regs, bcd then drysuit?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I may be half Dutch, but no relation to Wim Hof.

Wear a proper suit and undersuit, eat properly and so don’t get cold in general and then your hands will be much better. If your extremities are shutting off you are too cold at the core and that needs to be addressed.

Heat is lost through the palms as well. Dry gloves help mitigate that. I have always had good dry suits. I have used Santi BZ400 and Fourth Element Halo 3D (my preference), so I've got the proper suit and undergarment taken care of. I also have a heated vest. Maybe you and I have a different amount of bioprene? I eat healthy, drink a lot of water daily.

I just love heat. Give me 100/40 degrees plus weather and I'm happy.

Like silly computers, over specified drysuits are poor advice. A decent suit which fits well and is dry is the most important thing. In recent years dry gloves, silicone seals, front zips, plastic zips etc have become common but are mostly an unnecessary expense. People who do get cold easily or are diving in very cold water will benefit, but 10C really isn’t too awful for most people.

I agree that a properly fitted dry suit and a proper undergarment are paramount. I also advocated for the K-01 hood as it is the warmest on the market. We do lose a lot of heat through our heads.

I could start a thread on FB asking divers if they think 10C/50F "isn't too awful." I expect the results to be amusing. I expect some rather colorful expressions.

 

[KenGordon]

I may be half Dutch, but no relation to Wim Hof.



Heat is lost through the palms as well. Dry gloves help mitigate that. I have always had good dry suits. I have used Santi BZ400 and Fourth Element Halo 3D (my preference), so I've got the proper suit and undergarment taken care of. I also have a heated vest. Maybe you and I have a different amount of bioprene? I eat healthy, drink a lot of water daily.

I just love heat. Give me 100/40 degrees plus weather and I'm happy.

I agree that a properly fitted dry suit and a proper undergarment are paramount. I also advocated for the K-01 hood as it is the warmest on the market. We do lose a lot of heat through our heads.

I could start a thread on FB asking divers if they think 10C/50F "isn't too awful." I expect the results to be amusing. I expect some rather colorful expressions.

Are you saying I have fat hands?

My point is that dry gloves are not required by everybody in reasonable temperatures. Dry gloves add complications. Of course there are people who prefer dry gloves and some who really need them, recently I was on a boat with a photographer who had Raynaud’s - she was using heated gloves and a heated vest. Temperatures were typically 10C at depth and 11 on stops. Half the boat were using wet gloves without issue, some of the dry gloves were wet.

 

[fmerkel]

Cold is relative. Most people don't do well over the long haul diving without one in sub 50* water. One of the issues is as you become an more experienced diver you move less, use less air, and end up spending more time underwater. That's good, but it tends to make you cold. Activity can generate a lot of heat. Newer divers move a lot and burn up more air.

OTOH -There's an active group of 'polar bears' in Puget Sound. They swim regularly, year round. No neoprene at all. They do not rush in and out. They go for long swims and will spend 20-30+ minutes routinely. I've met them on surface swims (both sides think the other people are crazy), and even had them free dive on me during a pumpkin carve (shallow). The next one came back and did a free dive carve session. Quite a feat given the rules (pumpkin cannot be cut until 10' of depth, all carving below at least 10', one hour limit).

 

[Marie13]

I’ll be starting my cavern/intro to cave class this long American holiday weekend. Water temp will be around 50F (we are in the Midwest after all). We will ALL be wearing dry gloves.