Wetsuit diving cold water/weather SI question

[Saltair]

So this is seems like a really dumb question to me having been in, on, and around cold water my entire life. I am clear that when wet and cold you need to get dry.

On the other hand if you are planning multiple wet dives in cold water, mid fifties, when you get out do you pull yourself out of the wetsuit? Or stay in? My wife is sensitive to the cold but is brave enough to dive with me. This weekend we did the first of a planned two dives. We were in for 55 minutes and the water temp was around 55. She was pretty cold when we got out. Too cold really she should have turned the dive sooner. The sun was bright and the air temp was pretty warm, 70ish maybe a little warmer, so I figured if she got out of the wind and in the sun the suit would heat up and she would get warm. It didn't happen. we only did the one dive. I am trying to reconcile what I know would have warmed her up, getting her out of the suit and dried off with having to then get back into a cold suit that would almost certainly instantly give her a chill.

So what do most folks do? I was fine and did warm some in my suit though not as much as I thought I would. It seems clear that we need to get out of the suits I guess, but do you then spike the suit with warm water before you get back in for dive two?

 

[spectrum]

I roll it down to the waist, towel off and get into a dry shirt or more. A liter of warm water in the bottom will help out as the outside of the suit begins to dry off. If that's not good enough it's time to go dry or call it good after a single dive. Spiking before you go back in is always a good move. Save some warm water for after the last dive and it will make it easier to get through breaking down.

They do sell dive parkas that you can wear for about $125. each. They are big, insulated trench coats that keep the wind of of whatever you decide to stay in. I keep watching Mardens (a Maine salvage / surplus chain) or Goodwill for something expendable that will do the job.

Of course I know that you and your wife knows that this is just a bridging strategy until you go dry. DUI is at Brownstone in CT at the end of the month.

Pete

 

[gcbryan]

If you have warm water that will certainly help. Depending on the length of the surface interval some people will stay in the suit, put a large coat on over the top of it, put on a hat, drink hot chocolate, eat, etc. and put more hot water into the suit just before getting back in the water.

I should mention that I got a dry suit just as soon as I could afford one!

 

[Saltair]

She'll probably go dry before me because we will never afford two at once, but I was pretty bummed about missing the second dive as it was was a great day. Lesson learned next time we will get at least partially dry. Maybe we need to head down your way. The water is probably still in the sixties down there.

 

[ianw2]

If it's warm and sunny for the surface interval, I'll peel down my wetsuit to my waist. If it's not sunny and warm, I tend to leave my wetsuit in place. Either way, I cover up with a dive coat if it's too cold.

 

[spectrum]

She'll probably go dry before me because we will never afford two at once, but I was pretty bummed about missing the second dive as it was was a great day. Lesson learned next time we will get at least partially dry. Maybe we need to head down your way. The water is probably still in the sixties down there.

I think it is, at least near shore. Dives will dip into the 50's now but it's still milder than lst month in your neighborhood! Say when.

Pete

 

[Paco II]

As has been mentioned, wetsuit down to waist, towel dry, put on a warm wind-proof fleece or boat coat, and lastly, get something warm inside the body. I almost always bring a thermos of hot chocolate or similar.

 

[Teamcasa]

I found this a VERY nice coat for exactly the type of diving you did.
By Chammyz
http://www.chammyz.com/component/pa...acturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,51/

 

[White Knight]

Sounds to me like the answer is a dry suit....That said, when I used to dive wet I'd put on a full length overcoat--leaving the wet suit on. If it was really cold, I'd take the suit off. Warm water "always" made it worse. For me, it was always a big mistake. My core blood would rush to the surface skin and my core temp would always drop. Better to heat up slowly through the cold water slowly heating up in the wetsuit. However, after struggling with cold California ocean temperatures, I finally purchased a DUI CF 200 dry suit. It is awesome and now I am warm. I dive more because of it and enjoy the dives more to.

 

[SteveAD]

No need to wait until the end of the month, or trek down to CT, I'll do drysuit familiarizaton dives any time you like. We've got a good assortment of DUI suits in the training fleet. Shop is in Danvers, ma. We usually dive in Gloucester or rockport.