Wearing a neoprene cap = Less fatigue

[Salt]

re: having to pee - I agree that it is the thickening of the blood that makes you have to pee. But my experience is this happens when your body notices the temperature difference. (Why else do you need to focus your blood in your core?) On that same trip, I dove in Guatemala in a lake wearing an 8mm farmer john and didn't have to pee at all. In my recent trip to the Yucatan, diving in the warm ocean with a 2mm shortie, there was an urge to pee. Diving in the much colder cenotes with a thick wetsuit and hood, no urge to pee.

re: cold and fatigue - I don't think it was mild hypothermia. Sub-clinical DCS is a possibility. I do think temperature or perhaps amount of fluid in the blood affects the off-gassing. But it's beyond my grasp of the science.

 

[Salt]

The main point is that even if you are diving in supposedly warm waters, it can still be significantly cooler than your core temp of 98 degrees.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I also wear a neoprene cap in the tropics ... but not for warmth. It helps keep my bald head from getting sunburned. Getting cold has never been a problem for me ... but then, I'm built like a harbor seal.

I suspect your fatigue has more to do with ascent rate (particularly after completing your safety stop) than it does with the cap ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Nemrod]

Like the OP, the other things aside, I find wearing a neoprene cap useful and most decidedly I stay warmer. I will wear the cap even if not wearing any other exposure protection. I also wear a neoprene, made for the purpose, swim cap when I swim laps at the Y pool. The other day, my cap split as I was putting it on, I tossed it in the trash and began my swim, brrrrr, I was cold. The pool temperature is 78 degrees and while I am usually still fresh at the mile mark, without the cap, I was freezing. A simple silicone swim cap does quite well but the neoprene version is better. For us folks who have little insulation, every little bit helps.

N

 

[TMHeimer]

The average person will never get cold in water that is either 91 or 92F (can't recall which). Other than that, eventually everyone will get at least a little chilly if in long enough. My GUESS would be that your fatigue probably didn't have too much to do with silent bubbles due to less than ideal offgassing because of being hoodless in the Caribbean. But I'm no expert on tropical diving. I wore a swim cap on my one tropical trip to Panama, but for the same reason I wear a hood up here when it may actually be warm enough not to--it keeps water from going deep into my ears. Many say that you lose some gigantic % of heat through your exposed head--I have read it is not really true. It's more like 7-10% of all the heat you lose, not like 75%. But apparently it feels colder because your head and face are more sensitive to cold.

PEE- Cold, warm, in water, out, hydrated or not. I PEE all the time (take medication). Every(body...) is different in that respect, I would imagine.

 

[Land Fish]

Neilwood, what you quoted sounds awfully familiar to me. I'm fit with low body fat, and I've been teased for not having enough "built-in layers" in the office (A/C is strong) or "natrual flotation" on boats. I've accepted that cold is not my friend and I have no shame wearing a thin cardigan in the office during summer or 3mm (at least) full suit while some guys going in with just T-shirt and board shorts

Closing to NDL happened on the second last day of a liveaboard trip, I figured it was caused by the repetitive dives. I wasn't cold and besides holding my arms for trimming, I don't recall crossing my arms for warmth.

 

[Land Fish]

I suspect your fatigue has more to do with ascent rate (particularly after completing your safety stop) than it does with the cap ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I honestly don't know. My computer didn't sound the alarm, which it did one time I went up a little too quickly (another story), and I tired not ascend faster than my bubbles. But I'll surely pay more attention to the ascent rate next time. Thanks

 

[Land Fish]

I have read it is not really true. It's more like 7-10% of all the heat you lose, not like 75%. But apparently it feels colder because your head and face are more sensitive to cold"

I remember reading something similar. Whether it helps to stay warm, I grew to love the dive cap now. Not only does it keep my hair away from the mask, it also makes trying other's mask a lot easier, not everyone has a strap cover, especially on the backup masks .

 

[Freewillow]

to pee and ampty your bladder does not dehydrate you. The dehydration is a fuction of your kidneys filering of water from your blood ans the water entering your blood through water intake. The urine in your bladder is already off circuit