Recommendations

[LobstaMan]

I've never been diving around here in the winter. Just bought a dry suit last year and I would like to try diving in the NE winter, mainly to checkout the awesome viz everyone talks about. Any recommendations on sites or special equipment for a first-timer? Should I do a shore site that I've been to before for familiarity sake or is a charter okay? What about dry gloves or dry hood? Thanks.

LobstaMan

 

[Rainer]

I don't think a dry hood is needed at all (I don't notice my head getting cold). Dry gloves would be ideal (I can't keep from flooding mine...), as we keep turning our dives (around 50 minutes) because of cold hands (obviously in wet gloves). Other than that, nothing really different about diving now and when it was warmer. We're doing a mix of shore and boat dives (mostly the former). Just pick sites where you can easily get in and out if it gets icy.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Get yourself any ole 7mm hood.

Gloves is person dependent. I survived with good 7mm Mits but the pain and agony of thawing hands after exit has curtailed my winter diving. Dry gloves are a way to go provided they dont leak at all. Some peole have much tougher hands than I and have no trouble with 5-7mm gloves of good quality.

 

[matt_unique]

Have you been diving with the dry suit since you bought it? I was not sure of that from your post. If yes, go wherever you want within your comfort limits.

If this will be your introduction to dry suit diving, I would suggest you hit familiar easy sites until you are comfortable doing the standard safety maneuvers in your dry suit.

The vis has really been exceptional. My last 3 dives have had 50 feet of verticle visibility. How insane is that compared to what we're used to in the summer?!?!

I don't know how these guys do it in wet gloves. My computers read 38 and 39 degree water temps respectively this past Sunday. We dive dry gloves with chemical heat packs and our fingers are freezing after a 30 minute dive. Even just a few degrees warmer makes a huge difference in time and comfort. Dry gloves are as great an investment as a dry suit. I would never dive wet gloves again. The difference in comfort is outstanding.

--Matt

 

[MSilvia]

I agree, dry gloves are the way to go. Dry hoods are strictly optional... I've never noticed a need for one.

Let me know if you want to go for a shore dive at some point soon. I may be getting together with Jeff and Lisa before long to help them out with their first doubles dive. You're certainly welcome to come along!

 

[Soggy]

Winter diving from shore tends to get boring (great vis, but nothing to see) and be a whole lot harder than boat diving. It's tougher to stay warm, too. If you are comfortable in the drysuit, I'd suggest hitting the Poling or some other wreck in the area. We had 50 ft of vis on her on Saturday, in fact. Awesome dive...36 degrees though!

The thing you have to be careful of, however, is to minimize surface breathing (primarily exhaling) into your regs until you are submerged, so they don't freeze. The surface is really the tough part. Water temps are colder, but it's really the 10-20 degree air that will get you.

Even if you are diving dry, if you choose to do 2 dives (I usually don't in the winter), get out of the drysuit between dives. You will lose an amazing amount of heat in a wet drysuit due to evaporative cooling.

 

[spectrum]

Whatever you are comfortable with....

Have you been diving the drysuit elsewhere yet?

If it's the maiden dive then a shore site where you can mess around at a low risk depth to begin would be a good place to challenge yourself.

If you pick the right site then a shore dive is just as easy, much easier IMO. Gear up at the car and walk in. No boat to load or unload.

When the water gets below 40F I like to add a 2mm beanine under mt 7mm (wet) drysuit hood. The extra layer really makes a difference when you get some water movement.

My gloves are still wet, 5mm Bare gauntlet gloves up over neoprene wrist seas have been amazing. Just the same I am working towards dry gloves.

Arriving with your rig assembled can avoid fussing with some gear in the cold and conserve finger warmth.

Pete

 

[Soggy]

Arriving with your rig assembled can avoid fussing with some gear in the cold and conserve finger warmth.

A good point often overlooked.

Also, if shore diving, I will frequently just wear my undergarment on the drive up. It avoids having to change in 20 degree weather with a 0 degree wind chill! Just make sure you don't turn the heat up too high in the car and start sweating. Also, make sure to bring a change of dry clothes in case you leak.

 

[ScubaSarus]

On my winter dives we either had a large box truck with a propane heater inside and we dressed and underessed in the truck. We tried the propane heater out doors but on a windy day that thing is hard to get ignited. Other than that I wont dive in the winter when its cold outside has to be above 40 for me outdoors. Coldest water temp was 34 and I lasted only 20-25 mins before I had to come out.

Ide go with dry gloves no matter how bulky they are. I did make my own dry gloves out of PVC pipe, chemgloves, and a large hose clamp but you needed a screw driver or socket wrench to remove them and that could be dangerous in an emergency.

 

[matt_unique]

Not too much to see but there are things to occupy you. I like finding the big anenomes at Cat. There are some macro critters to look at too.

I personally never breath my regs on the surface in the cold air. Even a couple breaths can induce a freeze if it's super cold. We're talking about the exhaled moist air that freezes in your second stage of course. I'm also careful to keep my regs and all gear outside in transport (I have a truck) to reduce the quick temp change. I keep the drysuit in the cab though

36 degrees just s*cks even with all our gear. You can't escape the initial ice cream headache when you first descend. I wonder how cold the water will get this winter? The worst I have ever recorded was 33 degrees if memory serves (here in MA). Sub 40 is just damn cold.

--Matt