How to get warm in 57-degree Fahrenheit water

[Sheri SGR]

Think dry...recent bottom temp here was 52 and I had to double check my second gauge because I didnt feel cold.

here is a link to a drysuit article, fabric vs neoprene.
SGR SPECIAL REPORT: Drysuits

I dive the scubapro everdry4 neoprene suit, it fits snug and I wear the same weight as when I dive a wetsuit but I am much warmer! Very affordable at around $1100

you will need additional training as you transition to a drysuit.

 

[gcarter]

Think dry...recent bottom temp here was 52 and I had to double check my second gauge because I didnt feel cold.

here is a link to a drysuit article, fabric vs neoprene.
SGR SPECIAL REPORT: Drysuits

I dive the scubapro everdry4 neoprene suit, it fits snug and I wear the same weight as when I dive a wetsuit but I am much warmer! Very affordable at around $1100

you will need additional training as you transition to a drysuit.

Different definitions of affordable.

 

[Saxatilis]

Drysuit. Santi even makes one with heated undergarments, can't wait to try it out. Aside from just being warmer, I think it makes for a much more comfortable dive.

Different definitions of affordable.

57 could be in the upper range of heavy neoprene for some pepople but get any colder and most people will only be comfortable in a DS. If you are very lucky you might be able to pick up a used one for pretty cheap. My friend got one of the dive shops rentals they were selling for $500.

 

[gcarter]

Drysuit. Santi even makes one with heated undergarments, can't wait to try it out. Aside from just being warmer, I think it makes for a much more comfortable dive.



57 could be in the upper range of heavy neoprene for some pepople but get any colder and most people will only be comfortable in a DS. If you are very lucky you might be able to pick up a used one for pretty cheap. My friend got one of the dive shops rentals they were selling for $500.

I've been comfortable wet in the 46F- 48F range and honestly have no desire to dive any colder.

 

[drbill]

Most regular cold-water divers will dive in a drysuit. Most of those consider it essential kit.

I guess I must be irregular then... I'd better get a good laxative (just teasing ya). I've done thousands of dives in water considered "cold" by most sane people (down to 47 F, which I DO consider cold) in nothing but a wetsuit. My only drysuit dive was a lot colder than any wetsuit dive I've done (could have been the four gallons of February water that "leaked" into the suit).

For 57 F water I use a 7mm full wetsuit with hooded 3-5mm vest underneath. I won't say I'm toasty, but I'm comfortable. My wetsuits are reasonably tight (a result of my diet... which, by the way, also helps since it adds natural "bioprene" to my layers of insulation). I've also been told I must not have a nervous system. I'm a videographer so I'm often quite stationary and not generating much muscle heat.

 

[cmburch]

I have no interest in a drysuit. NorCal Kelp Diver. 48-52F average temps. Down to 44F at depth during the summer. For SCUBA, I use a one piece with integrated hood 9/7/6mm tridensity wetsuit with 9mm on chest. I have a 7mm Farmer John freedive wetsuit for NorCal and a 5mm for SoCal. I stay in the water for long periods of time when freediving each week.

A 7mm Farmer John will require considerable weight to offset buoyancy.

A 7mm Farmer John is very bulky/stiff compared to 5mm Farmer John or one piece 8mm with integrated hood.

I do not recommend a 7mm Farmer John if lowest temp is 57F.

 

[Garth]

You don't have an interest in a drysuit for one of two reasons:
1) you have never tried a drysuit so you don't know what your missing, or
2) you tried and never figured out how to dive a drysuit properly.

 

[Garth]

Discover how much clearer your head is when you body isnt fighting 50deg water.

 

[cmburch]

Incorrect on all accounts Garth. I am not interested in a Drysuit for my specific type of diving. I am into comfort and performance. My gear is "dialed in" for working out in the Pacific ocean, hiking cliff trails to the best sites, near shore kayaking, spearfishing, freediving, long surface swims, etc. Yes, some of us wear drysuits for long surface swims, kayaking to dive, freediving, and streamlining.

 

[chs8084]

deleted.