Keeping lips and face warm
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Go full face.
Gary D.
Gary D.
I do not know if it works, as I never had to try it, but I got a lip protector (a disk of silicon to add to the regulator mouthpiece) wuth my Legen Supreme regulator.
I wonder what a petroleum oil would do to your mask and hood.
I wonder what a petroleum oil would do to your mask and hood.
zboss:
Uh, I wouldn't be smearing petroleum oil on your cheeks and lips. I doubt it would provide any significant thermal protection.
One option is a Henderson Ice Cap, a thin neoprene hood you wear beneath your standard hood that covers most of your face, cheeks, lips, etc.
If its that big an issue, as mentioned above, a full face mask is another alternative. (There are several consequences to get used to with this one...)
Out of curiosity, I live next to you in Arlington, VA. Where are you diving around here that you're freezing your cheeks and lips off?
A large hood that covers most of my face coupled with a larger reg (TX50) does the job for my lips.
Between my mask, reg and hood there is only a tiny amount of each cheeck actually exposed to the water and that soon goes numb.
Between my mask, reg and hood there is only a tiny amount of each cheeck actually exposed to the water and that soon goes numb.
Same as string - between the mask, reg and hood, only my lips and a little bit of the face area are exposed. The first minute or two of the dive can be a little painful with the cold, but it goes numb after a minute or two and then it's all good.
A good cold water hood touches your lower lip and your mask skirt sits under it. This is not a setup for new divers but if you are comfortable with handling your mask then it is what many in the Pacific Northeast use in the winter. One other point the top of the hood is two layers with small off set holes to let air that purges from your mask out; otherwise you would be what we affectionately call a cone head.
With this type of hood your lips are exposed but if the rest of your body is warm it doesnt seen to matter. By the by this is diving a drysuit. If you are in a wet suit then it may or may not work as well, I dont dive with anyone winter or summer that uses a wetsuit.
With this type of hood your lips are exposed but if the rest of your body is warm it doesnt seen to matter. By the by this is diving a drysuit. If you are in a wet suit then it may or may not work as well, I dont dive with anyone winter or summer that uses a wetsuit.
smoritz0370
Contributor
nwdiver2:
You can get the same kind of hood for a wet suit
rcohn
Guest
Doc Intrepid:
Ice caps works great, I use it for water below 50 degrees. However, your lips are in contact with the water, that is the only piece of exposed skin. And, on dives below 40 degrees they do hurt.
The ice cap also improves the seal of the mask, eliminating problems with a mustache. In addition, it the nose pocket is tight or the glass too close to your face, it will give you a little extra room.
There can be drawbacks, the ice cap must be properly aligned with the mask or it can leak and be difficult to correct. I have read a story from a diver who had a regulator freeflow. The air bubble inside the ice cap allowed it to rotate on his face so that it covered him mouth, nearly causing him to drown when he could not insert a regulator.
Ralph
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