What is a cold water dive?

[Gary D.]

By definition any water under 70df is considered cold water.

Gary D.

 

[EMTPDiver]

try about 1 celcius dude, when the floor of the lake or ocean is so cold that water has frozen to the bottom with thickness of over 1 meter, and ice has frozen over the top of the water at thickness of over 2 meters. You need to drive your heavy-*** truck on the ice and spend over an hour cutting and smashing a small hole in the ice just to get to the water. That is cold-water diving, and its the coolest thing ever. You can see through two meters of ice as if they are glass, and you can see weird creatures you've only seen in sci-fi movies.

 

[drbill]

Third dive today, 51 F at 130 ft. Now that WAS cold. A balmy 55 and 58 on dives #1 and #2.

 

[D_B]

yep, I think that a good case can be made for water in the 50's is cold water .. is there colder water? sure, but does anyone Really think that 50* water is warm ??

Last dive, 50*, look at pressure gauge part way into dive ... *I still have 2000psi??? my fingers are going numb already!* LOL

 

[EMTPDiver]

yes, 50 is pretty warm

 

[CJ Waid]

I have been diving water that has been everywhere from the mid 30's in march under the ice to 40 degrees out in the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan just last week... Actually I have dove 40 something degree water 2-3 times a day, everyday for the last week and a half... I just did a two hour rescue review course this morning in 47-50 degree water, then went and did a wreck dive in 44 degree water, then another dive in 41 degree water right after that... I always dive a 7mm... I don't believe in dry suits, I think they are sacreligous, actually I just don't want to spend the money for one, I like the way the cold feels, it slows my breathing way down and calms me.

Anyway, just thought I'd share... Cold, IN MY OPINION is anything under 75 degrees, unfortunately, I don't get to dive warm water, but someday I am going to move someplace with 80 degree water year round... Hellll Yeahhhh....

 

[fppf]

Cold water dive....
Here is a pic of the Mrs. testing her rope cutting skills when she could not feel her hands. Finaly found her a set of dry gloves that kinda fit those nubs on the end of her arms she calls hands, LOL

We did the Niagara River this morning my Pro Plus 2 said 47 and my Atom 2.0 said 44. The group was a mix of wet suits and dry suits and everyone had a differnt opinion of "cold". Some came out with the shivers, some came out fine, some had to many layers under there dry suit and was sweating (me).

 

[C Chris]

I tend to agree with CJ Waid... for me, anything <78df I consider to be "life threatening". Of course, I don't go north of Tampa between September and May either. I saw "The Day After Tomorrow", and it is NOT pretty!!!

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

50 is pretty normal around here (I'd still classify it as a "coldwater dive" though). Up in the mountain lakes, it's usually in the mid-30's to low-40's...so that's "cold" for me (starts getting quite bad on the hands at the end of the second dive). Then again...I'm not crazy enough to dive wet in water under 70 degrees (that's why I invested in the drysuit to begin with!! lol).

As an aside..FPPF...where's that shot taken under the ice? Lake Erie? (I'm from the Buffalo area orginally...just interested in finding out... )

Cheers,
Austin

 

[do it easy]

I'd say that 50f-70f is cold, below that it's called brisk and refreshing