..........one more thing--- have FUN!
Any tips for cold water solo diving
- Thread starter Nitrox50
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The biggest difference in my opinion is that even in a DS, water is cold. Seeing as you´re in Denmark, viz will be a lot worse than you´re used to as well. Anything below 15mtrs is basically a night-dive, even during day-time.
The cold water is easy to underestimate but rip your mask off while uw and the water will actually be quite a shock to your system. Pre-emt this by submerging your face in water before you descend.
Otherwise, enjoy your DS and the tranquility of being alone in the water (when you feel ready)...
The cold water is easy to underestimate but rip your mask off while uw and the water will actually be quite a shock to your system. Pre-emt this by submerging your face in water before you descend.
Otherwise, enjoy your DS and the tranquility of being alone in the water (when you feel ready)...
3-Ring Octopus
Contributor
Anything less than 15m vis is a night dive?!! Wowza...I've never been diving in the daytime then!! If we get 3m vis around here, I'm saying how wonderful the vis at the jetty is! And I certainly wouldn't call it a "night" dive. Sure..it gets a bit "overcast" at depth...but not a "night" dive.
As to diving using the drysuit and wing together for buoyancy...I still don't understand why. (With the notable exception of using an expensive gas in the suit for insulative purposes on technical dives...) If I'm just using air in the suit and I'm properly weighted and within recreational depths, I very rarely have to add more gas to my suit to truly relieve squeeze than I need to be neutrally buoyant, so why bother with trying to control "bubbles" in both? But to each their own...if it's easier for you to control both, then have fun with that. As to the technique and difficulty...you eventually get a feel for your "bubble" in the drysuit and it becomes far more intuitive than using a BC, IMO.
Cheers,
Austin
As to diving using the drysuit and wing together for buoyancy...I still don't understand why. (With the notable exception of using an expensive gas in the suit for insulative purposes on technical dives...) If I'm just using air in the suit and I'm properly weighted and within recreational depths, I very rarely have to add more gas to my suit to truly relieve squeeze than I need to be neutrally buoyant, so why bother with trying to control "bubbles" in both? But to each their own...if it's easier for you to control both, then have fun with that. As to the technique and difficulty...you eventually get a feel for your "bubble" in the drysuit and it becomes far more intuitive than using a BC, IMO.
Cheers,
Austin
3-Ring. I'm guessing the poster meant anything below a depth of 15m is a night dive. In my experience, it is about 4x the visibility where the light seems to disappear, so with 3m vis, 15m should be pretty lights out.
I usually put a little air in the BC to offset the extra weight from air in my tanks. If I don't, the bubble in my suit becomes a little unmanageable, especially if I'm a bit overweight. With an AL80 and proper weighting, I don't have to.
I usually put a little air in the BC to offset the extra weight from air in my tanks. If I don't, the bubble in my suit becomes a little unmanageable, especially if I'm a bit overweight. With an AL80 and proper weighting, I don't have to.
DeepBound
Contributor
Don't go under ice solo. Especially not without a tether to lead you back to the hole.
Be prepared for freeflows. Practice valve drills a lot. Switching to your backup reg and shutting off a valve will be a routine experience in cold water, not a rarity. Also practice removing the hose from your BC and drysuit.
Be prepared for freeflows. Practice valve drills a lot. Switching to your backup reg and shutting off a valve will be a routine experience in cold water, not a rarity. Also practice removing the hose from your BC and drysuit.
One more thing for the dry suit, DRY GLOVES. You don't have to worry about your hands getting cold so you can maximize your time under the water. Dives over 1 hour long, no problem. You also don't loose function of them.
Also as already noted, the cold water on the face can be quite a shock so I suggest practicing taking your mask off underwater ever few dives or so to get used to the feel of the cold in order that if it does get knocked off of you it is not as extreme of a shock. You at least know what's coming.
Also as already noted, the cold water on the face can be quite a shock so I suggest practicing taking your mask off underwater ever few dives or so to get used to the feel of the cold in order that if it does get knocked off of you it is not as extreme of a shock. You at least know what's coming.
Hi guys
I am already diving in Denmark (with a buddy), and the viz is not good. Specially in the summer, apparently it get's better when the water get's colder...... Catch 22.
But at the moment it is between 1-3 meters. BTW is trying out a new semidry and new dry-suit. My shorty does not cut it here. But the biggest change is how colder the water gets at depth. From 17C in the surface to 5C at 35 meters. In SEA that change would have been a couple of degress.
Lot of good wrecks, though. Thanks to the Americans and the Brits. Bombing every german ship that moved at the end of WW2. Just dived on a motortorpedo boat....Cheers for that.
Safe diving
I am already diving in Denmark (with a buddy), and the viz is not good. Specially in the summer, apparently it get's better when the water get's colder...... Catch 22.
But at the moment it is between 1-3 meters. BTW is trying out a new semidry and new dry-suit. My shorty does not cut it here. But the biggest change is how colder the water gets at depth. From 17C in the surface to 5C at 35 meters. In SEA that change would have been a couple of degress.
Lot of good wrecks, though. Thanks to the Americans and the Brits. Bombing every german ship that moved at the end of WW2. Just dived on a motortorpedo boat....Cheers for that.
Safe diving
Nitrox50:
Sounds great that Denmark diving,,,always enjoy looking at dive photos from there!!
I looked at your bio and noted something I don't know of--'Indepth Training'..???
Tigerman
Contributor
Half of my dives or more is solo dives in fairly cold water (My profile is not updated).
The first thing I thought when I dove dry for the first time was "how easy". The most distracting thing was that button on the chest that I had to press, but at the same time, its so nice for minor adjustments in the boyancy...
One thing to remember in cold water is the increased risk of DCS, cold water dives should be planned and dived as if they where deeper, but I assume being an instructor youre already aware of that.
My best advice would actually be "the colder, the better".. Visibility tend to be better in the spring and fall when its colder in the water, atleast up here in the north.
The sucky part about cold is of course if you dont use dry gloves that youll lose agility and strength in your fingers, so doffing can be a bit of a poopoo
Theres some nice pics in my gallery from last november..
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/64867/cat/2140
Disclaimer: Mountains in Denmark might be smaller than this
The first thing I thought when I dove dry for the first time was "how easy". The most distracting thing was that button on the chest that I had to press, but at the same time, its so nice for minor adjustments in the boyancy...
One thing to remember in cold water is the increased risk of DCS, cold water dives should be planned and dived as if they where deeper, but I assume being an instructor youre already aware of that.
My best advice would actually be "the colder, the better".. Visibility tend to be better in the spring and fall when its colder in the water, atleast up here in the north.
The sucky part about cold is of course if you dont use dry gloves that youll lose agility and strength in your fingers, so doffing can be a bit of a poopoo
Theres some nice pics in my gallery from last november..
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/64867/cat/2140
Disclaimer: Mountains in Denmark might be smaller than this
Tigerman:Half of my dives or more is solo dives in fairly cold water (My profile is not updated).
The first thing I thought when I dove dry for the first time was "how easy". The most distracting thing was that button on the chest that I had to press, but at the same time, its so nice for minor adjustments in the boyancy...
One thing to remember in cold water is the increased risk of DCS, cold water dives should be planned and dived as if they where deeper, but I assume being an instructor youre already aware of that.
My best advice would actually be "the colder, the better".. Visibility tend to be better in the spring and fall when its colder in the water, atleast up here in the north.
The sucky part about cold is of course if you dont use dry gloves that youll lose agility and strength in your fingers, so doffing can be a bit of a poopoo
Theres some nice pics in my gallery from last november..
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/64867/cat/2140
Disclaimer: Mountains in Denmark might be smaller than this
Were is the snow and ice in those pictures....thats not cold water.......
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