Question Preparing physically and mentally for cold water dives

[johndiver999]

I think if I were faced with this problem, I would get a big bowl and fill it with ice water. Put my hood on (and not my mask) and stick my face in the water for enough sessions that it does not freak me out. It doesn't sound like fun, but I think you will get acclimated to it. Maybe use a snorkel.

With the OP's current "mindset", should the mask be dislodged below the thermocline, there would almost surely be a panic response, which could be fatal. If you are going to dive in water below 45 degrees, you really have to be a little nuts.

 

[34109411]

well you where not in a hot tub for sure. Dry suit will do nothing else.

Will you breath more in cold water ? Off course you body compensate for heat lost and need to pump more blood all around. This depend on the exposure you use.

Be safe

 

[TravisD]

Swearing works for me. I hit a cold thermocline and a few "holy s*it"s and similar yelled thru the reg helps me adjust for some reason.

 

[boulderjohn]

Swearing works for me.

As it does for the people in this video, including Dr. Richard Pyle. Cold is relative--the temperatures that are inciting their profanity would not bother someone more suitably dressed.

 

[covediver]

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

Apeks XTX DST first stage, XTX 50 second state. Used this combo for 20 years with fw free flow problems due to the cold.

 

[covediver]

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.

I did dive at the Pacific Rim National Park and Campbell River in August 1992 using a wetsuit designed for commercial divers. Barely tolerable after a couple of dives and lots of warmup between dives. A couple years ago I did two dives in an Arctic wetsuit (8/7/6 mm) in 9 C water. You are quite right. Drysuit is the only way to go.

 

[gcbryan]

To the OP, your issue was just that you were dressed for one temp and got another temp. If you know the dive is going to be that way deeper and you plan to go deeper then just wear more exposure protection.

If you don't need to go that deep, don't. My diving is the PNW where it's commonly 46 F in the winter and maybe as "warm" as 54 for a few dives in August.

I learned in a wetsuit and immediately bought a drysuit. Most times I'll even wear dry gloves (just because I can).

I dove in BC off Quadra Island in the winter while it was snowing and a shallow dive was 39F and most of the other dives were 43 F.

I took a little more weight and another layer of undergarments. If you have on a hood, your core body is warm and you have on dry gloves, your face isn't really an issue (except for maybe the first time).

I remember when I did my first OW dives as part of my class and I was in a wetsuit, when I first put my head under the water (with hood) it felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer. It never felt like that again.

The solution is just to use an appropriate drysuit and undergarments and it's no big deal.

The PNW, in general has viz of about 15'. In the winter it can be better, especially if it's not raining. Runoff makes it less.

Off Vancouver Island it can be a lot better in the winter because there will probably be no rainwater runoff because in the winter that "rain" will probably be snow. On my Quadra Island dives I had viz of close to 100'.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

If you are going to dive in water below 45 degrees, you really have to be a little nuts.

 

[steinbil]

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.

This right here! All winter I dive in around 4C surface temps, and a soothing 8-9C deeper down. Cooling face down in the water (and the accompanying brain freeze) is standard practice. Really helps when you flood a mask - that will definitely screw up your breathing getting ice cold water over your eyes.

PS
I did my GUE fundamentals in 4-5C temps. No mask drills and the no mask swim was interesting...

 

[Vivoazzurro]

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 .

I think this might be the first step I take going into the next cold dive. I went right from the hot surface and descended fairly quick. The temp change was definitely a shock to my system...

last time I went in with the correct undergarments, but this time I will be taking your suggestion and will be sitting in the water before descending to get used to the temp. Thank you!