- Messages
- 19,763
- Reaction score
- 18,616
- Location
- Philadelphia and Boynton Beach
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
There's no reason to be cold, being cold certainly takes some of the pleasure out of diving and shivering is really unpleasant.
I do most of my diving in SE Florida in Boynton Beach and Jupiter. The water temp varies considerably from the solid mid-80s in the summer to as low as the high 60s to low 70s in the winter. There are also occasional cold updrafts that can generate cool temps even during the warmer months. I have a full 3 mm, full 5 mm, 5/3 mm hooded vest, 3 and 5 mm gloves and 3 and 5 mm booties. I mix and match them to suit the water temp, generally erring on the side of being warm. I've never really been unpleasantly warm underwater and you can always let in some water. There's little you can do to warm up underwater except increase your exertion level. As most of my diving is drift, the effort level is not very great the majority of the time. In addition, the average dive is at least an hour, very commonly somewhere between and hour and a quarter and an hour and a half.
I generally dive the 3 mm when the temp is in the 80s and the 5 mm when it is in the 70s. I always have the hooded vest with me for flexibility. I'm going to take my 7 mm down to Florida on my next visit to wear when the water temp is in the low 70s or the occasional upper 60s. It makes little difference to me what other people are wearing or what they think of what I'm wearing. Interestingly, I'm often the only or one of a few divers who are warm on the entire dive and can remain comfortable as long as I stay down. The same can be said of my boat coat, a very nice one made by TruWest. Staying warm during the surface intervals goes a long way toward staying warm while diving.
I've been working on staying warm and comfortable for 17-18 years now and have it down pretty well for myself. Tolerance to cold is very individual and you have to find out what works for you and be ready and flexible if the conditions are different than what you expected.
Good diving, Craig
I do most of my diving in SE Florida in Boynton Beach and Jupiter. The water temp varies considerably from the solid mid-80s in the summer to as low as the high 60s to low 70s in the winter. There are also occasional cold updrafts that can generate cool temps even during the warmer months. I have a full 3 mm, full 5 mm, 5/3 mm hooded vest, 3 and 5 mm gloves and 3 and 5 mm booties. I mix and match them to suit the water temp, generally erring on the side of being warm. I've never really been unpleasantly warm underwater and you can always let in some water. There's little you can do to warm up underwater except increase your exertion level. As most of my diving is drift, the effort level is not very great the majority of the time. In addition, the average dive is at least an hour, very commonly somewhere between and hour and a quarter and an hour and a half.
I generally dive the 3 mm when the temp is in the 80s and the 5 mm when it is in the 70s. I always have the hooded vest with me for flexibility. I'm going to take my 7 mm down to Florida on my next visit to wear when the water temp is in the low 70s or the occasional upper 60s. It makes little difference to me what other people are wearing or what they think of what I'm wearing. Interestingly, I'm often the only or one of a few divers who are warm on the entire dive and can remain comfortable as long as I stay down. The same can be said of my boat coat, a very nice one made by TruWest. Staying warm during the surface intervals goes a long way toward staying warm while diving.
I've been working on staying warm and comfortable for 17-18 years now and have it down pretty well for myself. Tolerance to cold is very individual and you have to find out what works for you and be ready and flexible if the conditions are different than what you expected.
Good diving, Craig