When to winterize?

[Fishkiller]

Well I just found out that it snowed near a friends house.
I guess that means it's nearing time to winterize where the local lake temps start to drop, the sun comes out after you wake up. :cold: Being how this is my first winter as a diver I just want to know what is there to do over the Winter?

Hang everything up in the closet?

Write Santa for a Drysuit?

Move to Guam or Thailand?

Here in Arizona the air temps are still in the 90's and the water temp at the lake is 70 so I have a few more weeks of diving, but I just want to plan ahead. The one thing I get to look forward to is how cold I can go with my new diveskin and wetsuit

 

[scubakat]

70? You are hanging up your wetsuit 'cause it's 70? Wow... I am shocked Fiskiller!!! I'm just gonna keep diving till it's frozen!

-kate

 

[Fishkiller]

Kate

I said I had a few more weeks the water is just 70 now well 71 earlier today

I just know that come one day the water will be cold and I will need to be prepared to not dive for a few weeks.

 

[pgraham11]

I'm from the Midwest, and during the winter I still dive once a month. The quarries we go to will usually range from the high 40s to the mid 50s. At some point I do intend to get a dry suit, but even with the water only in the high 40s I can still tolerate it in my 2-piece 7mm with my 7mm hood, 7mm gloves, and 5mm boots. I actually find it rather invigorating ;-)

 

[socaldiver]

I needed to hear a funny joke today and you provided it for me.

How cold can the water get in Arizona? Get a 7 mil suit and take the plunge. It is guaranteed to stimulate the heart (among other things).

Stay wet year round. Come to the West Coast, our winter water temps are a balmy 55 and just right for diving.

 

[Jonathan]

You seem to imply there is a dive season?!

My coldest dive this year was 3 (38) degrees and warmest over 30 (86) - but then I have a dry suit as well as varying thicknesses of wet suit.

Some of the best vis is in the winter months - go on try it......

Jonathan

 

[joewr]

Fishkiller,

For years now I have been trying to get a site for us on this Board: THE CANDY A_S DIVERS SECTION.

However, they keep denying it because, they say, there is no demand. Well, we have these guys like Yooper who dive down to 500 fsw and stick their noses in rusty old hulks at temperatures approaching 32 deg F (from below) with their own section. Then they got guys like Socaldiver who scrounge though jungles of Strangle Hold Kelp at a "toasty" 55 deg F while Makos cruise around looking for a little change in diet. Then there is the Texas crowd--I guess I do not need to say more about them! And the Puget Sound gang with folks like ScubaKat who live in areas that are so cold you need a dry suit to take a shower!

So, let's band together and demand that site...we happy few, we band (of two) brothers...


Joewr...asking, isn't the freezing point of water 70 deg F? And if not, why not? That is my freezing point!

 

[striking viking]

It's easier to ask when to summerize if you're use to diving off of the West coast. Every dive there is a winter dive regardless of what the calendar says. The difference in summer and winter temps is only 4 degrees F. I don't know if it's because I have never dove with anything other than a one-piece 7mm suit, and I just don't know any better or what, but I do fine with no more than a 7mm one-piece for temps down to 39 degrees F. I'm not saying that I don't realize it's less than toasty, but I can do two dives rather easy before appendages start to fall off. :cold:

 

[Fishkiller]

ok so I know from my own experience that at a water temp 55F my 3mil just don't make diving fun. I'm thinking(asprin nearby) that with my Dive skin I can get to 50.

There has to be a point or degree at which the body just don't dive. if I wanted to swim feet high I could be interested in a "drysuit" but have at this time no desire to do so. If I wanted to be called a whale (again) I would invest in a non movable 7mil two peice get it custom made with a white belly.

Is there a formula or guidelines to consider? and as joewr put it I believe all people come to a point that they are a Candy asterick diver.

Kate stated when the water freezes

Viking when appendages fall off

is that their point at which to say "yes I'm a candy diver"

There has to be a point that a "normal" person can stand back and say to the others, "it's cold I'm sleeping in, after checking the board for news." Which gets us back to the original question of how do you winterize your gear?

 

[DivingGal]

70??? Balmy waters. It's now in the high 50's right now around here. I'm diving on the weekend (just having fun while OD get's his wreck specialty), but I don't plan to stop diving for some time. Sure I now am restricted to shore dive -- something with the Coast Guard indicating that the charters should get out of the water soon (go figure, they're worried about ice in the marinas etc), but the weather, temp doesn't stop us from diving around here (or we wouldn't get much diving done).

You dress appropriately above and below the water. Recognize that the cold will affect you quicker, but with appropriate apparel -- and something warm to drink when you get out, you can have fun all year.