How cold is too cold?

[cobalt]

Without a dry suit, what is the coldest you have done at least 2 dives? If you can let me know the temp and what mil of suit you used that would be great. At what point in the winter do you hang up the gear for a few months?

 

[scubadude223]

I find it hard to get into the water on any day in a wetsuit

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I dive dry now but I used to dive wet in waters as cold as 41 degrees on a regular basis. Was I cold? Of course. I was in a 7 mil with a vested hood.

I never have hung it up, ever.

 

[rmannix]

Fit is very important in a wet suit.
Depth is an important consideration too. My 6.5 mm is warm enuff for mid 40's F in shallow water, but not as effective on a 100 foot dive where the suit compresses a lot.
So I have a dry suit for the rest of the year and deep dives in the summer (>70 feet here rarely gets over 50)

 

[dherbman]

I'll let you know after Friday. I'll be in 40ish water at 60' for the better part of an hour with 7mm, vested hood and suspect I'll be hung like a tic tac by the time I'm done.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I'll let you know after Friday. I'll be in 40ish water at 60' for the better part of an hour with 7mm, vested hood and suspect I'll be hung like a tic tac by the time I'm done.

Which is a half a tic tac improvement right?

 

[Ed Marshall]

Late October 2005 is when I hung it up for the winter. I know 72 degrees is not that cold, but it sure felt that way in a 3/2 mm shorty. I actually became hypothermic afterward and then came down with a bad cold. Funny thing is, the day before the water was 84 degrees down to 60 feet or so. Overnight, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) "turned over," i.e., the water underneath the thermocline traded places with the water above. Needless to say, I'll be waiting until spring to dive the lake again because it's now down to about 57 degrees, and there's nothing worth seeing down there in the cold, cold gloom.

On the bright side, I'm headed to Playa del Carmen on Friday...

Ed

 

[dherbman]

Which is a half a tic tac improvement right?

You peeked.

 

[redacted]

I'm still checking. Since I added this to my wetsuit http://www.quantum-heatpacks.com/?gclid=CJy8voy0w4ICFQHzSAodLX7ABQ there may not be a too cold in central TX anymore. With 5mm full + 3mm shorty + heat in 55deg F looks like I just need to get some high booties.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

You peeked.

I feel so dirty