40-45F OWD (drysuit)

[FJUK1]

Hi,

I am on track to start my open water training dives (Ocean Diver BSAC(Padi open water)) in late october-early november.

The inland water temp will be around 40-45F during this time and I will be wearing a drysuit.

I am worried in general at how warm a drysuit keeps you (I am aware that undergarments play a big factor in this), specifically when you first enter the water. I experienced cold shock around 10 years ago jumping into what I estimate to be 55F waters and could not breath and escaped the water extremely quickly. I don't mind being cold at all, I am more asking as to whether a drysuit is preventative to the effects of cold water shock and how warm do you feel on entry?

Hope this makes some kinda sense. Inputs appreciated greatly!

Edit: on top of this, would mask clearing cause this kind of shock, or is there someway to prevent this? All im worried about at the moment...

 

[broncobowsher]

I did that once. Jumped into a swimming pool, 2 days after we were watching it snow. Yes, that cold shock sucks. It was a joke among college friends that it was a heated pool (it wasn't). I fell for it.

Drysuit will be fine. At least your body will be. You still need a good hood to keep your head warm. And your hands as well. It is part of the learning curve. And it isn't as bad as you are thinking it will be.

 

[BlueTrin]

I think you’ll be fine because you stay dry except for hands and face.

If you are worried, since you’ll probably train at an inland site … ask to walk in the water using the steps rather than doing a giant stride.

For mask clearing, instinctively, people hold their breath when their face touches cold water. You want to force yourself to breathe, because otherwise you’ll shoot to the surface when doing a mask clearing. This is actually I found much easier with practice … (I don’t know if that answers your question)

 

[FJUK1]

I think you’ll be fine because you stay dry except for hands and face.

If you are worried, since you’ll probably train at an inland site … ask to walk in the water using the steps rather than doing a giant stride.

For mask clearing, instinctively, people hold their breath when their face touches cold water. You want to force yourself to breathe, because otherwise you’ll shoot to the surface when doing a mask clearing. This is actually I found much easier with practice … (I don’t know if that answers your question)

Thanks alot, not worried about hands, and I will dip my face into the water before submerging a few times as that's the advice i've found so far.... I just wondered if there is a considerable immediate temp drop when your chest goes below the water in drysuit in these temps

 

[Marie13]

Thanks alot, not worried about hands, and I will dip my face into the water before submerging a few times as that's the advice i've found so far.... I just wondered if there is a considerable immediate temp drop when your chest goes below the water in drysuit in these temps

Not that I‘ve noticed

 

[Nick_Radov]

You have some good advice here. In those temperatures it's crucial to have a thick, tightly fitted hood. Test it in the swimming pool and make sure you're not getting much water flow.

Cold water hoods make the mask remove and replace drill more challenging because they're cut to cover most of your face so when you put the mask back on underwater the skirt will tend to ride over the edge of the hood and leak. As soon as you put the mask back on you have to lift the edge of the hood so that it goes over the mask skirt, not under. Practice this in the pool as it can be difficult to feel the edge of the hood while wearing thick gloves.

 

[MarkA]

Thanks alot, not worried about hands, and I will dip my face into the water before submerging a few times as that's the advice i've found so far.... I just wondered if there is a considerable immediate temp drop when your chest goes below the water in drysuit in these temps

Worry about your hands. In 10°C water your hands will suffer. Get a decent pair of neoprene gloves.

Thats one advantage of a dry suit. No immediate pain from the cold water. Imagine doing the washing up, now add marigolds, now add woolly gloves underneath.

Where are you planning the open water part of ocean diver? Stoney Cove?

 

[Marie13]

You have some good advice here. In those temperatures it's crucial to have a thick, tightly fitted hood. Test it in the swimming pool and make sure you're not getting much water flow.

Cold water hoods make the mask remove and replace drill more challenging because they're cut to cover most of your face so when you put the mask back on underwater the skirt will tend to ride over the edge of the hood and leak. As soon as you put the mask back on you have to lift the edge of the hood so that it goes over the mask skirt, not under. Practice this in the pool as it can be difficult to feel the edge of the hood while wearing thick gloves.

Neoprene cover on mask strap makes the mask skills much easier as you’re not fighting to get the silicone strap back on your hood.

 

[Ayisha]

Hi,

I am on track to start my open water training dives (Ocean Diver BSAC(Padi open water)) in late october-early november.

The inland water temp will be around 40-45F during this time and I will be wearing a drysuit.

I am worried in general at how warm a drysuit keeps you (I am aware that undergarments play a big factor in this), specifically when you first enter the water. I experienced cold shock around 10 years ago jumping into what I estimate to be 55F waters and could not breath and escaped the water extremely quickly. I don't mind being cold at all, I am more asking as to whether a drysuit is preventative to the effects of cold water shock and how warm do you feel on entry?

Hope this makes some kinda sense. Inputs appreciated greatly!

Edit: on top of this, would mask clearing cause this kind of shock, or is there someway to prevent this? All im worried about at the moment...

Yes, you'll feel 40-45 F cold water on your face. When you do a mask remove and replace, it can be shockingly cold, but you get used to it, and you try and be as efficient as possible.

I did my o/w in 38F/4 C in Tobermory years ago, but since it was early June and we spent a fair amount of time at the surface, at least the air temp was warm-ish, which helped.

+2 on practicing the mask re&re in the pool with especially the hood, but also the gloves. That way you'll know if the hood fits you properly or if you need a different size/type or slight trimming.

You will need good insulation in the drysuit otherwise it might keep you dry, but not that warm.

If you spend long enough in very cold water, your lips might get numb, which poses a challenge if you're orally inflating an SMB. If you blow an SMB in the middle of numb pursed lips, a lot of the air will escape around the mouthpiece. If you place the tube in the corner of your mouth, the air will go in very well.

Your instructor might give you some tips to avoid a free(ze)flow in those temps. Besides diving with properly maintained and tuned cold water regs, avoid overbreathing your reg or placing simultaneous demands on the reg, like inhaling and inflating at the same time. Use short bursts when needed rather than holding down the inflator or purge button.

Diving in extremely cold water poses a host of challenges, but hopefully you go in with an arsenal of strategies.

I guess doing your o/w in summer temps or a little warmer water isn't an option?

 

[Jcp2]

Don’t forget to let water into your hood in the earliest part of your descent so that you can equalize your ears.