First cold water dives

[Marie13]

My first cold water dives will be this weekend at Mermet Springs (quarry) in southern Illinois. I'm diving Friday and Saturday. Unsure of dive buddy status for Friday, so I booked a dive guide who is a DM (Mermet has dive guides available for various reasons: inexperienced divers, people who want to be shown the underwater attractions or where the paddlefish are). At least one dive buddy for Saturday is an experienced cold water diver.

Water temps will be mid-40s F.

I've got cold water gear, so that is covered (dry suit with dry gloves, good undies, good hood, sealed reg).

I know you don't breathe off your reg until you're underwater. I know to keep my gear in hotel room Friday night so it doesn't freeze for Saturday's dives.

And, yes, I'm taking the new pony even though I'm not sure I'll dive with it since I've only had two pool sessions with it.

Any other tips?

 

[Neilwood]

A good idea would be to try to have something hot waiting for you on the surface such as coffee, soup or hot food. Really makes a difference.

Mid 40's (8-9C) isn't really that cold - I was diving wet in that at the start of last year!
I think the soup and the roaring fire that someone had started on the shore certainly helped (did three dives that day).

Maybe I am just mad though...

 

[Marie13]

Well, it's a heck of a lot colder than the warm water only tropical divers I know will even consider. They consider anything under 80F cold!

 

[rivers]

Agreed, not massively cold. I can still do 80 or so minutes at those temps if I'm in dry gloves and don't have a suit leak. Now 2-3 degrees, that's a bit chilly. Depending on surface temps, I would breathe my regs at the surface. Chuck a hot drink down your neck before and after, hearty breakfast and you'll be okay. What are the surface temps likely to be on the day? I find that makes a massive difference.

 

[Neilwood]

Well, it's a heck of a lot colder than the warm water only tropical divers I know will even consider. They consider anything under 80F cold!

Wimps the lot of them! lol

 

[KDAD]

For me it helps if the air temperature is above 50. You will feel it most when you get out. Get out of gear and have something warm waiting.

In the water the limiting factor is usually your hands that's why most eventually go to dry gloves. After 40 minutes or so you start to feel it in your hands with wet gloves. Since you have dry gloves you should be ok.

I get out that way (Central IL and Chicago) every few months for work and want to bring my dive gear. I will hit you up next time out and maybe do a dive together.

 

[Marie13]

Surface temps around 40F. Mind you, I love cold weather.

 

[MelasLithos]

Well, it's a heck of a lot colder than the warm water only tropical divers I know will even consider. They consider anything under 80F cold!

I'll admit to being one of those. I almost answered your title by "but aren't you already diving cold", until I saw what you wrote and understood why you asked 

Now, it's time I start packing for my Thailand trip

(sorry for the unhelpful post...)

 

[Joebar]

Remember the blood circulation in the skin, hands and feet will be reduced if you get cold during the dive. I would dive more conservative compared to your warm water dives.
As long as the air temp is not much less than the 40F it should be ok to breathe the regs out of the water.
Dive with two complete reg sets, no octo.
And remember a free flowing reg is no reason for panic ;-)

 

[tbone1004]

do a cold water treatment!!!!!

this is something most divers don't do, and you can get away with it in warm ish water, but if you don't do it when diving in cold water and for some reason your mask floods or comes off, it feels like you just got sucker punched in the face by Muhammad Ali. When you get in the water, if you have a snorkel, use it and put your face in the water and take as many breaths as you need to until your breathing calms down. Then you're ready to start the dive. This has a lot of benefits as far as kicking the mammalian diving reflex in, but also acclimates your skin to the surrounding water temperature and makes for a much better dive. If you don't have a snorkel, take a breath at the surface and slowly blow bubbles out of your nose until you relax, repeat as necessary