New Years Day in Rhode Island

[TMHeimer]

That's about the same time for me in my 7 mil farmer john with a 2mm hooded vest, 15-20min. If I do more I'll be shivering by the time I get out of the water. Fall / Winter storms bring the cold water from the deep to the shallows. Gets cold fast after Oct. around here. Newport RI
Station ID: 8452660 reports 36.5°F (2.5°C) water temp today.

We just moved into the suburbs after years with a rocky ocean beach & 1,000' of oceanfront. Winter dives those years meant gearing up in the basement and walking into the water, walking back after to inside. Now I drive maybe what amounts to 2-3 blocks with wetsuit and weight belt on and plastic covering the driver's seat. Must go at high tide to get any depth at all. The things we do to keep it going somewhat in winter....
They say buy a drysuit, but for many years we spent 2-3 months in N. Florida or AL/MS.
2006 (Feb.)--Destin, FL--This is when I SAW my first drysuit. Asked what it was she was wearing.

 

[AfterDark]

Sounds like you had it made before the move. Yeah, I dive dry below 55F. Never got that dry suit diving in FL any time of the year, being a New Englander I haven't found what I would call cold water in FL with the exception of caves. I suppose a long FL cave dive would require a dry suit.

 

[TMHeimer]

Sounds like you had it made before the move. Yeah, I dive dry below 55F. Never got that dry suit diving in FL any time of the year, being a New Englander I haven't found what I would call cold water in FL with the exception of caves. I suppose a long FL cave dive would require a dry suit.

Actually, on the panhandle winter lows for water are usually around 55-57. I did record 44 on Jan. 23, 2014 on a shore dive at Ft. Walton Beach. Than was a "cold" winter in general, as water temps. ranged from 44-53. One day or so the sand was actually frozen and you walked "on" it as if it was icey snow, and could punch your boot through it. Roads were closed for icing-right on the Gulf.