Fort Lauderdale winter diving -- how to stay warm?

[KDAD]

Just finished booking my trip down Jan 25 thru 29. Part in Ft. Laderdale and the rest in West Palm Beach.

I will be bringing the full 3mm with separate sharkskin hood and vest. Worked fine last year though I do have a few more days of diving planned. Maybe I will pick up something to wear during the surface interval.

 

[Johnoly]

This is my first winter in Ft. Lauderdale.... .

Not kidding,,,,,,Steaming hot, burn your tongue, lobster seafood bisque soup.

Other's on here will vouch for me. I bring hot soup for the WHOLE boat including crew in 2 IKEA double wall Argon insulated pots, with warm rolls.

Everyone knows the best way to warm a body up is from the inside so your blood circulates the warmth.

Soup does it and you make ALOT of friends,,,,,,,,,well a hooded vest doesn't hurt either.

 

[northernone]

Nothing special about your 'cold water' gentlemen...

Try: Thicker wetsuit, taped cuffs to prevent water circulation, hood, hotwater wetsuit flushes on the boat, trench coat for the wind, warm liquids perhaps (depending on the study). Or a drysuit.

If your cold, add more insulation... we can be COMFORTABLE diving pretty much any water temperature given right exposure suit.

I dove fort Lauderdale last winter in a 3mm shorty, froze half way into the first dive, living in a hotwater drip into the suit the surface interval and the second dive was warmer with my core toasty and suit preheated... don't do winter diving with insufficient protection, it's miserable.


Sympathetically Canadian,
Cameron

 

[iamrushman]

it's been a warm winter so far here but the water temps are beginning to fall....when the temps fall to below 75F.... I'll use a 5mil with a hooded vest and boat coat for the SI...

 

[LowVizWiz]

I dive a 3/2 mm year round in the winter I may add a 3 mm hooded vest if the water dips below 75. A light wind breaker and warm coco or soup during the SI is usually more helpful than any thermal protection you may wear underwater.

 

[Texasguy]

Any boats come with hot showers? When I dove in the keys, having a hot shower on the boat was nice. I think they routed the water pipe around exhaust or something, giving your really hot water.

 

[LowVizWiz]

Any boats come with hot showers? .

Yes, I think the Sea Siren from PDC does or did at some point. Can't think of many others that do.

 

[scubadada]

Loggerhead out of Boynton Beach has a nice hot shower

 

[boulderjohn]

I will be just north of you for that period, as I have been for the past few years. For single tank diving, I will use a 5mm suit with no hood. For double tank diving, I will wear a dry suit with pretty light undergarments. I will be comfortable throughout the dives.

Between and after dives varies dramatically from day to day and even from year to year. Two years ago, when it was so bitterly cold in the northeast, it was pretty darn cold in Florida as well. Lots of people were wearing parkas and the full length scuba coats that go over a wet suit. Last year it was not nearly as cold, and I don't think I ever had to resort to a parka.

 

[lesaddison]

I'm warm in my 6.5 mm if its 60. Clearly people have different tolerances.