Diving in the cold.

[Kim]

Japanese summers are hot - the winters cold. The water temperatures in the winter though generally stay reasonable enough to still dive with a 5mm wetsuit. The problem is that the air temperature can be much lower when you get out. What you folks do in these conditions to get warm quickly and avoid catching heavy colds or flu type illnesses? I'm also interested what folks do if they are doing a second dive (on a boat or something), and getting completely changed into warm dry clothes isn't an option yet.

 

[Paco]

Around here the air (and water for that matter) gets quite chilly in the fall, winter and spring. For shore dives, we have what essentially is four towels sewn together with a head and arm holes. If you keep your arms inside you can do a quick dry off and change of clothes right there in the parking lot. It´s what my family and I do when we dive during cold times, and actually we use them all summer too. It´s kind of like a poncho and we call them our changing rooms.

 

[spectrum]

If you're going to be out of the water for a reasonable surface interval there comes a point where you want to get completely dry to avoid evaporative cooling. Fairly warm water down the collar can buy you some time staying wet as can wind pants. Rolling your suit down to the waist and getting your upper boddy dry and bundled warmly also is enough in some cases.

As for when you're done, I do it in stages. Get my top off, towel down and into a warm layer or 2. Then I do the lower body. I wait till I'm warm and in solid footwear to finish breaking down and stowing gear. When it's cold enough I'll start the van as soon as I get to it and hop in to get out of the wet trunks ASAP and into jeans, sweats, whatever. That should do you well for any climate where you do the dive in 5mm.

Actually today it was warmer in the lake than the air temperature, we didn't want to get out!

Pete

 

[captndale]

Japanese summers are hot - the winters cold. The water temperatures in the winter though generally stay reasonable enough to still dive with a 5mm wetsuit. The problem is that the air temperature can be much lower when you get out. What you folks do in these conditions to get warm quickly and avoid catching heavy colds or flu type illnesses? I'm also interested what folks do if they are doing a second dive (on a boat or something), and getting completely changed into warm dry clothes isn't an option yet.

In the winter, when the wind chill is below 10 deg. F or so, we usually only make one dive per day. That way we can quickly get dried off and dressed and go for lunch and something warm to drink. If we are to do more than one dive we will make sure that we have a warmed up van or at least a tent with a heater to protect us from the wind and cold between dives. We usually don't dive if the wind chill is less than -20 F.

 

[Kim]

In the winter, when the wind chill is below 10 deg. F or so, we usually only make one dive per day.

It doesn't really get down to that - around 32F with wind chill a bit lower (although it has occasionally got colder).
The problem is that reasonable diving is quite some distance away and expensive to get to due to toll roads. If I could only get one dive it would make me seriously think about going at all. Still - I know many people have it a lot colder than me - although they usually seem to dive dry.

 

[blackman]

Well here in Switzerland in winter it can get to freezing conditions.....water usually around 5 - 6 deg° C .... happens quite often that we get changed in the snow....but my equipment is a 7 mm wetsuit with and underjacket, it just gives u that extra bit of warmth.....and when out of water, the heat stays inside. Sometimes don't want to get out out of the wetsuit. Obviously a drysuit would be tops.....When diving under ice in moutains, chaging is done really fast......but nothing beats a thermos of hot tea after the dive.

 

[Santa]

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It seems to me you can either upgrade to drysuit (non-neoprene ones are probably more versatile) and match the amount of underwear with the conditions.

- Or stick it out in wetsuit (as I do) and keep warm between dives by keeping those "dive cocktails" coming at a steady rate: I like to bring a thermos full of boiling water and just mix with saltwater to get the right temperature before pouring it into my suit. Keeps me going down to 7 degrees (in 7mm) for at least two consequtive dives. Then my feet kill me, cos my boots are crap ;o).

I use neopreme inner socks. Dunno if they really help but they make it way easier to get in and out of the suit (minimizing time spent halfnaked in the cold).


As for "de-suiting" in the wind, I'd say it just is what it is. Not the tropics. Anyway It's not the cold the brings on a cold but whether you got the germ or not. Cold just makes you more susceptible (got one as we speak, duh).

Sincerely

 

[bobco]

Here in the UK most if not all regular Divers convert onto dry suits, membrane are best because you can vary the under layer to the conditions. I still enjoy semi dry and wet suite because I like the contact with the water, so I tough it out until the water gets to 12c and below then jump into the dry suit. But then in relatively warm waters you can lose allot of body heat though a wet suit on the rib ride back, so always take a wind proof jacket with you to cut down the heat loss

Just my thoughts

Bobco

 

[mogwai]

Would go with the dry suit option. Would'nt leave to dive here without it. Have even considred taking it to the Red Sea in February as the water is cooler then.

 

[Porscheguy]

I personally take half my wetsuit of dry off, then put what ever clothes i can on and wait untill the next dive, or if its my last dive, i do that, get my gear away and such, then take the rest of my wetsuit off,(while someone has been getting the truck warmed upped!) then i personal like getting into the Canadian combat pants, but if your in the US i suspect those are hard to come by. After getting all that done i jump in the truck and head on my way. All of my diving is done in a 7mm wetsuit with hood and gloves. hope that helps you!