Anyone opened their eyes in a cold water dive?

[Scuba Jerm]

I have adjusted and do the skill with eyes closed.

I've also kept my eyes closed during this full mask removal routine. I guess I figure stuff is so blurry without the mask, what the use in opening them anyway? So with the eyes closed that may help with the shock. Worth a try right?

 

[NCSCUBADOOBA]

well, that does put it into perspective. there can be COLDER water... now, i don't like cold, but i chose to schedule a dive trip to Belize in 2 weeks and wasn't yet certified so my choices became limited.
i think i can
i think i can
i think i can
LOL

 

[NCSCUBADOOBA]

what would one do ice diving for????? sounds amazing and kinda insane LOL. remember, i'm a cold chicken! but, i'm really curious about it . does it slow down your body responses a lot?

 

[theatis]

So with the eyes closed that may help with the shock. Worth a try right?

Just to give a different perspective my solution was the exact opposite. I wear contacts so everyone told me "It's OK, just keep your eyes closed." When i tried and didn't like the feeling, i figured out that closing my eyes made me feel not in control of the situation creating some anxiety. I squint and it works much better for me.

 

[NCSCUBADOOBA]

that's how i feel. being cold is bad enough, see there i go again , i think adding my sense of sight back into the equation would calm me down. i did fine in the pool. i just got all squirrely in the colder water.

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

what would one do ice diving for????? sounds amazing and kinda insane LOL. remember, i'm a cold chicken! but, i'm really curious about it . does it slow down your body responses a lot?

It's fun! Besides it gives you a perspective of what diving can be all about. My places of dreams for diving is... Spitzbergen!
-And I'm going to dive there... One day...

My own little ice diving video: Ice Ice Baby! (30 mb)​

 

[JodiBB]

By the way... what are you guys wearing on your cold dives?
Angela

I recently dove in 52 degree water. I wore a 7mm + a .5mmneoprene underneath + gloves (5mm) and a hood (6mm). As long as I was moving, I was fine. But if I had to stop for my buddy or for the class I was interpreting for so they could do their OW checkout skills, I would begin to freeze.

Just make sure you warm up well in between dives or you may not be able to complete all your dives. On a 3-dive day, I had to abort my 3rd dive as I couldn't warm up between the 2nd and 3rd dives and was shivering as I put back on my wetsuit as I was prepping for the 3rd dive...it wasn't worth hypothermia.

 

[victor]

Angela
Jodi has a very good point, 3 dives in cold water, you are going to need something to warm you up between dives.
I am sure someone more tech than me could tell you how many calories you are going to burn to keep warm, from experience I just know it is a lot.
Eat like an athelete the night before your dive day.
Eat porridge or the equivalent for breakfast.
Warm soup, chocolate and bananas to keep you going during the day.

Personally I would not take my wetsuit off between dives, only the gloves and hood. I would take a balaclava or warm woolly hat and warm gloves to put on between dives.
Putting on a cold, and damp, wetsuit is on of the more unpleasant things in life. :icon10: Also the wetsuit stops evaporation from your skin keeping you that bit warmer.
Walk about to keep warm and the blood flowing through your feet, cold feet would be a nightmare to warm up.

If you get to cold. Stop, you can always get a referral to your dive destination in Belize and do your last dive there. It might cost a few dollars but it is better than having hypothermia 30ft down.

It will be worth it in the long run.

 

[bnelson]

ow... cold..

 

[NCSCUBADOOBA]

My God! Brrrrrr. I need to stop complaining now!
Ice diving, huh? Sounds very exciting, but I'll be skipping that one LOL