Cold water diving in the summer. How do you keep from overheating?

[tstormdiver]

Just curious to find out little "tricks of the trade" to keep from over heating while donning my drysuit, when it's 90+ degrees outside, but I'm going to dive the bottom of the local quarry which is 42 degrees F. This topic could go for the heavier wetsuits also, I would think. I get cold easily so have to wear very thick undergarments underneath. So far, the thing that has worked for me is to get dressed, zip up the drysuit, go to the beach area, jump in & get, especially my head, wet. I will usually soak for a minute or 2. Not only does this cool me off long enough to get into my hood, gloves,& scuba unit & such, but it also helps to "burp" the air out of the suit, making it easier to descend when the dive starts. One of my buddies will get into his air conditioned car to don his drysuit. Any other ideas?

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I have everything ready to go including most of the buddy check before donning the drysuit. Once I start getting in the drysuit I go from street clothes to fully geared to in the water with no messing around. It's a bit of a hike to the water from where I like to gear up so I would just be sweating again by the time I got back from a dip.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[tstormdiver]

I guess that's one advantage to where I dive. The gear- up area is right at the water's edge. Put on gear, take 3 steps & you're in the water (great for when I have my doubles on). I find that if I don't cool off in between, I'll be on the verge of passing out before I can get to the water. While I'm not the slowest thing on this planet, I'm not particularly fast by any means either.

 

[String]

If youre lucky enough to live somewhere where its possible to get overheated even in summer, firstly im jealous!.

Secondly move all the kit, get it set up waters edge and so on before putting the drysuit on or at very least before zipping it up. Then zip suit, kit on, jump in, soak for a while before swimming and go from there.

Or move to the UK where you'll want hat, thermals and gloves even in august.

 

[RJP]

You didn't specify whether shade was available. If not, an inexpensive canopy like you might have over a picnic table might be worthwhile. Just keeping the sun from beating down on you will help.

Also, depending on how the quarry is set up, can you have rig right down in the water, floating or on/secured to a dock? This way you can suit up and just slip into in the water instead of even having to fight your rig (and its weight) on the surface?

 

[SteveAD]

When it's hot, I don't put on my hood and gloves until I am in the water. I have my hood, mask and gloves in my drysuit thigh pockets before even donning the suit. Tank/reg/bc are all set up ready to don. put on undies, put on ds, put on bc, get in water, finish dressing there.

 

[tstormdiver]

You didn't specify whether shade was available. If not, an inexpensive canopy like you might have over a picnic table might be worthwhile. Just keeping the sun from beating down on you will help.

It's hard to say if you'll get shade or not. There are shelters set up, but they are first come- first serve. The quarry also has a limited supply of "easy- up" canopies, but like the shelters, they are first come- first serve. Even with the shelters, there's not much wind that blows through there, so it can still be quite toasty, even in the shade.

Also, depending on how the quarry is set up, can you have rig right down in the water, floating or on/secured to a dock? This way you can suit up and just slip into in the water instead of even having to fight your rig (and its weight) on the surface?

I'll be honest, I'm not real graceful doing in- water donning of my doubles. Definitely something I have to work on.

 

[tstormdiver]

When it's hot, I don't put on my hood and gloves until I am in the water. I have my hood, mask and gloves in my drysuit thigh pockets before even donning the suit. Tank/reg/bc are all set up ready to don. put on undies, put on ds, put on bc, get in water, finish dressing there.

Never thought of it that way (using drysuit pockets). Good idea! In the past, I have just jumped in with those in hand, but it was a pain with hood & gloves floating off in all directions.

 

[RJP]

I'll be honest, I'm not real graceful doing in- water donning of my doubles. Definitely something I have to work on.

In-water donning isn't shouldn't be any harder than the "BCD removal and replacement at the surface" which is required of any OW student. As an OWSI candidate you should be able to to demo that skill, and students (as well as your instructor hopefully) will actually expect you to be graceful in doing so.



Doing it in water may be more work than it's worth for the purposes of your original question. But in general - graceful or not - if you can't do a "surface ditch and don" of whatever rig you're diving, you probably shouldn't be diving it.

 

[tstormdiver]

In- water donning of a recreational BC & single tank is no problem fro me. The weight & awkwardness of the doubles, BP/W & harness makes it a whole other story for me (I can barely walk with those things on). I didn't say I can't do it, it's just a lot more effort than it's worth.