Cold feet during surface interval

[knuhol]

Thank you guys for so many tips! Will try some of them the next time and will post here an update with review

 

[cipherbreak]

Try hand-walking.

 

[rick00001967]

i did not read all the posts above, but my question would be.....why are you wearing your dry suit for a long surface interval ? if i was dong an hr and bbq i would take the suit off.

that said....wool or smart wool socks are key. any amount of dampness will seriously diminish any thermal properties of most materials. wool will tolerate moisture better. anyone wearing a dry suit will be damp inside the suit. (unsure how effective the "breathable suits" are). you can also change your socks between dives so they are completely dry and warm.
usually if your core is kept warm, your extremities also stay warm. so moving around and not standing in one place will def help.
as mentioned above, another way to help is to get some type of thermal break between you and the ground. not sure how practical that would be though, as you should be moving imho.

 

[davehicks]

i did not read all the posts above, but my question would be.....why are you wearing your dry suit for a long surface interval ? if i was dong an hr and bbq i would take the suit off.

that said....wool or smart wool socks are key. any amount of dampness will seriously diminish any thermal properties of most materials. wool will tolerate moisture better. anyone wearing a dry suit will be damp inside the suit. (unsure how effective the "breathable suits" are).

Gotta take issue with that statement. Unless you have a leak or are doing some sort Olympic level swimming you should be quite dry after a dive in a dry suit most of the time. A dry suit is filled with Dry Air from a scuba tank and vented to release that air as you ascend. It's not a moisture trap at all. Your feet should be dry as a bone most of the time.

I agree with the Smart Wool socks. That's what i use, with an oversized pair of thin neoprene socks on top so I don't get them wet from the ground or deck.

 

[rick00001967]

we will have to agree to disagree.
a dry suit is a sealed shell. (again, not sure how ell breathable suits actually work) even without exerting yourself your body constantly expires moisture. that moisture has nowhere to go.
i am not saying your feet will be soaked. but even a small amount of moisture drastically impacts the thermal properties of materials.
after a dive for example, my thin skins against my skin are always damp. just from body perspiration. sometimes if needed, i will purposefully wear a cotton layer between my thin skins and my thermal layer. this trick allows a lot of my natural perspiration to be absorbed by the cotton. because there is a dry thin layer against my skin it has little to no affect on me. normally cotton is a huge no no when trying to stay warm. but used this way it can help.
i have spent a lot of time in the bush in extreme temperatures in winter. you would be surprised how changing into a dry warm pair of socks can help, even when the ones you are wearing do not really feel that damp. it can actually save your life in an emergency situation.

 

[davehicks]

we will have to agree to disagree.
a dry suit is a sealed shell. (again, not sure how ell breathable suits actually work) even without exerting yourself your body constantly expires moisture. that moisture has nowhere to go.

I hate to get in a back and forth, but everything you said is incorrect. A dry suit is not a sealed shell. It has a big fat vent in the shoulder, and you tend to frequently vent air out of it during your dive as you change depths. In fact you must vent all of the air by the end of the dive. Second, you are filling that suit periodically with extremely dry air with close to 0% moisture in it. That dry air will absorb moisture and then it will go right out of the vent as you ascend. Sure, you will sweat a bit but rarely enough to get you wet.

If you are getting wet enough to see or feel moisture in your undergarments, your suit is very likely leaking.

 

[grantctobin]

I hate to get in a back and forth, but everything you said is incorrect. A dry suit is not a sealed shell. It has a big fat vent in the shoulder, and you tend to frequently vent air out of it during your dive as you change depths. In fact you must vent all of the air by the end of the dive. Second, you are filling that suit periodically with extremely dry air with close to 0% moisture in it. That dry air will absorb moisture and then it will go right out of the vent as you ascend. Sure, you will sweat a bit but rarely enough to get you wet.

If you are getting wet enough to see or feel moisture in your undergarments, your suit is very likely leaking.

Eh there’s enough sweat while swimming to force a sweat, especially on longer exposure times and starting in warmer surface conditions. A scooter or two alleviates some of the problem, but you’re quite a bit off mate.

 

[rjack321]

There are a couple different kinds of insoles for ski boots that are designed to help with cold feet...first there are insoles with some kind of aluminum/foil like surface on the bottom that are supposed to reflect heat, but this is more gimmicky. Then there are battery operated heated insoles...these work well but are expensive and will be wrecked if your suit springs a leak. There are other companies that make insoles with merino wool and some out of cork which will help provide some insulation from the ground during your SI. Here are some options:

Therm-ic socks, insoles, heating gloves for winter
merinoGREY
REDhot
https://www.amazon.com/Orthotics-In...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
Ski Boot Insoles | Skis.com

You can also stick these in your drysuit boots after getting out of the water....if you have attached boots, you can just drop them in and shake them down to your feet:
View attachment 627487

-Z

DO NOT USE THESE

Many many people have burned themselves with these iron based heaters. They are activated by oxygen, higher ppO2 = more heat. If you are using nitrox on a 30m you will get burned and/or melt your undergarments.

These are a huge no no for any deep diving or if nitrox is used as a suit gas. BEWARE, you have been warned.

 

[TMHeimer]

we will have to agree to disagree.
a dry suit is a sealed shell. (again, not sure how ell breathable suits actually work) even without exerting yourself your body constantly expires moisture. that moisture has nowhere to go.
i am not saying your feet will be soaked. but even a small amount of moisture drastically impacts the thermal properties of materials.
after a dive for example, my thin skins against my skin are always damp. just from body perspiration. sometimes if needed, i will purposefully wear a cotton layer between my thin skins and my thermal layer. this trick allows a lot of my natural perspiration to be absorbed by the cotton. because there is a dry thin layer against my skin it has little to no affect on me. normally cotton is a huge no no when trying to stay warm. but used this way it can help.
i have spent a lot of time in the bush in extreme temperatures in winter. you would be surprised how changing into a dry warm pair of socks can help, even when the ones you are wearing do not really feel that damp. it can actually save your life in an emergency situation.

Yes, I have experienced wetness being well wrapped up outside in temperatures below minus 30 (C or F). But it usually had to do with how much I was exerting myself (like chopping wood).
Is it possible that it depends on how cold the water is, how active you are, or simply varies per individual? Or as mentioned, how hot you are prior to entering the water?
My guess would be I would not be damp in a drysuit just slowly farting around looking for shells, but I don't know for sure.

 

[Scraps]

I’m neither a dry suit diver nor a cold weather diver, but I occasionally dive caverns with a dry suit guy. He always takes off his dry suit for surface intervals.

Maybe the inconvenience of a few minutes work is better than being cold for an hour.

I never realized Sweden had a southern part.

Best wishes,