Cold Water?

[Firediver]

I am shakin after 32 degrees in a wet suit. I can't feel my toes, and changing is the hard part when you can't feel your toes. The last time this winter I dove wet was in January -6 on the surface... changing out of wet suit at that temp water tends to freeze to your skin......... and people wonder why I opt out for a drysuit

 

[terrydarc]

Anything under 80 degrees is cold. When you have to put on a full wetsuit it's cold. If you have to ask yourself, "Is this cold", it's cold. If you even think about shivering, it's cold. If there aren't palm trees on the beach and a mai-tai waiting in the bar, it's cold. If your first thought on getting out is a huge towel and a hot chocolate, it's cold. When your skin is as blue as the sky and your lips are to, it's cold.
=Terry

 

[H2Andy]

oh you forgot the cardinal test... the sine qua non of "cold determination" tests, the
grandaddy of them all...

you need to be a guy for this test to work, girls... i will say no more

 

[diverbrian]

I don't want my voice changing pitch. That is why I bought the drysuit.

I define cold as below fifty as that is where I start to be concerned with regulators going into free-flow. I started using a drysuit at the end of my first diving season so the exposure protection guidelines don't change much for me except that I may not wear gloves in sixty degree water.

 

[DEEPLOU]

I agree... freezing is when you need a chain saw to go diving. Been out about 5 times this winter -10 with windchill was the coldest on the surface thus far.. water temp -5 at surface -2 at depth.... and I love it Drysuit diving now.. was doing it in wet for a short time.....

I presume you are citing Deg. C. But even then, last I heard 0 deg C, made water hard (unless it is salt)

I didn't do any Ice dives this year, but last year, the water temp under the ice was 34-36 deg F. Air was 17 Deg F and the wind chill was minus somethin in double digits.

PS: anyting below 70deg F is dry for me.

 

[Firediver]

Yep.. I am siting Degress Celcius.. don't know my ferinheit very well.. let alone spell it DIving in the Bay of fundy there is no freezing unless it's a sheltered cove and very little water movement with the tides...
70f is toasty here.. I would be in a bathing suit heehee.. I where my drysuit anything below about 40F.... wet anytime in between unless I am already feeling chilly before the dive. Bay of fundy only gets up to about 46f or (11C) not much higher then that maybe a degree or two....

 

[Firediver]

The coldest surface temp I dove this year was only -14C with wind chill.. the salt water was freezing to our gear.

 

[JimC]

Its not cold untill your can bairly haull your self out of the ice hole because your fingers are numb and you can bairly hold the reg in your mouth because your face is an ice cube.

 

[Firediver]

Yep That I agree with

 

[pt40fathoms]

I have never dove in warm water...ever. :frown2:

Always extreme cold (4c under the thermal), always low vis (18m to 1m, 60 feet to 3 feet).

Next year though, fall of 2005 will be the the year I find out what "warm" water is. Any of our buddies to the south have any suggestions as to where, PM me, by the time I am ready, cost will not be a factor! (mortage freedom is Feb. 2005, woo hoo)