How do you keep warm during SI when it is cold outside??

[D_B]

... http://www.divegearusa.com/foncolcoatso.html .. also here ... http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp_category_138
Thats the one I got too, I worked the LDS down to $100 and I think now that it would be worth more than that to me, I got kinda cool on all my dives (53*) and it was a life saver to put that on over my wetsuit, and over my head, you have to keep it zipped up, and yourself covered .. or you will get the evaporative cooling effect (I kept wetsuit on during 1hr surface intervals)

 

[DandyDon]

get a jacket on over your wetsuit and cover your head with a hat as soon as you can, and keep them on. get out of the wind to avoid the swamp cooler effect.

40% of your body heat losses can happen from your head. First thing I do is towel dry my hair and get a good cap on - then the jacket with hood I can pull up if there is any wind. I'll often pull my suit down to my waist and dry upper body, but hate to pull it all the way off. Warm liquids from a metal themous help a lot. Keep moving, don't set down.

My feet don't get cold much, but did on my Seattle trip - diving water in 47-54F range. I had cotton socks to take up slack in heavy booties - very bad. :shakehead Now have a pair of neoprene socks.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Thanks for all the great info. I really appreciate the help and will be employing your suggestions. I am cold natured and need all the help I can get. I had thought of a few things to keep warm, but with your help, I should be toasty. I hadn't thought about dealing with the cold wetsuit and bringing a cooler hot water to help warm it back up. I have got some throw rugs I can take along and will try to pick up a heater.

I saw some long fleece coats at Off the Wall Dive Charters, so now I know what they are for.

We will be diving hard both days and I want to make sure I don't peter out due to the cold.
We plan to be in the water early Saturday morning shore diving to burn off a few tanks. Break for a hot meal at a nearby restaurant, and then burn a couple more on the night dive, camp and hit the water the next morning.

I always keep lots of Gatoraid and water in the cooler. I also keep cans of mandarin oranges and drink the juice along with the oranges. It gives me a nice kick without the caffeine. I always keep more food than I and my expected dive buddies can eat. Several times in my very short diving career of a few months, I have come across other newbies with no food and drink. Once I offered a guy a drink and snack bar. He looked a bit pale and I thought it was just due to the dive and heat. He was a diabetic and hadn't realized how much energy he would burn diving and his blood sugar was really low and was getting close to being in some serious trouble.

Thanks again for all the info.
Leah

 

[DandyDon]

I always keep lots of Gatoraid and water in the cooler.

Drinking cold liquids on SI will hurt ya bad...!

 

[all4scuba05]

I've seen some guys setup a huge dome tent with heaters to warm it up. They even had room for the small setup tables.

 

[Jocasseegirl]

The right dive buddy can make a huge difference, I hear....

Hey, Nailer99 . . . don't even go there . . . I'M her dive buddy

 

[fdog]

... http://www.divegearusa.com/foncolcoatso.html .. also here ... http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp_category_138
<snip>

If you're serious about getting a fleece parka for in between dives, I cannot say enough about the parkas from http://truwest.com/. The build quality is fantastic, you get your choice of colors, and the materials are really waterproof and warm.

They've been making them for 25 years, and the parkas are lots better than the high-markup models that you see in dive stores.

Click on Parkas from the side bar to see the colors and patterns; click Catalog>Parkas to see all the options and sizes.

All the best, James

 

[D_B]

If you're serious about getting a fleece parka for in between dives, I cannot say enough about the parkas from http://truwest.com/. The build quality is fantastic, you get your choice of colors, and the materials are really waterproof and warm.

They've been making them for 25 years, and the parkas are lots better than the high-markup models that you see in dive stores.

Click on Parkas from the side bar to see the colors and patterns; click Catalog>Parkas to see all the options and sizes.

All the best, James

All that, and, at a great price too!
... thanks for the info Fdog

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Got my thermoses ready to go, a nice carpet for the ground and picked up a heater today. Thanks for all the good ideas. If anybody wants to join Jocasseegirl and me, we have room under the heated canopy!!

 

[DandyDon]

Got my thermoses ready to go, a nice carpet for the ground and picked up a heater today. Thanks for all the good ideas. If anybody wants to join Jocasseegirl and me, we have room under the heated canopy!!

Sounds good. What heater did you get? I may add that to my load.