Is it safe to dive in the rain?

[Brett Hatch]

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.

Agreed. Are you able to change into your undies and drysuit at home, or in your car? I haven't tried putting mine on in my car, but it seems doable. If neither are reasonable, maybe an easy-up is the way to go.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Agreed. Are you able to change into your undies and drysuit at home, or in your car? I haven't tried putting mine on in my car, but it seems doable. If neither are reasonable, maybe an easy-up is the way to go.

A number of people set up covers for the back of their trucks/SUVs/wagons. I just change under my tailgate to keep my undergarment dry. In some locations, people put on their dry suit in a public bathroom.

 

[pauldw]

The thing about rain is that it comes from clouds, and the thing about clouds is that they block some sunlight. So, take a light.

 

[Subcooled]

I get that diving with thunderstorms is stupid but if it’s just raining, is it safe to dive? (Especially for new divers?)

Surface runoff can absolutely destroy visibility, all the sand and clay entering your pond, and while that is not dangerous in itself, the uncertainty and fear caused by low visibility in new divers could be. Hence, rain is not a risk factor, but low visibility can be.

If you dive at sea, the situation might not be that bad. I just hope that you know where the shore is.

 

[SlugLife]

(This is a 1-year old thread that got necro'd.)

It occurs to me one could easily turn threads like this into articles:

"101 Things You May Not Know About Diving in the Rain!"

1. You may get wet.
2. ...

 

[admikar]

One of my more memorable dives was in the Philippines during a rain storm. You could here the rain hitting the surface and the lightning was lighting up the reef which at first I thought it was somebody's strobe until I looked up. The boat ride back was a little exciting.

Apart from different location, you just took my post away from me.
It was so surreal to see flashes under 100+ ft of water.
Let's just say that climbing back onto a boat was an interesting experience for some. I just almost just stepped onto a boat.

 

[lowviz]

@SlugMug
3. It is beautiful to watch and all the fun is at the surface where your gas lasts forever.
4. On the surface, don't fall for some DM/Instructor screaming "Get that gear out of the rain!!"
5. ...

 

[Guille G]

Coming up from a dive in Puerto Morelos, over a shallow reef, it stated pouring. It looked beautiful from under the water. Once on top, we could see water funnels forming on the sky, way out in open sea. The bit of swell that had picked up with wind and rain lifted us high enough that we could see really far out there.

Made the climb back to the boat a bit sportier than usual, but all in all, it looked beautiful while waiting for pickup.

Roads can get muddy and dangerous in the rain if your dive site is off the beaten track.

TL;DR - actual storms are bad, but a bit of rain is no big deal and may even add something to the dive.

 

[Doby45]

Coming up from a dive in Puerto Morelos, over a shallow reef, it stated pouring. It looked beautiful from under the water. Once on top, we could see water funnels forming on the sky, way out in open sea. The bit of swell that had picked up with wind and rain lifted us high enough that we could see really far out there.

Made the climb back to the boat a bit sportier than usual, but all in all, it looked beautiful while waiting for pickup.

Roads can get muddy and dangerous in the rain if your dive site is off the beaten track.

TL;DR - actual storms are bad, but a bit of rain is no big deal and may even add something to the dive.

I have seen the same "rain on the water" at Ginnie in Florida, it is amazing..

 

[pauldw]

You're new, so I'm just going to give you the bitter truth that they wouldn't have told you in class. Thunderstorms bring lightning strikes, and lightning strikes cause wildfires. Those may have to be fought. If they're fought with helicopters with buckets, and with scoop aircraft, and if you're near the surface in the nearest body of water they can access, then there's a risk you could find yourself being inadvertently transported to the fire site and dumped on it. Unless you're specifically trained in Fire Diving, you're not likely to survive that. So, keep that in mind also.