Cold water divers are better?

[hg frogman]

One possible start is the Diver magazine fins' test. Max speed was a bit more than 2.7 knots with Apollo open-heel split fins. I believe we can assume that, with adequate long and powerful free-diving full-foot fins, a bit more than 3 knots could have been attained.

On the other hand, the "scuba underwater swimming" records from the French federation are factual, measured data. I guess one can reduce the maximum speed of these records by 20% to take into account the extra bulk (ie, the extra surface perpendicular to the flow) of a typical, yet minimalist and extremely streamlined, warm water setup (very thin wetsuit, Freedom plate, single Al80, no lead, no wing or a very tiny one with an Air2 on a short corrugated hose, no octopus, tiny reg like Mares 42 Abyss DIN, gas-integrated wrist computer/watch, and still powerful full foot fins). Then reduce by another 20% because not every diver, even slim and fit, is a recordman (even for French records ). It gives 5.1 knots (1992 record for 100 meters) x 0.8 x 0.8 = 3.2 knots, which is consistent with the Diver magazine value above.

To be able to move (and not only stay stationary) against the current means you can fight currents up to 2.5 knots and still go ahead at 0.5 knots or a bit more.

So I keep this value of 2.5 knots for the currents that can be successfully fought, for a short period, by a slim, fit diver, with a warm water, streamlined, single-tank setup.

For the cold water diver with a single tank and a drysuit, it depends upon the drysuit. I guess that, with a trilaminate drysuit, and given the extra lead necessary, one cannot fin much faster than 1 to 1.5 knots. With an adjusted neoprene drysuit, max speed would be more, perhaps 2 knots ?

So what you made me correct, Fjpatrum, may well be my last (fortunately ) bet about currents that divers can successfully fight underwater (and not in my -or their- dreams or tales ) :
- 1 to 1.5 knots for a fit diver with a drysuit and a single-tank setup
- 2.5 knots for a fit diver with a warm water, streamlined, single-tank setup. And that expands his/her possibilities indeed.

Disclaimer: though I did my best to stay honest, I recognize that my calculations are VERY approximate and may lead to controversies .

 

[DevonDiver]

Warm water would loosen the muscles....therefore a tropical diver would perform better in current than a cold diver. Case closed. Go home and eat your dinner now.

 

[hg frogman]

Case closed. Go home and eat your dinner now.

In fact it's lunch time here. But thank you very much.

 

[fjpatrum]

thanks, hg frogman. I appreciate the info, even if it was a hijack... Like I said, I think I agree with your original point, but now I've forgotten what it was.

 

[Dhboner]

Yes I Ice dive often but in a dry-suit I would definitely be out of my comfort zone ice diving in a 7 mil wet been there done it not for me, so here a case of two people diving in the same climate same type of dive with a difference, I would probably look like a newbie splashing around in the hole freezing my B...s of in a wetsuit. But does that make either one of us better than the other?

I think the point I am trying to make is that any task performed in a stressful environment is more difficult. That is a fundamental aspect of military training...you learn a task then learn to perform that same task under extreme stress. The result is that you can perform that same task, competently, in virtually any environment.

Similarily with diving, we all learn the same basic emergency procedures but when you practice those procedures in a harsh environment e.g. cold, dark water, your skill set can't help but improve.

At the end of the day any diver is only as good as their training and experience but, all other things being equal, a diver who regularly trains and dives in a "harsh" environment is likely to be better prepared for variables.

As usual this is only my opinion!

Bob

 

[raoulsttexas]

here's my take:

i'm a coldwater diver, but i can't wait until november in coz when i can forget about the drysuit, hood, gloves, 30lbs of lead, big lights, smb/reel, pony, surge, lack of viz.... and flip off the boat in nothing but a 3/2 wetsuit (or maybe just shorts and t).

to me, it's more the sense of freedom in warm water. doesn't mean i'm necessarily a better diver than anyone else (not that i'd ever ascert that anyway).

 

[Dhboner]

If you want definitive proof, my son is the greatest diver in the world (just ask him) and he dives cold water in a drysuit....SO THERE!!

Bob

 

[Garth]

Wait a minute I dive dry in cold water, and warm water so that's gotta count for something!