How to keep warm in a wetsuit in 40 water

[Tanked Monkey]

Try both.. one way generally fits better than the other way. Depends on the size of the suits.

Assuming fit is not an issue, is one way warmer?

Man, what am I thinking? Why wear 10mm of neoprene when I can just use a drysuit. Oh, wait... $$$$$. Aw shucks.

 

[aquaoren]

I will be taking a wreck diving class in 2 weeks in the great lakes.
4 dives over 2 days in 40 degree water. Depth will be shallow no more than 60 feet. I have a 7 mm titanium sem dry ,7 mm boots, dry gloves and will put on my 1 mm under the suit. Any tricks to stay warm besides hot water after the dive ?? and should I put the 1mm on after the first dive?

You can not keep warm in a wet suit in those temps. The maximum you could hope to reach is not to freeze to your bones and be too uncomfortable. Period.
Since you are taking a course and the depths appear to be shallow, I'd assume you'll be spending a fair amount of time in the water, split over 2 dives daily.
Check the thread and you'll notice that even those who said that it's doable, wouldn't spend more than 20-25 minutes in the water. So while it's doable, will it give you enough bottom time for the course? There is a difference between a short fun dive and having to stay in the water for the duration of a course.
Please consider as well that if you want to learn something, you should pay attention and not think continously about how cold you are. Do you think that you'll be able to operate your equipment safely after 45 minutes in the water when your fingers are icicles?
Hypothermia isn't something to joke with. It makes you numb, more proned to DCS and kills many people every year (Not neccessarily while diving though)
Renting a dry suit appears a better idea the more I think about it or you should reschedule your course until the water reaches more reasonable temps.
Just my 0.02 cents worth.

 

[MSilvia]

I dove wet in temperatures as cold as 37 degrees f until I got a drysuit this past year, and my decision to buy it had less to do with temperature concerns than with wanting redundant bouyancy. So long as you're prepared to be a little chilly, and are also prepared to call the dive if you start to shiver uncontrolably or feel numbness in your extremities, you should be able to pull it off. My tips:

Plan for short dives. Cold is likely to be the turn factor before NDL or air supply. 25 minutes is probably doable, but plan on 15-20. The bottom temperature is likely to be several degrees colder than the surface, so don't push it, and make sure you log the bottom temp so you can casually tell the warm water folk all about it later.

Definately bring several gallons of warm/hot water, and pre-warm your suit before each dive. If you choose to take the suit off for the SI, you can pretty much count on the outdoors to keep it cold for you, and after you've dried off and warmed up, that can make suiting up for dive 2 awfully unpleasant. Having some hot water to douse it with will help tremendously.

Also bring a thermos full of your favorite very warm tea. Not cocoa, not coffee, not too hot. You want it to warm you up, but you also want to be able to pound enough of it to fill your bladder so you can "rewarm the suit" during the dive. If possible, pee strategicly... when you start to feel cold, let 'er rip. It ain't pretty, but it'll keep you comfortable.

Use the best fitting wetsuit you can, and if possible wear layers of neoprene. I usually went with 7mm farmer john/jacket. If you have extra space (especially in the joints), you're going to lose heat fast.

If the air temp is cold, don't "pre-breathe" your regs. the moisture from your breath can contribute to free-flow. Until you're ready to submerge, breath the atmosphere.

Bring dry clothes, two towels, and throw a couple of activated heat pads in the bag with them. When you pull a warm dry towel out of the bag, you'll be glad you did. When you're done with the towel, don't put it back in the bag. Use the other one for the next dive.

Once again, be prepared to call the dive. In fact, plan to call it, and let the instructor know beforehand you intend to give the thumb when you start to get too cold. That way, he can plan to do any required skills sooner rather than later.

Finally, have fun! Fun is warm.

 

[miketsp]

One last cheery thought - if your wet-suit freezes during SI, don't try to "bend" it before you thaw it out - it might break!

 

[midwest_matt]

I will be taking a wreck diving class in 2 weeks in the great lakes.
4 dives over 2 days in 40 degree water. Depth will be shallow no more than 60 feet. I have a 7 mm titanium sem dry ,7 mm boots, dry gloves and will put on my 1 mm under the suit. Any tricks to stay warm besides hot water after the dive ?? and should I put the 1mm on after the first dive?

I just dove in 38F water today. I have a 7mm generic wetsuit with a 7mm vest and hood. 5mm gloves and 6.5mm boots with 5mm socks.

Everything was just fine for me except for my hands, which normally get cold quite easily.


~my two cents.

 

[String]

Man, what am I thinking? Why wear 10mm of neoprene when I can just use a drysuit. Oh, wait... $$$$$. Aw shucks.

You can waste 2/3 the cost of a cheap drysuit on a 7mm wetsuit, add more neoprene and add more wasted money.

It wouldnt cost much more to get a drysuit which will keep you warmer, more comfortable, enabled longer dives therefore more value for money AND safer.

 

[String]

Plan for short dives. Cold is likely to be the turn factor before NDL or air supply. 25 minutes is probably doable, but plan on 15-20. The bottom temperature is likely to be several degrees colder than the surface, so don't push it

Thats one of the biggest arguments in favour of a dry suit. You pay money for a dive. A wet suit means you get 15-25 minutes. A drysuit could give you 45 mins to an hour. Once you start paying for dives planning very short dives and terminating because of cold is a waste of money.
Get a drysuit ! Even a cheap or second hand one.

 

[jepuskar]

Peeing in your wetsuit is not the way to go. Although the initial warmth is gratifying, you are actually making yourself colder.

 

[Tamas]

Peeing in your wetsuit is not the way to go. Although the initial warmth is gratifying, you are actually making yourself colder.

Not to mention the fact that you are swimming in your own urine and the smell afterwards that stays in the suit. Yuck!

 

[mxracer19]

Alright...the water inside your suit gets warm, then you move. and cold water draws in/warm water runs out. While it wasnt diving, I went swimming the weekend the ice melted off the lake by my house. Dont know the water temps, but the ice melted on a wednesday and I was swimming friday. The trick is to seal the entrances and exits. after all, thats all a drysuit does. Tuck your ankles into your booties, and your wrists into your gloves. That way, any water flowing out will flow into more 'suit', and to get out would have to flow around another overlap. Thickness of neoprene counts, but not if the warm water flows out, so wear any layer 'parts' on the bottom and cover them with a full suit. this way, all the insulation is on the inside where the non-moving water is. you wouldnt wear a parka and then put the wool on the outside, because the wool insulates you by trapping heated air, and if that air blows away, it does you no good. Its easier to keep water warm than get it warm, so after you put your small layers on first, then cover them with a fullsuit, then tuck them into other parts, fill your suit AMAP with slightly warm water. the cooler the water, the less your pores will open, and the warmer you'll stay - to a certain degree. too hott and you get cold. too cold and you get cold. The only way youre going to warm all of this coldness is to eat. Alot. drink fluids, but drink things like gatorade or mix a small packet of salt into your water. Often times with some marathon runners, they drink so much that they flush all of the salt out of their bodies, and they end up suffering due to a lack of minerals. Eat carbs, and right before you jump in, eat a little bit of fresh fruit. Fruit contains simple sugars, which are easier for your body to breakdown and extract energy from. oranges are great for this since they contain so much juice and have a very high content of glucose.

in short, MINIMIZE water flow, drink fluids that HELP you, and eat things your body can USE. diving in cold ater is hard on your body, so make it a little easier on yourself.