fnfalman
Contributor
60-F water is like bathwater to me. Hehe.
You don't know what you don't know until you know it...
- Thread starter Snarfal
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tarponchik
Contributor
This depends on a diver. I did 5 dives in 68 F Atlantic off NC in October in a 3 mm shorty and was just fine while diving in Ginnie Springs in July in rental full-size 8 mm nearly killed me.
60d water isn't fun for long, even in a 7/5/3 with hood and adequate gloves. In a 3mil, w/o good head and hand protection, I bet you were a scuba-sicle!. At least you had some sort of gloves, which had to help a bit.
In 60 degree water my butt is definitely going to be dry. 
Guy Alcala
Contributor
So much depends on what you're doing. I've been reasonably comfortable (I won't claim I felt warm) doing a 45 minute dive at 41 deg. F. in a mountain lake as deep as 85 feet, in a 7/5 wetsuit, a 6/3 dry suit hood, 5mm gloves and 6.5mm boots. But I knew I was only doing a single dive, it was sunny and warm on the surface when I got out, and most importantly, there was virtually nothing to look at other than bottom silt and dead tree branches, so I was swimming the whole time.
OTOH, a couple of weeks ago doing a boat dive in the ocean no deeper than 57 feet with bottom temp of 53 degrees and wearing my drysuit/med. undergarment/hood/gloves, I was cold after 35 minutes because we were just idling around in a small area looking for nudibranchs etc. In that same set up I've been comfortable to warm in 48 deg. more than twice as deep, because I was more active.
You're starting to learn what your personal temp tolerances are, but they will vary from day to day and dive to dive. Me, I can count on freezing if I'm buddying a photographer but dressed for a solo nav. dive.
Guy
OTOH, a couple of weeks ago doing a boat dive in the ocean no deeper than 57 feet with bottom temp of 53 degrees and wearing my drysuit/med. undergarment/hood/gloves, I was cold after 35 minutes because we were just idling around in a small area looking for nudibranchs etc. In that same set up I've been comfortable to warm in 48 deg. more than twice as deep, because I was more active.
You're starting to learn what your personal temp tolerances are, but they will vary from day to day and dive to dive. Me, I can count on freezing if I'm buddying a photographer but dressed for a solo nav. dive.
Guy
plumbcrazy
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Up here we cut hole in the ice to ice skate on the bottom side.
CamG
Contributor
Greetings Snarfal and you are very correct and fortunate to have been in the pool and around aware friends and family. Everyone is different as to what temps and how long before you reach the thresholds of hypothermia but once there the reactions are the same. I have seen it as you described and you were pushing the impairment line. This is not wise as you have learned already and easy to avoid. I wear a hood of some sort and gloves on every dive. I have a variety of thicknesses so it is easy to match conditions with exposure protection.
I did an experiment in '08; I put my 7mm dry suit hood and T-shirt / shorts and went for a 60' dive. Mind you the thermocline was 70º and below was 42º. I swam out to the line and slowly descended. I was quite comfortable to about 45' then started to get cool. When I reached 63' my legs were on fire and very uncomfortable. I did not time till I started to shiver I just ascended to 50' where I was comfortable, it was around 5 min. before I ascended to above the thermocline which felt like bath water. My point in this was that the HOOD made all the difference in the dive. If I have no hood on 84º in the pool can get very could in about 45 min.
Every diver needs to understand what exposure protection to dive safe and enjoyable! I like to get the most out of my tank fills and dive times so I try to plan accordingly. You have learned a valuable lesson now it is time to go get the hoods and gloves and get back to the water!
Dive safe and never forget what experience has taught you, it is different than reading it!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!
I did an experiment in '08; I put my 7mm dry suit hood and T-shirt / shorts and went for a 60' dive. Mind you the thermocline was 70º and below was 42º. I swam out to the line and slowly descended. I was quite comfortable to about 45' then started to get cool. When I reached 63' my legs were on fire and very uncomfortable. I did not time till I started to shiver I just ascended to 50' where I was comfortable, it was around 5 min. before I ascended to above the thermocline which felt like bath water. My point in this was that the HOOD made all the difference in the dive. If I have no hood on 84º in the pool can get very could in about 45 min.
Every diver needs to understand what exposure protection to dive safe and enjoyable! I like to get the most out of my tank fills and dive times so I try to plan accordingly. You have learned a valuable lesson now it is time to go get the hoods and gloves and get back to the water!
Dive safe and never forget what experience has taught you, it is different than reading it!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!
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