Question Preparing physically and mentally for cold water dives

[Vivoazzurro]

Hello ScubaBoard,

Background: Had an interesting experience today on my coldest dive so far. When descending off the jersey shore we hit a rough thermocline that dropped from about 77° to 45°. This hit me a bit unexpectedly and I had a very hard time controlling my breathing. I decided to safely ascend and want to better prepare myself for next time. (the conditions today, aside from the cold, were horrendous as well. 5ftish vis, dark, super strong current and swell)

Question(s): Has anyone else experienced a strong breathing reflex in cold water? if so, what did you do to mitigate? (gear? Mental prep?)

What gear are you using for dives in the sub 50° temp range? Is there anything you can do specifically for the face?

 

[Cthippo]

Yeah, I have had this happen to me on a lake dive to recover a piece of equipment from a boat. The water was 70 at the surface, amd 56 below the thermocline. I had to conciously fight not to dart up to warmer water and keep searching for the item I was looking for. My air consumption was astronomical the whole time I was down there, but I have to admit the reward was a motivating factor in keeping after it.

The big differece I have found is to ALWAYS wear a hood when diving in cold water. I routinely dive mid-50s water and the hood, by itself, is the difference between freezing and comfortable.

 

[covediver]

I routinely dive in water that ranges from mid-30s to mid-40s. A good cold water hood with skin in (smooth rubber) seal around the opening helps. I also use a drysuit. An environmentally sealed cold water regulator to prevent freeflows. I guess I just kind of built up a tolerance to it, I know its going to be cold so the surprise of it does not accelerate my breathing

 

[Vivoazzurro]

Yeah, I have had this happen to me on a lake dive to recover a piece of equipment from a boat. The water was 70 at the surface, amd 56 below the thermocline. I had to conciously fight not to dart up to warmer water and keep searching for the item I was looking for. My air consumption was astronomical the whole time I was down there, but I have to admit the reward was a motivating factor in keeping after it.

The big differece I have found is to ALWAYS wear a hood when diving in cold water. I routinely dive mid-50s water and the hood, by itself, is the difference between freezing and comfortable.

I agree about wearing the hood in cold water. I did have a 10mm hood on and that worked well and kept my head warm. My face was the coldest part of my body.

It sounds like this might just take some practice and getting used to. Like you said you had to consciously fight that feeling to stay down and I might just have to get some more willpower and do the same

 

[Vivoazzurro]

I routinely dive in water that ranges from mid-30s to mid-40s. A good cold water hood with skin in (smooth rubber) seal around the opening helps. I also use a drysuit. An environmentally sealed cold water regulator to prevent freeflows. I guess I just kind of built up a tolerance to it, I know its going to be cold so the surprise of it does not accelerate my breathing

I'm not familiar with cold water regulators. What kind are you using?

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

I learned how to dive in cold, well actually temperate, water. In the winter, usually 7C-8C, and in the summer, 10C - 12C. Here on Vancouver Island, all the shops do their OW courses, with the students in dry suits. There are people who join in on the LDS drop in dives, who dive wet. They never do a 2nd dive. Cold water diving is great, if you dress for the occasion. We get vis here ranging from 6 inches to 100'. Usually somewhere in the 10'-20' range. A fair number of my dives buddies, dive self reliant. One does not need to be Solo certified, to sling a pony; gives one piece of mind if you can't see your buddies for a min or two.

 

[Bento.Box]

I regularly dive in cold waters. I haven't experienced that I need much more breathing than otherwise.
Mobility is a bit impaired due to the bulky drysuit and clunky gloves/hood compared to tropical waters.

One thing I have to deal with is the amount of snot in my nose, especially on extended dives. It was important to figure out how to blow my nose underwater and be careful not to suck it in as it can affect the ability for pressure equalization.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

When I’m diving in the winter (e.g. when the shallows are cold too), I will cool down my face while still on the surface - no mask, reg in my mout, face in the water, breathe for a minute. Helps with the mask fogging up too.

Also, drysuit, drygloves etc. But it’s relative, I find every degree below about 8 to be brutal. 7 is very chilly and I tend to sleep really well, 6 is hardcore and I think that people who dive 4 degrees are insane .

 

[happy-diver]

Well this is like summer diving, near the tropics and suddenly over a few seconds, you're in the arctic, in winter

If it happens again, you can keep it together and slow your breathing, only as much as makes you comfortable

Which you did

Unless you want to rug up, and cook yourself, for all your dives waiting for it to happen again, which it doesn't

Best thing you ever did was ascend

 

[davecampbell]

mammalian diving reflex maybe? I've experienced something like this a couple times, always in cold water. For reference the majority of my diving is in the Great Lakes, with temps as low as 37° F below the thermocline, depending on the time of year. On these couple occasions, I've had a mask flood, and when the very cold water filled the nose pocket, it was like my body refused to allow me to inhale. I was left gasping for a few seconds, but didn't panic, and it subsided reasonably quickly. Based on reading here, and other places, and upon further reflection, the common factor was a warm dry face, and the shock of the cold water hitting it. Since then, like posted above, I dunk my face in the water at the surface, and completely flood my hood. Haven't had the issue since, and I've been doing quite a bit of cold water diving.