Afraid of being cold

[Scuba446]

Hi,
I took MY OW dives in 59 and 64 degree water and I was TOASTY in my 7mm suit, hood, gloves and booties. That was MY biggest fear as well, but it was a false fear - because it was great and I was never cold, in fact, in the 64 degree waters, I was almost TOO warm!

You'll be fine!

 

[Scuba446]

QUOTE: "But this may surprise you: you are going to be on the deck of the boat or beach in the darn thing in the blazing sun. You are in greater danger of hypothermia this time of year than hypothermia! By the time your sweating body hits the water, you will be so grateful for the cool refreshing water that all fears of the cold depths will be behind you."

He's right. You’ll be glad to get back IN the water to cool off.... and 2nd, I agree, DO NOT take your suit off no matter how long your waiting on the boat!

PS I had all kinds of anxiety about checkouts - none warranted! Just go, relax, and have a good time - because when its all over, you and your mates will be sorry the 'good times' and companionship of your mates is coming to a close - at least, for THIS chapter in your diving career!

Go and have a good time, relax, stay calm - you'll do fine if you have practiced your skills well. If not, now's the time to request additional time/classes in the pool to get ready. My mates and I did extra sessions in the pool just to practice mask clearing, etc. and they really paid off big time for us! Once we hit the water, we WERE ready! We did well and so will you too!

Just chill out and go have yourself a good time. I did mine about 3 wks ago and its one of the most memorable times in my life.

Good luck!

 

[MikeS]

Sheryl,

The most important thing you can do is make sure the wetsuit fits! Despite the best of intentions I have seen the staff at my local LDS want to keep the line moving when a class is fitting equipment. Don’t settle for the first wet suit that kind of fits. Insist on trying on the size above and below and pick the one that fits best. It is a lot easer to tell which one fits best than to decide if a single suit fits or not. It may be well worth your time to make arrangements to go in an hour early to try on three or four wetsuits.

Mike

 

[rcohn]

Originally posted by Scuba446
Hi,
I took MY OW dives in 59 and 64 degree water and I was TOASTY in my 7mm suit, hood, gloves and booties. That was MY biggest fear as well, but it was a false fear - because it was great and I was never cold, in fact, in the 64 degree waters, I was almost TOO warm!

You'll be fine!

Can you explain how this opinion is relevant to Sheryl who describes herself as

Originally posted by pediatron
I am a petite female without a lot of body fat and get cold pretty easily.

From the picture on your profile you don't appear to a petite female without a lot of body fat, am I wrong? Cold tolerance varies greatly between individuals. Small woman often get cold easily. I really doubt your advice has any relevance to this woman.

Ralph

 

[Scuba446]

BS - I'm 5ft 8" and 148 lbs, I doubt I'm THAT big or heacy, and I too egt cold pretty easily...go abck adn erad it again, only THIS time, digest what I said..

 

[rcohn]

I can't figure out what you just said. How about a minimal proofread?

Some small women become cold easily. I was in the water much longer than my wife during her checkout dives with the same level of thermal protection. I was fine, she was freezing and ended up shivering uncontrollably. Not everyone does fine under all conditions. Pediatron apparently has good reason to be concerned and should take additional precautions to stay warm. Merely brushing off her concerns and telling her she’ll be fine is simply bad advice.

 

[mullie1]

Why don't we post some productive advice rather than berating someone elses reply. If you disagree, just state your position or opinion. We're all on the same side!!!

 

[melfox26]

I dove Monterey yesterday, and the water temp was about 56 degrees. It was a really nice day out and I got quite hot between dives in my 6.5 mm wetsuit. Suiting up for the second dive, hood on, sweat coming down my face, I couldn't wait until I got back in the water. Everyone is different, and you may find that the water is just too cold for you. If you really get into diving after your OW class, Monterey has some of the best diving there is. The PADI drysuit specialty class will introduce you to cold water diving in comfort. Good luck in your class.

Mel

 

[Scuba Princess]

Pediatron-

I had the same concerns that you do about being cold. I went from having quite a bit of body fat, to almost none and am prone to being cold now just standing around during the day. I typically am not far from a sweatshirt or jacket at any given minute during the day. So I was very concerned about being too cold in the water, especially in So. Cal. I did my OW and most of my AOW in a rental 6.5 mm suit. I finally broke down and bought a Henderson Gold 7 mm suit and hood for my AOW deep dive. I have never been warmer in my life. At 82 feet, I could feel the thermocline only on my hands and feet and the small portion of my face that wasn't covered by my hood. I am sure by next year, I'll be diving in a drysuit because I want the most comfort possible, but if you get a good suit, it will keep you warm in the water.

 

[anni]

Hi
Just my two cents worth . . .I agree that she shouldn't be jumping in and out of her wetsuit between dives. However sometimes I find it helps to unzip the top part of the wetsuit (so that you're wetsuited from waist down), dry off a bit and put on some clothes on your top half. I guess it depends on surface conditions but some people just get colder if they stay wet. Bring along extra clothes if you're worried about making them damp.

Anni