winter diving with wetsuits

[snuggle]

hey guys and gals ..how many of you have gone diving in the winter with a wetsuit..hmmwonderif its possible..lol i have a 2 piece 7mm wet suit..can i dive in the winter wearing it?or would i freese to death having fun lol

 

[ebbtide]

i dove wet last winter in 32 deg water cold at first but you warm up a bit , dont forget hypothermia you dont tend to feal it creeping up on ya till it is too late . your limbs go weaker as time goes by remember you still have to get out of the water .
try a drysuit and you will never dive wet agin . thats just my opnion .

 

[pt40fathoms]

Been their, done that...

It's not as bad as it sounds, you do however need a warm change tent/shack/bus. Take along dry clothing that you can get into in a hurry such as sweat pants and shirt.

The hardest part of diving wet in winter, is getting out of the water. Getting in, and staying in is fine. The water temp will be the same as it was below the thermal in the summer, so a 7mm is more than suitable. Just make sure you plan it well, and have that warm shelter to get out of your wet suit as close to the hole in the ice as possible. If you have a large prospectors tent, and can have it set up over the entry hole and heat it, that would be even better.

Have fun, and let us know how it went.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Ice diving wet was about the only way a poor college kid could get in the water in a Wisconsin winter.

Start by flooding your wetsuit with warm water. The biggest trick is to have a shelter from the wind when you get out.

Of course now I dive all winter in a shortie if I wear a wetsuit at all.

 

[jbrewer]

I dive all winter wet. I take a 5 gallon insulated water cooler filled with hot water and load up betwwen dives. This is also good for soaking gloves and hood before and betwwen dives as well as giving your regs a good rinse before packing up your gear. Not saying that it wouldn't be nice for santa to kick out with a drysuit this year though. Good luck

 

[Scottri]

I used to dive year round here in the Pacific Northwest with a 2 piece 7Mil wetsuit. I never had a problem being cold except between dives. I switched to a dry suit when I started working as a DM and was spending more time in the water. The water temp here is about 50 degrees year round. It's the air temp that will get ya. The most important thing is keeping warm during the surface intervals. If you take the wetsuit jacket off and put on a jacket you will be much better off. Like everyone else mentioned, jugs of warm water poured down the suit, hood and gloves makes all the difference!


Scott

 

[Wreck/Tec]

I did it for a couple of years before I went dry. I have a very good friend who does it now . A little warm water as a primer and your off, for awhile any way! Take's a lot of heart, 30 some degree water is tough. However, there's great vis., no boats, and chances of someone being there before hand are mighty slim.................

 

[Pez de Diablo]

I have done a few ice dives in a wet suit. I kept telling myself that the water was the same temp as in the summer, so what would it matter. I only admitted to myself that the water was much colder in the winter after I bought a dry suit.

I am glad that the cold water didn't stop me from diving. I like to think that it makes one a better diver.:cold: :icecream:

 

[lucid]

You guys/gals are making me cold just talking about it.
I live in South Florida and have been diving Dry for the last month.

 

[stiebs]

In Aus, winter air temperatures go to around 40F, and water to around 50F. Many a time have I dived SCUBA in a 7mm without problem. And many a time have I spent 3-4 hours out spearfishing on snorkel without problem.

Also depends on how deep you plan on going too. Although at depth the temperature may be comparable to summer time, you don't get as much warmth when you get back to the surface