
is usually really bad. It's not that I mind bad vis. I
just don't like to pay $20 for it. There's plenty of lakes
with crummy vis I can dive for free. I've been to Lake
Murray a number of times in the winter and the vis was
always pretty good although the fish seem to grown wings
and fly south for the winter. I made to Athens once in
the winter and the vis is really good when you're the
only one there. (No one else to stir the silt.) I have
outside condition rules now. The surface temps need to be
at least 50F and sunny. If there's no sun you can't warm
up at all between dives. It's miserable. 50s and sunny
isn't bad at all to spend some time in outdoors. As for
surface intervals I just get in my car and crank the heater
up to warm up. I bought a small propane heater but it
doesn't do that much good. It only really can warm up
your hands and feet. Winter is the best time to go to
places like Comal river, San Marcos river, Spring Lake,
and Balmorhea State park. The weather drives away the
swimmer and tuber crowds and the spring fed water is still
in the 70s as it is year round.
 
Thanks Bill.

Calling your buddy a victim might be why people are reluctant. [emoji6]

Serially though, I'm interested in trying a dry suit, but I'm not sure I'd get the use to justify the cost. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd be ok in just my 7mil.

If the viz is crappy, then I think the cold weather would just make for a miserable time.

It's sounds like driving south is definitely the preferred option over staying local.

Maybe I just need to build a deep heated pool.
 
I'm kinda with you Bill... I would dive year-round here if I could be comfortable in and out of the water. I do like to be able to see things too. In addition to going just to get wet I do like to see something and diving in Texas is rough for visibility any time of the year. At Wheeler Branch last week the site was really nice but the visibility was pretty bad. As previously mentioned, Joe was probably 3 feet away from me with a flashlight and several times I lost him.

I'd like to try drysuit diving just to see if it's for me but the cost and the lack of visibility in area lakes make me wonder if it's worth while.

Jim
 
I'm sure by buddies think of themselves as victims after
a Lake Murray trip. The vis may be crap, they have to
haul their equipment up/down steep hills, and I put
them to work hauling 50lb bags of trash out of the
water. I feel so hurt I don't hear back from them ever
again lol. Diving in Texas isn't for everyone. Few have
the right stuff to learn how to enjoy it. When I talk
about my 7mm I mean in addition to everything else. I
plan to do the CSSP Polar Bear dive again this year.
I'll be wearing my 2.5mm shorty, 5mm full suit, and 7mm
full suit. I'm not sure if it will do any good but I'll
try it. I could buy a dry suit but I can't justify the
cost. In five years of diving I only cancelled one dive
I could have done because I was freezing my butt off.
I could have done it if I had a dry suit. I don't think
$1,000 and up is worth one dive. I've heard Athens is
hardly warm in the winter but it isn't as cold as more
northern sites. For a couple of weeks last winter Lake
Murray was 37F. 55f would seem balmy in comparison to
that. jimbeeler you need to try out the sites I
mentioned. You have to put some miles on your car and
maybe spend the night but the vis is great. Frio river
also has great vis (it's spring fed) when you catch it
at the right time. It gets cold in the winter. Since
the fish disappear in the winter I like to improve the
area by collecting drink containers or go hunting for
anchors. It's stupid but it's something to do when I
get bored.
 
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