Advise for Cold Diver

[sle0022]

I have been diving for a few years now, but live in NYC and have limited closet space so I have not purchased any equipment except for mask and snorkel. I get cold pretty easily when I dive wether it is 40 ft or 130 ft, and would appreciate advise from fellow coldies.
I dive in seem like a good layer. Do the hooded vests drive you crazy? They seem a bit claustrophobic, but if it will keep me warm I am all for it. Any use in the vest without the hod under a full length suit?

 

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hi if you can get into a good drysuit system and you may try argon inflation it shure helps but good underware is on the top of your list hope it helps dive safe

 

[fire_diver]

You didn't say what type / thickness of protection you are using currently.

If nothing else, GET A HOOD. You lose a huge amount of heat from your head.

 

[diver_doug]

Your best bet would be a drysuit, but if that's not financially practical there are other not-too-expensive measures you can take. A hooded-vest is a good option, but they drive me crazy too, so I don't wear one (I even cut the bib off of my hood because it bugged me too much). I've heard the Henderson hooded-vests are good for people who don't want to wear one BUT they're pretty expensive...I believe around $150. I wear a rash-guard and a 3mm vest under my 7mm wetsuit...doesn't make a WORLD of a difference, but definitely adds a noticable amount of warmth. Also I wear socks in my boots which helps a little as well. Lastly, I'm not sure if you're using a hood or not...if not, definitely get one; they make a big difference.

 

[Crush]

I love my drysuit, but they are pretty costly. Buoyancy can be an issue initially, but you can sort that out. To minimize your buoyancy problems with a drysuit you can either find a perfectly-fitting off the shelf suit (unlikely, but possible) or shell out even more money for a custom-cut suit (which is what I did).

A 7 mm two-piece suit should enable you to dive in any water, provided that you wear a hood - my OW dives were done in such a suit at 36F. You can pre-fill some of the air voids in your wetsuit by dumping warm water into your suit before you hit the water. I don't like wearing a hood, but in cold water there is really no alternative. The hood bugs me above water, but once I am underwater I forget that it is there.

My summary from my limited diving - nothing dives like a wetsuit! Simple, bullet-proof low-tech that doesn't send you rocketing to the surface feet-first. But, nothing keeps you warm like a drysuit, especially during long surface intervals in rotten weather.

 

[mikecotrone]

I love my drysuit, but they are pretty costly. Buoyancy can be an issue initially, but you can sort that out. To minimize your buoyancy problems with a drysuit you can either find a perfectly-fitting off the shelf suit (unlikely, but possible) or shell out even more money for a custom-cut suit (which is what I did).

A 7 mm two-piece suit should enable you to dive in any water, provided that you wear a hood - my OW dives were done in such a suit at 36F. You can pre-fill some of the air voids in your wetsuit by dumping warm water into your suit before you hit the water. I don't like wearing a hood, but in cold water there is really no alternative. The hood bugs me above water, but once I am underwater I forget that it is there.

My summary from my limited diving - nothing dives like a wetsuit! Simple, bullet-proof low-tech that doesn't send you rocketing to the surface feet-first. But, nothing keeps you warm like a drysuit, especially during long surface intervals in rotten weather.

I have to say that my Whites Fusion Bullet dives just as good as my wet suit minus the air/exhaust adjustments. I can't believe how flexible that shell suit is! I can frog kick just as easy as I can in my wet suit. My only mistake on my dive this weekend in 40 degrees F was that I didn't wear Wool socks in lieu of the Whites neoprene socks on top of my cotton socks. My toes got cold after 40 mins

 

[knowone]

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[Crush]

I have to say that my Whites Fusion Bullet dives just as good as my wet suit minus the air/exhaust adjustments. I can't believe how flexible that shell suit is! I can frog kick just as easy as I can in my wet suit. My only mistake on my dive this weekend in 40 degrees F was that I didn't wear Wool socks in lieu of the Whites neoprene socks on top of my cotton socks. My toes got cold after 40 mins

I have heard that White's suits dive very well. Being a Canadian I suppose that I should have tried one. I am very happy with my (American) DUI TLS 350 - it moves very well, no problems. The really cool thing about the Bullet is the tailoring - I really think that you look like a superhero when you wear one - fighting crime, one frog kick at a time.

My drysuit undergarments are 100% non-DUI hiking good clothes (mostly Mountain Equipment Co-op). I layer them as I need and they rock.

 

[Searcaigh]

+1 on the hood.

I use a hooded vest with my 3mm and my 5mm semi dry.

Semi-dry suits are an option and slightly cheaper than dry suits

 

[Kupu]

When my 5mm fullsuit is not enough, I add a 5/3 hooded vest. Having the additional layer on the torso in addition to the hood makes a difference. Sometimes I start the dive with the hood off and only pull it over my head later in the dive if I start feeling a bit chilly. At first it does feel a bit constricting, but after a few dives with the hood, I get used to the feeling and almost forget it is there. Worth it for staying comfortable during the dive, and a hooded vest can be a very economical solution.