Sobering dive tonight.

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I hope you aren't considering doing and Solo Diving like rcohn's crawling friend.... that kind of scares me:eek:

I suppose it just goes to support the arguments we 'Techy' divers hear about returning to Buddy Diving for those simple things in life like.... equipment removal.:)

I am sure with a good instructor and all these fine tips on the board, you will find cold water diving more and more pleasurable each time you do it.

"May your bubbles flow forever upwards".
Aquamore:)
 
Make sure you have food in your tummy prior to diving. Food will keep you warm. I have found that foods that take a longer time to digest keep me warmer and gives me longer energy levels. I don't eat fast digesting foods like sugars, starches, and other carbohydrates. I eat more fatty foods like meats, and peanuts. If I dive on an empty stomach, then I'll get colder quicker. I'll also run out of energy quicker too.

Try this some time.

Mike

PS. Taking potassium (or eating a banana) prior to diving helps prevent cramps too. I don't have a problem with cramps, but some people do in cold water and potassium helps a lot.
 
Lost Yooper-
"Yet another possibility, maybe the outside temp was very cold? Most of your cold may have been from getting undressed if it was cold outside. "

Air was mid 40's, damp and dizzly... practialy raining by the time I warmed up enough to go take care of my gear (need I say it got left on the dock). The quarry has a shack with a nice wood stove that I changed in, and shack not the stove, ... and sat by for quite awhile.

Lost Yooper-
"Been there done that -- paid my dues -- ain't happenin' again! "

There is NO way I repeat NO freakin way I am doing anything near that cold wet. Dry suits are a good thing. I'm hugging my dry suit and never letting go, just like a teddy bear! no touchie touchie...

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ScubaScott-
" Kaffphine - thats doesn't sound like a very enjoyable coldwater diving experience, but its one you'll never forget eh? "

I went knowing this wasn't a *real* dive, I was there to practice boyance control and get use to the cold. On such a dive, if anyone gets out and is like 'WOW, that was just soooo awesome!!' I think they have issues, did see some cool fish though. I went there knowing that, learned a lot from it, and have a goal (NJ wrecks by summer). Except for fin removal to the point I was warm and could activily partake in converstation enjoyed the experiance.. and no I'm not a masochist, just a diver.

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Aquamore-
"I personally don't use my suit for bouyancy control I only put a little air in to eliminate 'Suit-Squeeze' then I use my Bouyancy device (jacket, wings, whatever) to make the real bouyancy adjustments. "

This is how I was taugh to use the drysuit, bouyancy control with the BC (I use a jacket style, single tank) and just add a bit if the suit squeezes. This also lets you keep the same air (same, warm) in the suit. When we got a few feet above bottom 45ft, I added just a touch which created a long list of bouyancy problems that took me awhile to get back to neutral... well neutral and not on the surface.


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Rick Murchison-

"Whew! I *knew* I was wise to stay South! "

I did warm water, it's where I started. Actually don't miss it too much, there's more wrecks up here. I just need to get use to a *few* things first.

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Uncle Pug-

"What type of undergarment were you using... you were using an undergarment weren't you????

Tips for comfort in cold water:
1. no cotton anywhere...
2. dry-gloves keep your feet warm...
3. argon can be used to pre-purge your suit... "

The shell and fleece OS underware with the suit and a pair of long johns (50% cotton woops). Uncle Pug #2.... dry GLOVES to keep FEET warm. My dry boots don't keep my hands warm!

As to a red face, I can't say. There isn't a mirror anywhere in the dive shack. But when I got back home, my face did have a blue tint.

And even though Argon does sound like something I'd like, I think solveing the manual dextitry is my first prioty. To add to the joys of my exit, my tank had slipped out. So I was getting out with my tank on my shoulder. To get my BC quick release I had to bend my thumbs at the knucle and use both thumbs to push on each side of the 'quick' release.

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rcohn-

"One friend (diving solo) had to crawl to her car in full gear and get assistance from a passerby because her hands were too cold to remove her fins or use the car key. End the dive while you still have sufficient manual dexteriety. "

When I called the dive I DID have dexteriety in my hands. On the way back when I went to use my compass, and that's when I realized I was loosing it ...feeling went downhill rapidly from there.

The way we did our diving down on island, there was almost no concept of buddy diving. Something else for new to get use to, especally other people helping out with getting gear on. And no, I'm not going solo up here anywhere in the forseeable future. Thursday night resolved any questions about that.

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Lost Yooper-
" Make sure you have food in your tummy prior to diving. Food will keep you warm. "

For me having a dive follow food too closely isn't a really great idea... or was it just Frenchtown Deli? Although up here, I am doing pasta starting with the night before and some more for lunch. I'll add a banna to the mix and also take some *real* food for afterwards.

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WHeew, a lot of info in the those to respond to. Thanks! I am definetly working out the problem with my hands/gloves. Probably won't be in the water for the next week, new unstreched wrist seals being put on... better than the temp patch the previous owner has on the left. She only had like 4-5 dive on it and put a finger through the seal. Oh well at least she's replacing them.
 
Originally posted by Kaffphine
Uncle Pug #2.... dry GLOVES to keep FEET warm. My dry boots don't keep my hands warm!

As to a red face, I can't say. There isn't a mirror anywhere in the dive shack. But when I got back home, my face did have a blue tint.

new unstreched wrist seals being put on...

Your hands were getting cold from lack of circulation due to the seals being too tight

When your hands get cold your body starts shutting down circulation in the extremeties and then your feet get cold too.

If your hands are nice and warm in dry gloves your feet will stay warm too.

I'll bet that not only was your face red but that you had a nice ring around the neck too :wink:

(be sure to stretch those new seals out and then trim them to fit... or have your LDS trim them)
 
Make sure you send is all a full report of how your second drysuit dive went!

Enjoy

Aquamore:wink:
 
Aquamore, that was actually my thrid in dry suit and that week. I'm waiting for the wrist seals to be replaced then I'll probably go out somewhere this weekend if they're back in time. And yes I'll let the board know about my hopefully warmer next dive.

Things that will be different about the next dive:

1- no more than 20-25 min
2- I need to find a replacement for my 50% cotton long johns I was wearing, woops
3- need to look at glove/mitts options .. and they will arrive at the dive site in warm water.
4- loop surgical tubing on my fin straps to make 'handels'
5- take *real* food to dive site for after... enough to share with this crowd up here
6-eat more the day of and before a dive, haven't been doing a lot of that lately. funny too I work in a pizza shop.
7-hopefully- be able to use and feel my hands afterwards
 
Like I said before, I use military weight polypropelene under my jumpsuit. Some guys use Capilene with good success. Heat packs in your jumpsuit pockets work great too.

Make sure you don't do anything with your fin straps that might create an entanglement hazzard.

I really think if you do what you have there, you'll be good to go. Super tight wrist seals were probably the main culprit during your last dive.

Good luck.

Mike
 
I got the idea of the fin strap 'handles' from a few local divers. I'll try just about anything once.
 
Hi Jess

Looks like you have this cold water thing all squared away.

:)
Here's a link from a previous posting that I thought you might like, I hope it works OK. It shows your favorite pastime.... wreck diving.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?threadid=5538&goto=newpost
:)

Have fun on your next dive

Allan
AKA Aquamore
 
Hi Jess

I forgot to mention that you should check out the picture on the first posting o9f that link I just sent you.

:D Allan
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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