frozen lips...

[punisher]

at the portland quarry, I was able to experience what my lips feel like when water temp is that cold...

I know someone who can get me an Inspiro full face mask at a great price...if you've read Scuba lately you'd have seen it was rated #1. I plan on diving for as long as my body and equipment can handle...

Have drysuit...this is my first winter coming up...how do you guys dive and not freeze your lips? I'm gonna get the mask unless i'm convinced my lips won't end my dive.

if you have a full face mask, tell me if you found it worth it

 

[ScubaSarus]

Well lips vasco-constrict and don't actually lose blood flow (someone correct me here) and simply go numb. The hard part is talking to each other after the dive with numb lips. Its my hands that have always been the limiting factor in winter diving.

 

[pgdive]

One concern to keep in mind with a full face w/ a built in reg like the AGA mask is that you have to carry a spare mask and be comfortable switching masks underwater, if you have to share air or go to your backup reg. Definettly something to practice

Paul

 

[punisher]

thanks, I'll wait and if I find it possible to dive without it then I won't bother...

 

[MSilvia]

I don't know of anyone who bothers to use one. I honestly don't notice cold lips after the first minute or so. As ScubaSurus said, it's usually my extremities that get cold first.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Several aqualung regs, like the new mistral,legend supreme,titan lx supreme and titan glacia, have a mouthpiece that include a lip shield. I have never personally tried one and don't know if anyone makes these for other model regs. It may be worth looking into if you are really worried about this but I haven't been bothered by it enough to check. As was already said once the initial sting is gone I'm fine. Hands are where the problem usually lies until I decide to use my dry glove system. Jim

 

[MSilvia]

Now that I think of it, I've heard of some folks greasing their lips with vaseline to give them some extra insulation, but I suspect that

• vaseline probably isn't a very good insulator
• any perception of improvement is in their heads
• vaseline might not be something you want on your mouthpiece/mask skirt
• having vaseline in your mouth would be worse than having cold lips

 

[ScubaSarus]

I tell you what though its not uncommon for my lips to get chapped from diving in cold water so some vaseline or a good quality chapstick will help and can't hurt. I also coat my cheeks a bit.

 

[punisher]

just visited my LDS...they sell a thin hood for the inside of your hood. cutout around mouth is just big enough to put reg mouthpiece through. he the guy dives all year and at times uses it. first I'll test my ability to dive without anything extra

 

[ScubaSarus]

Just a warning about that hood. One group discarded the hood. A diver's regulator slipped out of his mouth and he had trouble getting the regulator back into his mouth because some of the hood material (Henderson Ice Mask?) slipped over his mouth covering his mouth after the reg fell out. So be carefull and aware of what happened there.