extended time in cold water?

[RonFrank]

We dove CA the past few summers and it was anywhere from 45-60f. Interestingly the locals were generally not wearing drysuits. We were doing 50-60 minute dives, and most were not doing more than 30-40 minutes. I was not wearing gloves mostly, so it was not too cold but had I been diving wet I think 5-6 dives a day would not have been possible. Love drysuits!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Some people use argon but it is debatable if that works.

... to my concern there's no debate. Some folks claim it's all in your mind. I say "so what?" My mind and my body both agree that they feel warmer when I use argon in really cold water. Whatever the theorists believe, feeling warmer is the bottom line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

We dove CA the past few summers and it was anywhere from 45-60f. Interestingly the locals were generally not wearing drysuits. We were doing 50-60 minute dives, and most were not doing more than 30-40 minutes. I was not wearing gloves mostly, so it was not too cold but had I been diving wet I think 5-6 dives a day would not have been possible. Love drysuits!

Diving cold water in a wetsuit isn't a big deal ... if you choose the correct wetsuit, and if you're only planning to do one dive. When a wetsuit truly sucks is when you get out of the water on a cold, gloomy day. Evaporation happens ... and it sucks the heat right out of your body. The same happens in a drysuit, actually ... but to a much lesser degree.

On those days, dumping a gallon or so of hot water over your head and body (while still wearing the exposure suit, of course) is instant gratification ... and putting your booted feet into a cooler of hot water is pure heaven ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tigerman]

Not to mention doning that cold, wet suit after the SI...

 

[cloudflint]

Ive had 70 minutes in 39f water wearing a 7mm semi-dry. It was quite painful going in with the water hitting the face and hands, but after that it was fine.

 

[Tigerman]

Making your brain go numb work wonders

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I've made a few two hour plus dives in 48-53° in a wetsuit and it can be brutal. I began diving dry ten years ago and have no plans to ever squeeze into a wetsuit again.

 

[rcolsen]

I dive in 50 degree water water all the time and can usually do two extend dives. I eat well before going, I wear 7mm suit, hood and boats - I still only wear 3mm gloves and have no problems but that's me. About 50% of the divers I dive with still dive wet. We don't do tech dives with hours or deco, if that was the case I would have a dry suit on. I am looking to get a dry suit for winter diving but once I get one It'll be all the time.

 

[CuNanoTube]

I have done 2 hours in 7C water (at the surface, 4 at depth) in my 7mm farmer john. There was a 500m surface swim to the site, then an hour at 20m.
I was not super cold, it was not bad.

 

[Nwcid]

We did our OW dives this last weekend. Water temp was 57* F. 7mm wet suite with 7mm outer, 5 mm boots and gloves. We were in the water about 4hrs with the only out time to change bottles once.

By the end it was getting pretty chilly, but was not too bad. I would not have wanted to be in much longer.

The next day we finished our OW in a different spot with the temp being about 45* F. In the summer the surface temp is still under 60*. We were in about an hour and was not to bad.

I think the difference between day one and day two was the air temp. Day one started about 30* F where the second day was over 10* warmer.

We are going to do our first dives on our own this weekend and I am guessing the water temp is going to be around 50* F. Even in late summer the temp only gets up to 60* F.