How do you stay warm on a dive?
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Just to add to my previous post with a vote for a drysuit...
My first trip to Lake Superior in the Alger Marine Preserve, we did a dive on the Smith Moore around 80-95 feet. I wore a 7mm full with a 5mm farmer john, and a 7mm hood. When we hit the thermocline, I was about to thumb the dive due to the cold, but then the wreck appeared. When we finished, I was shivering a bit. Water temp was about 40 degrees F.
The next year we went, we did the same dive but I was in my dry suit. Same dive, same conditions, but topside I was nice and warm.
Regardless of the thermodynamic equations, and theories, real life dive-for-dive comparison shows the drysuit is warmer.
The one drawback to a drysuit is suiting up or a dive when the surface temp is 70-80 degrees F, and your dressed for 35 degree bottom temp.
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My first trip to Lake Superior in the Alger Marine Preserve, we did a dive on the Smith Moore around 80-95 feet. I wore a 7mm full with a 5mm farmer john, and a 7mm hood. When we hit the thermocline, I was about to thumb the dive due to the cold, but then the wreck appeared. When we finished, I was shivering a bit. Water temp was about 40 degrees F.
The next year we went, we did the same dive but I was in my dry suit. Same dive, same conditions, but topside I was nice and warm.
Regardless of the thermodynamic equations, and theories, real life dive-for-dive comparison shows the drysuit is warmer.
The one drawback to a drysuit is suiting up or a dive when the surface temp is 70-80 degrees F, and your dressed for 35 degree bottom temp.
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CT-Rich
Contributor
I wasn't voting against drysuits. I was just offering suggestions about to make the most of a wetsuit in cold water.
I'm too lazy to go through 5 pages of post. So if this is said already sorry. A trick I learned diving wet in Florida in winter. Take off your wet suit and throw it in a cooler. Pour in a thermos of hot water close the lid. I have put on my suit in the morning at Ginnie when others are getting in the water to thaw their suits my is nice and warm.
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Pinnacle: About V-skin - Pinnacle Aquatics
Lavacore: Mens Full Suit
Pinnacle apparently no longer makes the Bioply, which was similar to the two above products ... a skin with a very short, dense fleece inner surface.
jezellw
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Or Gatoraid or water or pop. Anything that will make you pee a lot. Do NOT eat asparagus the day before though.
I disagree with this.
If you are cold, making muscular effort only leads to more cold, as muscular effort needs your heart to pump warm blood to your peripheral muscles, that are cold. This makes the blood to return to the core of your body cold, making you feel colder.
This explanation can be found in the SSI Science of Diving book.
A drysuit does not keep you warm. It is the clothes underneath that do (the air/argon actually).
If the water is cold then you should use warmer clothes, thicker 100% woollen socks, warmer gloves (I have used these in -1C..+2C and they are absolutely superb: http://hestragloves.com/en/gloves/liners/insulated-liner-short/) inside the drygloves, a thicker hood (if possible, the Ojamo hood is excellent: http://www.divegearexpress.com/exposure/hoodglove.shtml ), an ice hood perhaps, an electrically heated vest (or as a budget option a surfers heat belt) or a heated undersuit. Chemical heat packs are a really really bad idea (severe burns possible). Dry mittens are obviously very warm but also very difficult to use.
A proper meal and a good nights sleep will keep the cold away. You should also keep yourself warm on the surface prior to the dive. A warm drink may help as well as walking and keeping busy. Avoid wind chill.
Take a few pounds of extra lead so that you can put some more air in the suit. It helps a bit. A tight fitting suit is a nightmare. Carrying heavy dive lights or reels, especially with metal handles, that require a tight grip and compress the gloves is unpleasant. Sooner or later you'll feel the pain from cold in your fingers.
I'd prefer to float weightless in the air not touching the drysuit shell at all
Unfortunately, this presents some challenges...
If the water is cold then you should use warmer clothes, thicker 100% woollen socks, warmer gloves (I have used these in -1C..+2C and they are absolutely superb: http://hestragloves.com/en/gloves/liners/insulated-liner-short/) inside the drygloves, a thicker hood (if possible, the Ojamo hood is excellent: http://www.divegearexpress.com/exposure/hoodglove.shtml ), an ice hood perhaps, an electrically heated vest (or as a budget option a surfers heat belt) or a heated undersuit. Chemical heat packs are a really really bad idea (severe burns possible). Dry mittens are obviously very warm but also very difficult to use.
A proper meal and a good nights sleep will keep the cold away. You should also keep yourself warm on the surface prior to the dive. A warm drink may help as well as walking and keeping busy. Avoid wind chill.
Take a few pounds of extra lead so that you can put some more air in the suit. It helps a bit. A tight fitting suit is a nightmare. Carrying heavy dive lights or reels, especially with metal handles, that require a tight grip and compress the gloves is unpleasant. Sooner or later you'll feel the pain from cold in your fingers.
I'd prefer to float weightless in the air not touching the drysuit shell at all
Unfortunately, this presents some challenges...
Last edited:
dytis-sm
Contributor
Ditto to that.
Lavacore and wetsuit are the best combo particularly if you want to be able to move arms and legs. I like the warmth of a dry suit, but you are not flexible in a dry suit at depth. Most of the time I am cold while diving for lobsters and I cannot see myself doing that with a dry suit.
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