Cold water & wet suit

[professorpaddle]

5mil in sub 40 water... Hermmm sounds like teeth chattering cold and you say you were pumping cold water because you were hot? U a walrus?

I was in 47 wearing my 7m setup and I can't imagine doing today's dive in a 5m. After I was at a friend's house who built a cold plunge. He (non diver) suggested he could probably do better with less insulation because of his cold plunging. I laughed.

Theres a huge difference between getting muscle recovery and enjoying a cold water dive.

All I know is if someone showed up in a 5m here in the past month when the water was consistently mid 40s... I woulda been worried we would have to cut the dive short.

All that to say, I have also had people look at me like I am nuts in my 7m single and I knew they were thinking the same thing... Great here we go this dudes gonna cut loose after 25 mins when he is either twitching or worse not anymore.

For the OP. Try stuff in a safe setting with supportive folks. 5m seems wild, 7m gets me doubtful looks. Common place around here is a 7m farmer John or 7/8 layered approaches.

Oh and PS... The Neosport stuff is not nearly as warm as other quality suits, Harveys, Bare, SP etc... you get what you pay for.

 

[34109411]

LOL!

The OP was specifically asking about diving wet, and what worked for cold water.

As it happens, I own three dry suits already, and no wet suits.

well we will continue to freeze no matter what. at one point you need the tool for the job.

 

[TrimixToo]

<snip>

Trimix John [#71],

I know you know and you were talking pre-dive so this is not speaking to that.... but hot showers/baths post dive can induce DCS if tissues are carrying a high load of inert gas...same with pouring hot water down our wetsuits post dive....different but related is that with true hypothermia and core temps low..... heating limbs post dive can cause 'after drop' in core temps and can be result in cardiac irregularity...core temps prior, during and post dive induce a lot of variables into a "no bubble" dive [if that even exists].

We also dumped hot water down our wet suits pre-dive under extreme topside conditions;.....actually best wisdom is that no water in wet suit [semi-dry?] gives more thermal retention than when water is between diver's skin and neoprene....water is a great conductor of therms....but that hot water in suit pre-dive sure feels good!....kind of like peeing in the wet suit, feels good but ultimately still a loss of heat...

It's been sort of a while since I was a teenager. In the early 1970's, wet suits were not the wet suits of today. Prefilling the suit prevented the rush of cold water than accompanied entry into the surf. There was never a question of whether water would get into the suit. It was going to happen. It was a question of whether it was warm or cold.

I took a ~15 year hiatus from diving. Afterward, I never attempted really cold water in a wetsuit again, and when I realized I was getting quite chilly in 50F water I switched to dry. II never tried a semi-dry. My son did, and shortly therafter went to a dry suit. He never tired to prefill the semi-dry, nor did I urge him to try it.

You are correct about avoiding hot water post-dive, but I never suggested that for the reasons you outline.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Around here the commercial urchin guys wear 9 mil or 10 mil wetsuits, most are skin-in custom made with beaver tail and attached hood. They will dive for 4 to 6 hours in water 45 to 53 degrees and be toasty. They don't wear drysuits.
Right tool for the right job, right?

 

[34109411]

Around here the commercial urchin guys wear 9 mil or 10 mil wetsuits, most are skin-in custom made with beaver tail and attached hood. They will dive for 4 to 6 hours in water 45 to 53 degrees and be toasty. They don't wear drysuits.
Right tool for the right job, right?

i dont know how they achieve that. I could go in a 14 mm down to 58 f for 30-45 min max. But 4 toc6 hours at 45 F ? i will like to see that

 

[happy-diver]

What is the Best Neoprene Fabric for Wetsuits?​

You can choose between open and closed-cell suits, depending on your type of watersport or activity. To make your decision easier, it’s helpful take a closer look at the structure of neoprene fabric.

​

FFS Neoprene!​

Like a seal, Pinniped, swimming animal thing​

Open-cell​

Once neoprene is cut up into sheets, the tiny air bubbles or cells in the material open up. The process creates millions of micro suction cups across the fabric’s surface. These cells stay open if the neoprene fabric has no inner lining—hence, the name open-cell suit.

This type of neoprene material sticks directly onto your skin like watertight seals, keeping water from coming in contact with your skin. As a result, an open-cell suit offers more warmth than a closed-cell suit. So-called smooth skin suits are open-cell neoprene with a rubbery finish on the chest and lower back. Their glossy exterior repels the wind and wicks water.

Open-cell neoprene is recommended for freedivers and spearfishing enthusiasts who go deep into the water, where the temperature gets colder. The downside of open-cell outfits is that you need to wet or lubricate them first before wearing them.

NFFS Neoprene!​

Not like a seal, Pinniped, swimming animal thing​

Closed-cell​

Lined wetsuits cover or close off these open cells. Closed-cell suits leave a tiny gap for a thin layer of water to come in between your skin and the material. But thanks to your body heat, the water that enters your outfit will warm up and keep your skin warm as well. Most surfers’ fullsuits and springsuits are made of closed-cell neoprene. The lining slides on the skin more easily and helps slow down the cracking and splitting of the fabric.

Scuba divers also rely on the durable fabric of closed-cell suits. Double-lined neoprene scuba fabric can withstand the constant rubbing of various equipment against their outfits.

 

[kiliiiyuyan]

To the OP, I dive an Apeks semi-dry wetsuit when water temps are high 50s and it is excellent. Semi-dry suits have come a long way. That said, I mostly dive in Puget Sound in 40 degree water and also ice-dive and prefer a neoprene drysuit unless going in/out of surf or being in strong current.

 

[Skip Y]

I dive in New England. In cold water many divers pour hot (not scalding hot) water into wetsuits before entering the water. This helps in 2 ways. 1) The suit if already full of water reducing the water that enters the suit and 2) your body doesn't expend energy to warm the water in the suit

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I dive in New England. In cold water many divers pour hot (not scalding hot) water into wetsuits before entering the water. This helps in 2 ways. 1) The suit if already full of water reducing the water that enters the suit and 2) your body doesn't expend energy to warm the water in the suit

I thought of getting a new five gallon bucket with a lid at Home Depot and filling it with boiling water before I leave the house to go diving.
It's an hour and a half to where we dive so I figure it should have cooled enough by then to pour into the suit without scalding. Or if it's too hot then wait till after the first dive to pour it in.
Is that what you guys do?

 

[professorpaddle]

Not me. I use an igloo job site cooler with a 3 foot surgical tube stuffed in the spigot. I put it on top of the car/truck bed for a gravity feed then insert the other end into my neck both front and back, once complete I kneel or stoop down and enjoy the flow.

No matter what people may suggest, I do not however urinate during this operation. The only water exiting the suit is clean and any bubbles or foam in the parking lot are most certainly just residual off gassing that occurs naturally during my intervals....

Regarding the risk of Hypothermia discussed. Sure the risk is there but if you get out of the water a little chilly and need a warm up while you sit around that is very different then getting out with indicators of being mildly or moderately hypothermic in which case you should certainly not be planning another dive.