Moving from Warm Water Diving to Cold Water

[Scuba_Noob]

I don't quite want to invest in a drysuit until I know I like it. It's a huge investment.

Try a drysuit specialty course. That's a few dives with a drysuit. Rent drysuits from a few different LDSs. Try diving in a wetsuit too.

I've done both, and I prefer the drysuit for its warmth and the convenience of just taking off the suit and being dry underneath (wetsuits are really cold at 7 degrees Celsius [45 degrees Fahrenheit]). It is an extra task to think about filling your drysuit with air to counter the squeeze and for buoyancy, but you'll get used to it. Also, you'll need more weight.

Other than that, overall cold water = more weight, less mobility, more task loading, less visibility. But it's totally worth it in the Pacific Northwest, as there are plenty of creatures and there are probably a few good wrecks where you live.

 

[soltari675]

Most of my diving is done in springs and quarries where it is in the 40's year round below the thermocline. Went diving today actually. Getting to the point there is no thermocline anymore You lose some flexibility. If you are easily scared of restrictions, like claustrophobia, try the equipment in a pool first and get use to it. Definitely dive with someone who has done quite a bit of cold water diving. Your exposure protection will be thicker and bulkier. You will wear more weight. An example is in my 5mm alone I wear 14lbs. With my cold weather gear (including dry suit but not too far off from 7mm) I wear 28 lbs. That's fresh water. It would be more for salt.

Like others have said, you will consume more air. Your body will need it as it tries to keep warm. Get a good mask defogger. They tend to fog up more in cold water. Make sure you also have good hood and gloves. I use two hoods so I don't have to put the cold wet one back on for the second dive. -_- You'll also have to look at your current equipment, like your regulator. I recommend using one that is environmentally sealed. If you are not sure if yours is or not, ask your LDS or even here. If it isn't, you increase the risk of free flow because the regulator freezes up. And of course be aware of how cold you are. Don't try to suck it up and just deal with it if you start shivering. Pride will get you killed. No diver should ever be mad at you if you've had enough and need to surface and warm up.

Cold water has benefits for all the abuse though. Visibility is pretty good in cold water. There are things that can only be seen in cold waters. From comments I have heard from other divers, if you can dive the cold dark waters, you can handle about anywhere. It's worth the experience, but it's definitely not for everyone.

 

[TSandM]

I have dived in Hawaii, in Tahiti, in Indonesia, in the Red Sea, and in Cozumel . . . and quite honestly, my favorite open water diving in the world so far is the Pacific Coast of North America. From the beautiful kelp forests of the Channel Islands, to the astonishing topography drenched with color in Monterey, to the easy diving and dense life of Puget Sound, to the jaw-dropping color and profusion of creatures of Vancouver Island, it's the best diving there is.

It's a bit more work. Thicker exposure protection makes you feel awkward and requires more weight. Thick wetsuits or dry suits complicate buoyancy control, until you master them. Lower visibility brings its own challenges, and calls for different equipment, like good lights. It's all worth it, and that's coming from someone who initially refused to consider diving in Puget Sound. "It's too danged cold," I said, about 500 dives ago . . .

 

[Mike Boswell]

Certainly the biggest issue with cold water diving is the bulky exposure suit and it's related buoyancy requirements. But there is a lot more than that. The following is from my own observations:

Visibility off the West Coast is often measured in a few feet or yards, and in some places it can change dramatically in minutes. This means you have to know how to use a compass as if your life depends on it, because in some cases your life depends on it.

Dive route planning becomes a bigger issue, because the bulky suit slows you down, making it harder to swim against currents. If you ascend down current of your boat or exit you may have some problems.

The need for Buddy skills is much more evident in cold, murky water. Losing track of a buddy can be a big problem.

Cold water diving can double your air consumption.

Recreational divers talk about being able to get to the surface in an emergency, but in cold murky water and a thick exposure suit, that surface seems a lot farther away. It's much more comforting to have the right equipment and a more conservative gas plan.

 

[Dhboner]

Here in Toronto we dive cold water or we don't dive! Actually the visibility in Lake Ontario improves ten-fold when the water really cools down this time of year.

 

[Cixelsyd]

I probably was spoiled since all my scuba training and dives have been in Warm Water. I am planning to do some cold water dives for the first time and would like to know what to expect?

Is it just as fun? Any one prefer cold water over warm water?

I know cold water is more challenging.

Did my first cold water dives this summer. It was different, but still fun. Hitting that thermocline for the first time was pretty cool. Like getting smacked in the face with a snowball. Beyond the exposed part of my face though, I was plenty comfortable.

I hired a guide to go with me on the first two dives of my trip, just to be sure I had someone to give me some pointers on what to expect and was familiar with the area. By the end of the second dive, I was fine. I'm heading back in July and won't be booking a guide this time at all.