Is it safe to dive in the rain?

[MaxBottomtime]

Wait! Max & Merry have a new avatar? What's up with that??!!

rx7diver

Like rearranging furniture, I felt like a change.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

B


By testing the Pee-valve with bad results

Hahahahahaha!!!!

I was waiting for someone to say something along those lines!

 

[Bob DBF]

As mentioned, the only inconvenience really is the non diving part. How easy is it for you to get undressed and dressed again without getting soaked?

And do you care about getting soaked?

As a kid growing up in SE Mass, it was the closest to air conditioning I got, as long as we got out of the way of thunderstorms, we were good. Now in NorCal the rain is in the winter when it's colder, but as long as I avoid hypothermia I'm good. I hate the wind in the winter much worse.

 

[alex_can_dive]

So current and visibility might be bad because of the rain?
Any way to check that before getting into gears/water? (any websites with such info?)

 

[Bob DBF]

So current and visibility might be bad because of the rain?
Any way to check that before getting into gears/water? (any websites with such info?)

Your local dive shop may have some information.

I just had to go diving and remember what made conditions better or worse over time. I found it took a while for viz to drop on the coast here after the rain started, as it took time for the water to move dirt and debris to the ocean. I spent a lot of time on the NOAA site trying to correlate the weather with the conditions I encountered so I could better predict the viz and dive conditions.

You have to remember that divers are the only ones that are really interested in the viz underwater.

 

[yle]

This is an interesting thread. My first reaction, as that of many others, was "you're getting wet anyway... rain's not a problem!" But the feedback from those that have dived in the rain is really valuable. There are a lot of special considerations if diving in the rain, from how it could affect surface conditions, visibility, etc.

It seems that it comes back to planning conservatively, within limits of experience and training, and since rainy weather can be an unpredictable variable, a bit of extra conservatism when it's raining.

 

[scubadada]

How do you think I came up with my username?

Seattle , I lived in Portland for 8 years

 

[TMHeimer]

And do you care about getting soaked?

As a kid growing up in SE Mass, it was the closest to air conditioning I got, as long as we got out of the way of thunderstorms, we were good. Now in NorCal the rain is in the winter when it's colder, but as long as I avoid hypothermia I'm good. I hate the wind in the winter much worse.

Yeah, for some reason I never liked being in wet clothes. Living through Northern Manitoba winters of temperatures that often reached minus 40, when it got too cold to snow didn't bother me. Nor does snow-- unless of course it's very WET snow.
I also don't care about rain if I'm only in my bathing suit. It's the wet clothes & footwear I can't stand.

 

[SlugLife]

So current and visibility might be bad because of the rain?
Any way to check that before getting into gears/water? (any websites with such info?)

It depends on the environment. If you're diving in a lake that has no current, even hurricane-level storms wouldn't really cause a current. In a river you might experience flash-flooding.

Where I dive always has poor visiblity most of the time. However, it does get worse AFTER something like an entire week of heavy rain. It doesn't become instantly worse in a lake (but could in a river).

Dark clouds could of course affect how much light you have underwater, but not the view-distance, and isn't that much different than a cloudy day.

This is an interesting thread. My first reaction, as that of many others, was "you're getting wet anyway... rain's not a problem!" But the feedback from those that have dived in the rain is really valuable. There are a lot of special considerations if diving in the rain, from how it could affect surface conditions, visibility, etc.

It seems that it comes back to planning conservatively, within limits of experience and training, and since rainy weather can be an unpredictable variable, a bit of extra conservatism when it's raining.

With a few rare exceptions, the dive itself doesn't need to be more conservative. I mean nothing wrong with playing it safe, but when you're underwater, even the most severe weather might go overhead without you even noticing.

Surface conditions (waves, lightning, and surface-equipment) is really only the major difference. For example, you want to ensure you can safely enter and exit the water, but you don't need to do much of anything different around depth or gas-planning.

 

[stretchthepenn]

One factor nobody's mentioned yet is the season of year.

If it's summer and the water temps are warmish to mild, I'mma dive in a wetsuit, so getting my person wet before or after the dive ain't a concern. Getting rained on may even make slithering into a wetsuit easier.

If it's winter and the water temps are chilly, I'mma dive in a drysuit, meaning I need to guarantee that I'll stay dry until I hit the water and at least have a strong chance of staying dry when I unzip. Wet underwear usually has a negative-insulation factor, y'know.