Cold water diving?

[Jorgy]

Up North here, I dive dry all year long.........I just reduce undergarments......

It gets up to 68-70 late in the summer in the river if we are lucky.......

At depth in the lakes it is always cold.......

M

 

[Tony1218]

i know of people who dive under the ice in 7mill wet suits, you just add a little warm water to it so the shock of the flood goes away

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I think the guidelines DCBC posted are a good start and if you deviate from them, you;d want to have a really compelling reason and be very alert for hypothermia.

Personally, I used to do dives in 32 degree water in a 1/4" high waist/beaver tail jacket wet suit. I could do two dives about 30-45minutes in duration and sometimes I could actually feel my feet at the end of the second dive - which basically implies it can be done but expect at least mild hypothermia.

Modern wet suits are better and I have a the added advantage now of some bioprene, but I would probably limit myself to one dive per day in sub 40 degree water with a 7mm wet suit. Warm water poured in the suit does ease the initial shock of cold water entering, but you want warm water about nmormal skin temp (80-85 degrees) not anything warmer thaot would open capillaries to try to "cool" you off.

One thing you will also note in very cold water near freezing is an intense burning sensation on exposed skin, but it only lasts a coupel minutes before it goes numb. You may have some slight swelling later as it rewarms and for a short time after - but that is just part of the charm of ice diving in a wet suit without a FFM.

I also used to frequently do dives with 60-90 minute run times in a 7mm one piece where the bottom temps below 100' were in the 35-39 degree range and never felt particularly cold. But the critical consideration here was the presence of thermoclines with temps in the 60-65 or in the summer even 70 degree range where most of the deco occurred as you in essence could "warm up" during the deco stop. When people call anything 65 or below cold water, I find that somewhat ironic.

Similarly, I would often do dives to 60-70 feet with bottom temps in the 60-65 degree range and surface temps in the 70-75 degree range in a 3mm wet suit. Again in this case, the critical factor is that you spend only a portion of the dive below the normal temp rating of the suit.

My average dives now are:

1. Local training dives in water that may range with depth from 65 to 35 degreeres that have 45-60 minute run times,
2. Cave dives with 100-150 minute run times in 68-70 degree water, or
3. Ocean dives with 60 minute run times in the 65-75 degree temp range.

For one and two I will wear a dry suit due to cold temps in the case of 1 and long exposure times in the case of two. For number three I will wear a 3mm wet suit with a 5mm hooded vest as a dry suit is not may favorite to put on aboard a pitching dive boat in 5-6 ft seas and it is not required given the temps and run times.

Number 2 also requires a dry suit as redundant floatation in the over head environment with heavy doubles, stages, etc. Additionally, number 2 also often requires significant deco and beng cold with limited circulation in your extremities increases the risk of DCS.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have seen those guys. My ice class had 1/2 in wetsuits. I've never been in a 7 mil suit. Sizing is a pain for me so when it came time to buy a heavier suit I looked at all the variables, costs, and benefits. I would have had to go with a full custom 7 mil that would last maybe 5 years. Or for $500 more, in my case thanks to a great deal, a trilam drysuit that as long as I take care of it and don't pork out could last 3 times that. Yeah there are seals and I expect maybe a zipper at some point but still I'll be dry and comfy. If I ever get enough cash to warrant it I may buy one of the fusion suits.

 

[Soggy_Diver]

I dive in a 7mm farmer john, jacket, hood, boots, gloves. The coldest that I have dove is 38 F, but that was brief--only about 25 minutes.

It is comfortable in this in this wetsuit to do a couple of dives a day, down to about 50 F, for about 45 minutes each.

Depth makes a difference too--down to about 30 feet, the wetsuit is not very compressed, very little water flows into the suit and around the inside, and it insulates well. But below about 60 feet, it compresses noticeably, and makes for a colder dive.

Wearing the hood makes a big difference. Short, thick wool socks in the boots are good too--my feet are between sizes, so these stop water from flowing around the inside.

I'm starting to think about a drysuit.

 

[Crush]

Coldest = 34F in 7mm top + 7mm bottom (core coverage 14mm) + hood + gloves. Notes: the burning feeling in exposed skin only lasts about four minutes, which is the time required for it to go numb.

Coldest I'd recommend for 7mm top + 7mm bottom (core coverage 14mm) + hood + gloves is 50F.

It depends a lot upon if you are a cold-tolerant person or not.

 

[acwest]

I have a certain amount of natural insulation (nice thing about scuba, it's the only sport where body fat is an advantage) and I have done 40 minute dives in 59F water with not suit at all, just shorts and a long sleeved shirt. I ice dive in a 7mm 2 piece wet suit (14mm core). I own a dry suit, but have never dived with it. If I keep losing weight, I figure I will need it in a couple of more years...

 

[Jang]

I've never dove wet in my local diving, but did a dive with an early 20's woman in 7 +7 mm to 38F for 35 min and I never heard a complaint from her. Apparently, I'm more of a wimp than her as I was diving dry.

 

[Guba]

Brrrrrr! I knew I sensitive to cold, but the stories some of ya'll tell makes me shiver even as I write this from my nice toasty room!

Coldest dive was 45 F in a 7mm wetsuit (my deep part of AOW, in a pretty chilly lake in early spring).
However, now that I've tasted drysuit diving (thanks to DUI Dog Days), I think I've been bitten by the bug. I may have to look drysuit diving over again and consult my savings account.