DUI says 40°f water is Ice Diving

[rfwoodvt]

Was cruising through my DUI owner's manual and happened to catch one of their "Warning" statements that declared water temps 40°f and below are ice diving and require that special training.

For the most part we only have 4, maybe 5, months out of the year where we won't be diving in water that can dip below 40°f. Indeed we can have water temps in the mid 30s' and still have no ice. In fact I took my drysuit class in April after "ice out" in water temps of 36°.

While I don't disagree that there are inherent issues that arise as water temps drop, I always understood the primary hazards with ice diving involved, well, the ice, both overhead and moving. Secondary but right up there would be the overall ambient weather and temperatures associated with the ice.

Hardware issues, such as freeze up, can happen starting in the 60°f ranges, so I don't think that's why they would call 40° and below ice diving. So there must be some other reason why would DUI declare water-temps 40° and below as the definition of Ice diving.

Thots?

 

[broncobowsher]

Well they are from San Diego. Not the place for brutal cold.

 

[Marie13]

I did my ice diving class two years ago in WI. Water was 38F.

Water temps at depth in the Great Lakes are 39-40F. And that water is liquid!

 

[grf88]

I guess then that we can ice dive year round in The Great Lakes.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Hardware issues, such as freeze up, can happen starting in the 60°f ranges, so I don't think that's why they would call 40° and below ice diving.

My guess is that is exactly it, though "cold-water diving" would make more sense than "ice diving," which, as far as I understand, is generally understood to mean diving under ice. Regulator freeze-up CAN happen at higher water temperatures, but at 40F and below you really should EXPECT it to happen at some point and be trained to handle it. Maybe they believe "cold-water" doesn't quite capture one's attention in a CYA warning the way "ice" might.

 

[rfwoodvt]

My guess is that is exactly it, though "cold-water diving" would make more sense than "ice diving," which, as far as I understand, is generally understood to mean diving under ice. Regulator freeze-up CAN happen at higher water temperatures, but at 40F and below you really should EXPECT it to happen at some point and be trained to handle it. Maybe they believe "cold-water" doesn't quite capture one's attention in a CYA warning the way "ice" might.

NAUI, IIRC, defines cold water as diving in water less than 64° which they infer is the point to start diving dry.

Can't say I've seen anyone else use the 40° though.

 

[inquis]

Can't say I've seen anyone else use the 40° though

Regulators. (40°F = 4.4°C)
CE EN250 coldwater certification: successfully tested in fresh water of 4°C at a depth of 50m, where it has been subjected to a moderately hard breathing-rate of 375 litres per minute for five minutes, during which it must not freeflow.

 

[rfwoodvt]

Regulators. (40°F = 4.4°C)
CE EN250 coldwater certification: successfully tested in fresh water of 4°C at a depth of 50m, where it has been subjected to a moderately hard breathing-rate of 375 litres per minute for five minutes, during which it must not freeflow.

Them European Standards will get me every time, lol.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

NAUI, IIRC, defines cold water as diving in water less than 64° which they infer is the point to start diving dry.

That's complete nonsense! Cold water diving is anything below 75 degrees. That's when I start to use a dry suit for long dives!

 

[grf88]

That's complete nonsense! Cold water diving is anything below 75 degrees. That's when I start to use a dry suit for long dives!

75 degrees! Does water really get that hot?