Cold

[Terry9000]

Hello, I'm new to ScubaBoard, but I've been diving for a long time.
Just back back from a dive off North California. I have always used a 7mm suit.
Dive starts out ok, but down at 60ft for an hour I'm not just cold, my bones are icing up.
I come out shivering...I'm older now and I can't take the cold like the old day's.
Burr I'm cold.

 

[Marie13]

Drysuit

 

[formernuke]

Drysuit

 

[PR_SMITH]

Get a drysuit. Being cold makes you more susceptible to getting bent.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I come out shivering...I'm older now and I can't take the cold like the old days.

One hour in NorCal waters is a long dive time, and it's not surprising you got cold in a 7mm. Out of curiosity, what were the other divers wearing? Drysuits are very common in your area. If you never want to be cold again, get a drysuit.

 

[Imla]

What do you eat?

 

[Wibble]

Drysuit.
Decent undersuit.
Drygloves.
Decent undergloves.
...
Pee valve!
Heater!

 

[TMHeimer]

Tolerance to cold IMO has little to do with age. Growing up in NYC area until moving away at age 23 I disliked the cold water and did little swimming before mid July. Spending a few years in sub arctic Canada with 3 months of -30 winters, I developed a serious tolerance to cold and hated the heat when I returned to NY each summer. After 18 years now away from the North and in Nova Scotia I have noticed I gradually got colder diving over the years and being outside in winter and now am OK with NYC summer heat once again.

 

[Richard Dayan]

Everyone will tell you dry suit because that's all they know and that's what's available. I personally use a custom electronic heated wet suit 160 watts but only one exists and it's not for sale, but you can try my backup system which I used many times. The chemical heater.

Make a custom neoprene pouch 4mm, 12 inch by 10 inches., fill it with snap chemical heat packs (6-9 lbs), then stuff it in your wetsuit on your chest, 10 minutes before you dive. Its a lot cheaper and easier than a dry suit and will work

one more tip get a modern 7mm wet suit with watertight wrist and ankle seals, like a Henderson aqua lock, Bare or Waterproof brand

there is one company that makes this Mangrove thermo heated vest dch-v from aditech-usa.com. If you don't want to make one yourself.


1. Premium and most expensive--Custom electronic wetsuit $6000+
2. Dry suit with heater $4000-$5000
3. Dry suit no heater $2000-$3000
4. New wetsuit plus thermo chemical $1000
5. homemade heat pack $200


there are many options depending on your budget.

 

[lexvil]

Seaskin drysuit, custom made, about $1000 delivered, takes 8 to 12 weeks, you can get by for quite a while with the same insulation that you use everyday in the winter.