Does anyone travel to cold water spots to dive??

[dlwalke]

I'm considering getting a drysuit, but am unsure - given the expense - if it would be worth it. Anyhow, it did get me wondering whether or not or, more likely, how many find coldwater diving enticing enough to actually seek it out. Is cold water diving the sort of thing that you pretty much only do because you happen to live in Washington State or Alaska or Scotland or the tip of Argentina, or because you're on vacation in the upper peninsula anyway because that's where your in-laws live and what the heck, might as well check out the local UW sites....or do some of you actually take vacation time to travel from warmer to colder locales because you enjoy the UW scenery or cold water experinece that much?

 

[Vtdiver2]

I live in Vermont. We have divers from all over the country come to take ice diving lessons at my LDS. Some of the divers are on Scubaboard.
C-Dawg

 

[Jim Ernst]

I'm considering getting a drysuit, but am unsure - given the expense - if it would be worth it. Anyhow, it did get me wondering whether or not or, more likely, how many find coldwater diving enticing enough to actually seek it out. Is cold water diving the sort of thing that you pretty much only do because you happen to live in Washington State or Alaska or Scotland or the tip of Argentina, or because you're on vacation in the upper peninsula anyway because that's where your in-laws live and what the heck, might as well check out the local UW sites....or do some of you actually take vacation time to travel from warmer to colder locales because you enjoy the UW scenery or cold water experinece that much?

people travel here to monterey all of the time from all over the world and it is cold water, but the kelp forests are a major diving attraction for divers from far and close, and well gotta go, headed for monterey right now!!!!!!!

 

[dlndavid]

Hey I have to drive 2 hours to get to Monterey to dive cold, and I only do it to dive 'locally" I'd rather dive warm anyday.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I'm in a similar situation, grad student GaTech w/o drysuit. I keep trying to convince myself to get a drysuit. I see it as more of an opertunity to dive more locations when I already am traveling. That is if I am on the road I can stop in more places and get some dives in. I traveled to California last summer and dove Monterey while I was there. The trip wasn't exclusively diving, though. I can say that I was wishing I had gotten a drysuit. I also like some wrecks, so I would likely travel to the great lakes, if I had one. I'm not sure if that counts, as my parents live in Michigan. Any such trip would likely be to see them.

I see you list yourself as in Atlanta. My biggest interest in a drysuit is so that I can get to Lake Lanier. I think by the time I save enough for the suit, the lake will be warm enough I don't need it... possibly next winter.

 

[Henryville]

You may want to think more broadly about the DS. I was in Ft. Lauderdale last February (not what I consider a cold destination,) and I wore my DUI CF200 and 200g undergarment the whole week. I honestly believe that compared with my 5mm full suit wearing trip mates, I was by far the most comfortable. I think you can wear one on the North American Pacific coast year round. Also, a drysuit is recommended in general if you are using double cylinders.

 

[H2Andy]

British Colombia is a world-class dive destination, and
certainly cold water.

a lot of people travel to the NE U.S. to do wreck diving; that's cold water

Scapa FLow and the British Isles also...

so yeah... there are quite a few cold-water spots i can think of

i dive dry here in Florida for my cave dives (in about 70F water). the comfort
of a dry suit is amazing. but i tend to get cold anyway, so...

 

[dlwalke]

I see it as more of an opertunity to dive more locations when I already am traveling. That is if I am on the road I can stop in more places and get some dives in.....

I see you list yourself as in Atlanta. My biggest interest in a drysuit is so that I can get to Lake Lanier. I think by the time I save enough for the suit, the lake will be warm enough I don't need it... possibly next winter.

Yes, well, thats my true for me too as there are some vacations I'd like to take for the topside attractions (e.g., Ireland, Lake Superior, Pacific Northwest) but don't want to use up my vacation time on non-diving trips so if I could combine them, all the better.

Re: Lanier - have you dove that place in the summer? From everything I've heard, the only reason to dive there is because it's close and wet. I know there are some people on this board that dive it regularly.

 

[dlwalke]

You may want to think more broadly about the DS. I was in Ft. Lauderdale last February (not what I consider a cold destination,) and I wore my DUI CF200 and 200g undergarment the whole week. I honestly believe that compared with my 5mm full suit wearing trip mates, I was by far the most comfortable. I think you can wear one on the North American Pacific coast year round. Also, a drysuit is recommended in general if you are using double cylinders.

Well, that's a good point. I chill easily and would probably welcome a dry dive even in relatively warm water. I can't really imagine getting overheated no matter where I were diving, if I were in a laminate suit without any thermal garments underneath.

BTW - I like that Eco quote in your signature. I've been reading some stuff on quantum physics recently - I suppose Eco is some sort of social commentator, but it sounds like it could have been said by a high-energy physicist.

 

[OE2X]

A group of us are leaving to spend a week of cold water/air diving off the north end of Vancouver Island BC. Why at this time of year? Because we plan on having 100'-150' of vis with the most bountiful marine life fathomable.