Texas winter diving- Wet

[Crazyduck]

This thread is from DUI drysuit thread.

Hey guys I am all for wet diving- just don’t freeze the twins (as Bill Engvall says.)
The second dive is the killer as Frank mentioned.

I am so… interested in a morphed semi into a dry suit so I started this separate thread.
Things that help-
Stripping down and drying off between dives.
Wearing a wind breaker between dives.
DUI hoods are awesome, Seasoft gloves are outstanding.
Putting a lined surf shirt or (under armor) style clothing can help slowing the water down.

Things that don’t help-
The Wind! (Wet- suits and hair are the worst)
Wet hair is what seems to really get the ladies out side of the feet and hands.

Fun jabs at drysuit divers- how does it feel to wear a 2k glad bag with footies?

So any thoughts on an excellent sealing wetsuit?

Andrew

 

[jchapman3]

From our weekend dives at Lake Murray this past weekend (59 degree water, 38 degree air); here are some things we did to help break the chill...

1st we had a pop up (EzUp) shelter thing. We covered 3 sides to act as a wind break and a place to get out of the wet stuff. This was convieniently located close to the front of our tent that had a space heater in it, so you could ditch the wet gear then make a quick dash to warm and dry. We laid out towels and dry clothes in the tent before we left.

I wore a reef shirt and similar fabric shorts under my wetsuit. I was suprised how much protection against the cold these offered even when wet when the wetsuit came off. (And I think it helped in staying warm in the water too). I also staged a fleece watch cap in the "wet area" to put on my head once the hood came off to keep the cold off my bald head. That was on when the hood came off, but before the suit came off. (Bet this would help those with hair too).

We hung all the gear in the EzUp to drip dry. 45 minutes before our next dive, we moved the wetsuits and under garments inside the tent in front of the space heater (inside out). Redressing was "chilly", but there weren't icecicles forming either...

It's a fair amount of support gear... but it worked.

 

[NadMat]

I have done all the above, and also will pour warm water into wetsuit to prewarm before getting into it. I also use the warm water to fill wetsuit on entry to slow inrush of colder water needing to be warmed up to body temp.

 

[wjknobles]

as far as a well sealing wetsuit ... i dive a 5mm Waterproof with a hooded vest throughout the winter

the wrist and ankle have seals and with the addition of the hooded vest the dreaded creep of water down the zipper is stopped

 

[amascuba]

I just prefer to dive with a drysuit!

 

[LVX]

No doubt, just get a dry suit... You will feel better once you do...

 

[Timeliner]

Do I get cold when I dive ... Yes sometimes . Do I get cold when I get out Yes.

One day I'll buy a semi-dry suit . Maybe I'll go dry if I'm still diving when I retire in 2027 or maybe I just move to a warmer place

In the Winter I wear a cheap 7 mil Neo-Sport Farmer John that flushes water faster then all 4 of the toilets in my house.
My biggest problem is getting out of the water and then.. later... getting back into the cold wetsuit. On a cold day wearing it during the SI is not a option. Unless of course I stay inside the RV the whole time. ( We did get one of those this year )


One of my personal tips is to just deal with it. It's cold but so what.
Don't let your mind make it colder then it really is.

Another is, I don't display the Temp. on my dive computer while I dive.

When I start the dive I tell myself that I'm going to be in the water for at least an hour so settle in, relax and don't breath like I'm running a 10K race.

I dress down all year and never wear excess pieces of neoprene on a deep cold dive in the Summer. I'm used to going sleeveless at 48 degrees provided the top water is at least 66 degrees. In this way I learn to just shrug off the chill.

I wear socks just because they feel smooth.

Do these tip work ??? Most of the time I tell myself they do

 

[ZzzKing]

From our weekend dives at Lake Murray this past weekend (59 degree water, 38 degree air); here are some things we did to help break the chill...

1st we had a pop up (EzUp) shelter thing. We covered 3 sides to act as a wind break and a place to get out of the wet stuff. This was convieniently located close to the front of our tent that had a space heater in it, so you could ditch the wet gear then make a quick dash to warm and dry. We laid out towels and dry clothes in the tent before we left.

I wore a reef shirt and similar fabric shorts under my wetsuit. I was suprised how much protection against the cold these offered even when wet when the wetsuit came off. (And I think it helped in staying warm in the water too). I also staged a fleece watch cap in the "wet area" to put on my head once the hood came off to keep the cold off my bald head. That was on when the hood came off, but before the suit came off. (Bet this would help those with hair too).

We hung all the gear in the EzUp to drip dry. 45 minutes before our next dive, we moved the wetsuits and under garments inside the tent in front of the space heater (inside out). Redressing was "chilly", but there weren't icecicles forming either...

It's a fair amount of support gear... but it worked.

...and by "fair amount of gear" he means two pickup trucks and a small trailer full. It was just about as comfortable as anyone has a right to be when diving in sleet, though!

 

[Timeliner]

The water will only get colder thru February but I believe that we basically saw the average for Winter's worst days over the Thanksgiving Holidays. If a person can live through that then we have it made.

Besides... what about all that Global Warming Propaganda Stuff ?

I though the sea was going to boil any time now

Darned those Nobel Peace People ....They were not honest with us were they !

 

[texdiveguy]

The key to diving wet in the chilly winter months is to do your best at hitting the ponds on 'warmer' and sunny days if possible,,,this makes for a better more comfortable SI time regardless of the water temps..