Cold water diving

[crab_girl]

So I am by nature/circumstance a warm-water diver. Have done a few dives in the local quarry and out in the Channel Islands, but most of my diving has been in the Caribbean and I don't think I've ever been in water under 60 degrees (or if I was in the quarry and got to a depth where it was that cold, I'd probably come back up!). However, I am joining some friends for a dive in the Delaware Bay next week and expected temps are in the 40s. yikes! Some of them are drysuit divers but the rest will be wearing wetsuits. I have a 6.5 farmer john 2-piece suit and am planning to invest in some thicker gloves and hood (my current ones are only 2-3 ml). But I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy for doing this in the first place. It will be a situation where we're diving from shore so there will be ample opportunity to call it quits and come in at any time if I get too cold, but I'd like to "hang" and stay warm and not make my buddy come in prematurely. Any tips?

 

[seaducer]

To start, pour some warm water down your suit before you get in, it will help ease the shock of the first few minutes.

Make sure your hood is well tucked in, but also that it is not too tiight around your neck, this causes all sorts of problems with comfort, and with safety.

When you start to get colder than you can easily ignore it is time to start thinking about getting out, it won't be all that warm on land either.

Drink plenty of water before diving, not only does being properly hydrated help with circulation and staying warm, but peeing in your suit is very enjoyable when the water gets chilly.

Good luck and have fun, but be prepared for bouyancy challenges and restricted movement, plan this out and have your equipment where it is easy to get to, and make sure you can work stuff with gloves on.

Forgot to add, if you get very cold stay out of hot showers and other rapid rewarming techniques for a while upon surfacing. Your body does not off gas as effectively when it is cold and rapid rewarming can cause problems. So whatever you do don't stay down longer than you want to thinking you can take a hot shower and warm up right away.

 

[imasinker]

It may take some getting used to it, but you will be surprised just how warm a 6.5/7mm suit can be. I would say for sure you need a 7 mm hood, usually the gloves are a 5mm so you have dexterity. I would say get all your gear setup before you get your wetsuit on. Keep your body temp as warm as long as you can. Some folks flood the suit with water before the dive allowing your body to adjust and warm. Make sure you have had a good breakfast food for energy and you are well hydrated. Once your body hits the cold water it will use a lot of energy to keep warm. Once you feel you are starting to get cold, trust me here you should begin a return, because you still have a safety stop to complete. Never think about wrecking your buddy’s dive.
Hope this helped...
Let us know how it went! Good Luck and happy Diving!

 

[eponym]

Crab Girl:

Great questions. Stay good and warm in the morning, on the way to the site, and while assembling your gear. Dress out of the wind. And between dives, get the jacket off and some thick fleece and a hat on. A radiant propane heater is good, as is a pot of warm water to get the blood flowing into your hands again. An open canopy/pavilion can help, too, even if the effect is mostly psychological.

The first time I encountered 40-degree water I thought I'd never do it again, but the more cold water I do (hundreds of dives now) the more tolerable it becomes.

It's always good to be aware of and share your apprehensions before the dive--it really helps defuse them.

Enjoy!
Bryan

 

[ssidiv3r]

I agree with Drew and everyone else, putting warm water in your wet suit will help keep the colder water at bay for the first few minutes if the suit isn't too big. With the weather getting colder the air temp is normally colder than the water temp so stay warm on the surface before you get in. Your movement will be restricted but hopefully so will teh flow of water through the suit.

I've been in 42°F water for 30 minutes, and although it wasn't comfortable I could still function so it's doable. I recently decided to go dry simply because I want to dive year round.

 

[crab_girl]

thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice!

 

[CJ Waid]

Wrap yourself in everything 7mm, tuck your hood. Warm Water in the boots. Other than that, just savor the moment

Take pics, you'll probably never want to do it again

JK

I love cold water.

 

[Underwater Ogre]

All the above...and an extra vote for the food...keep the furnace burning. I keep my protein high when I am in cold water with a wetsuit. Have fun...

 

[bleeb]

If you're doing more than one dive, get dry in between, or get somewhere both warm and out of the breeze, or at least put on a waterproof and windproof layer to stop the evaporative cooling. Since it's your first time at these temperatures, consider only doing one dive and be ready to cancel the second one if you feel cold coming out of the water after the first one. Unless you have somewhere warm and dry to wait between dives, you just keep loosing heat until you change into dry clothes.

 

[austriandiveress]

I've worn a rubber sleeveless top and shorts under my 7mm in these temps., it really makes a difference. Stay warm!