How Cold do You dive?

[Cudabait]

Hey you folks up there........what is your cold water threashold in a 6.5MM 2 piece farmer john? About 13MM across body core.

Regards,

 

[do it easy]

My first choice would be to dive dry. If I was diving wet and planning just one dive, 50s would be fine, but if I were planning several dives, I would require water temps in the 60s.

I think the coldest part of the dive is getting out, especially when it's windy.

 

[undrwater]

I've been doing 30 min dives recently in mid to low 50's with a 9mm neoprene core.

I discovered that my feet were getting cold, so I picked up some neoprene socks and those dive times have increases to 60 min.

I won't do 2 dives, though...because of what do it easy mentioned. SI's have been evil cold.

 

[erparamedic]

Several Indiana divers dove wet on 1/7 (?), and the water temps were 44 degrees, with no thermocline. Some dove a 9 mil full suit, with lenthy bottom times! I believe it's all in what YOU can tolerate. I dove a 7 mil farmer john with a 1 mil under it, and NEVER got cold. Granted... my dive wasn't too long, BUT, I was IN the water for quite some time.

I got cold when I was changing clothes, but there were heaters set up at one of the cabanas that helped warm me up afterwards. (Not to mention all the hot chocolate and cookout!)

 

[DudleyNMU]

I have been in low 30 degree waters in wetsuits...Its fun and cold...Also under the ice in them. If your a hardcore diver the cold shouldnt be a problem. But i did upgrade to a drysuit!!!!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

That's not all that different than my cold water wetsuit configuration. I can two dives in the 35-45 minute range in water temps down to 42-43 F. The key is (1) staying warm during the SI and (2) flooding suit with warm (not hot) water prior to entry and (3) having a suit that limits cold water intrusion.

Be it known however that I have recently gone dry. I could handle doing the cold water dives in a wetsuit, but it wasn't necessarily fun and it was just to get me by until I could finally afford the drysuit.

 

[MSilvia]

In a 2 piece 7mm, I'm good for 30 minutes at 40 degrees, but much longer than that is uncomfortable.

 

[The Kraken]

I'm with MSilvia on this one.

Don't particularly like it, however, due to the weight required to dive wet and also the additional loss of mobility due to the extra neoprene.

the K-old Water Adversary

 

[captndale]

When I was younger, I did many ice dives in a 1/4" farmer john. I bought my first drysuit in 1978 and I was converted. Today I would not do a dive in lower than 70 deg F water without a drysuit.

 

[wb416]

Hey you folks up there........what is your cold water threashold in a 6.5MM 2 piece farmer john? About 13MM across body core.

Regards,

7 years ago, I made it down to the low 50's with a wetsuit, but the air temps drove me away. After that I got a drysuit and never turned back.

In my book, anyone that dives wet with water temps below 50F just be given a "stud" badge!