Coldest temperature on a Wetsuit?

[Mr. Sunday]

The coldest I have been in a wetsuit is about 65 or so. Much below 60 and I will wear my drysuit

 

[proyce]

39 degrees in Ore-B-Gone quarry in northern Minnesota. Total dive time 40 minutes - 30 of that below the thermocline. Max depth 102'. 7 mil Henderson with 7 mil long vest (covers thighs and upper arms as well as torso). 5 mil hood, 5 mil gloves, 5 mil booties. Feet and hands got cold. I dive in San Diego in just a 7 mil plus hood/gloves/booties - average water temp 55-60. Never get cold in that. Did 20 dives in 6 days in Cozumel in just a 3 mil with boots - no gloves and no hood. Started to feel a little bit cold (and tired) on the last day, otherwise just fine.

 

[flashover604]

41 minutes at 39 degress with a Bare Arctic 7mil semi-dry. I love this suit. I only had a pair of Islander 3 mil boots, so the feet were numb in the first five minutes. Other than that, it wasn't that bad. Changed in a heated area, and air temp was 45 degrees. I now have 7mil boots. For no more than I paid for the Bare, I can not believe how warm it keeps me. If I ever buy a drysuit, it'll be a Bare.

 

[wkyongae@aol.com]

Free diver - 7mm full suit with hood attached and extra 7mm hood under 1st hood, 6.5mm boots and 5mm gloves. Puget Sound Washington water temp 46 degrees winter to 55 in summer. Time in water average 2 hours slight bit of feeling cold.

 

[emtgirl86]

I have only used a dry suit once, other than that I have dove all wet! Eighty dives in the cold waters of Maine and 44 dives in Belize last year. I dive with a 7mil jumpsuit and a 3/5 hooded vest with that. If the waters are real cold than I will dive with my 7mil farmer jane, which has 14mil on the core and 7mil on extremities. With 7mil boots and gloves, 3mil hood. Ice dive last year had 36 degree water!!! YE HAW!! Mostly waters are anywhere from 42-60. I have done hour long dives in 45 degree..........made diving in Belize all the better. Bathing suit the whole time!!

 

[TimK]

37 degrees 32 minutes, max depth 105 feet. 1.5 hour surface interval in 45 degree weather then 95 feet, 45 minutes, 37 degree water. Suit is a Xcel Polar Tri Density. Second dive I was shivering on the safety stop at 20 feet. Hands were so cold they cramped when I got back on the boat and needed help undoing my straps to drop tank/bc. OK while diving as long as I was finning except for hands.

 

[fisherdvm]

Just did a dive today. 16 degree F. Thin layer of ice over part of our lake. Tested to make sure the ice was thin... Dove for about 20 minutes and I was very warm with a 7mm corewarmer and a 7/5 full suit. Would have dove even longer if I had worn mitts.

 

[Tomeck]

I often dive 40 F with 2 x 7 mm wetsuit in Swiss lakes in summer.

 

[divingbuddy]

34 degrees was the coldest I ever dove wet, and that includes under the ice.

I did 6 dives over a 3 day long weekend in Tobermory just after I started diving. We used to make Toby our annual May-24 weekend (Victoria Day) get away. Everyone in our group dove wet then. Our dives would average 30 to 45 minutes. I remember my hands at one point being so numb that I had to hold my inflator against my head in order to add some air to my BCD. We did a combination of charters and shore dives. I remember appreciating the roaring wood stove on our charter boat. We used to joke that diving in Tobermory in May you didn't have to deal with thermoclines - it was just freezing from the top all the way down.

I wore a 7 mm wetsuit with a 5 mm hooded vest, 7 mm boots, 5 mm hood and 5 mm gloves.

Just my two cents...Cheers!

 

[jodomonk]

Just recently certed, but I started out in a 7/5mm two piece in 48 F water (Puget Sound in Washington). I logged only the 4 dives of my OW in a wetsuit and then immediately switched to a 7mm semidry. I have logged about 16 dives in the semidry and now the temp has fallen to 46 F. Average depths are 45-80 feet for 35-55 minutes.