tips for staying warm while diving dry?

[chillyinCanada]

One of my dive buddies is a newer diver. Always complaining about being cold. I'm always ssying you should have a good breakfast. You need fuel in the furnace.

It finally come out that some DM had told her that digestion takes heat away and that's why it's better to dive unfed. I think have been able to convince buddy otherwise but will have to wait for upcoming trip to find out for sure.

 

[Storker]

the women's shirts have "modesty panels" on the chest area...

That would be a good thing for the men's shirts as well. If you're a woman with - I assume - women's size nipples, I'll bet you've never had a nipple poking through the mesh, getting really cold and rubbing against the jacket zipper. It's happened to me when I've been hiking, walking so hard that wearing just the underwear, pants and shell jacket was the right clothing choice.

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch.


(Uhmm, was this just :tmi2: ?)

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

First suggestion: dry gloves. Even if water leaks in, you hands are much warmer than wet gloves. When they do not leak, you will stay cozy.

I sprang a glove leak under ice once. The under gloves are just terrible at wicking away the water. The cold was unbearable bordering on painful. Today my dry gloves are consigned to the part of my closet that is for diving gear that I bought but will never use again. I dive with 5mm wet gloves. It's cold, but not unbearably so.

I bought myself some fleece socks from DUI. These are great and I use them on every dry dive. Well worth the cost.

 

[Buoyant1]

I'm using UnderArmour socks in my dry suit, and since I haven't found good hard boots that fit into my fins with my big feet, I've been using big wet boots over my drysuit feet. It's been working, so at this point, it "ain't broke" so I'm leaving it...

Hands? I used 7mm wet gloves until this summer, when I finally bent and got dry gloves (talked to a "published" New York based diver at Beneath the Sea last year and he said he didn't like dry gloves, he kept ripping them, so stayed with wet...I like the dry gloves, personally) Last time out, my dry glove plastic ring was broken, and I had to use the wet gloves for the dive (42º water top to bottom) and it wasn't pleasant...thank you SiTech for the awesome customer service in getting my replacement part to me with no hassle whatsoever! I'm hoping to get out this weekend (probably Sunday) so I'll be back to dry gloves...

All that said...besides the "ice cream headache" at the beginning of the dive, my head and face isn't too bad, and I end up with a numb face afterwards...not horrible...

During the dive, I tend to put MORE air into my dry suit than my wing for buoyancy...I wear unconventional undergarments (UnderArmour COLD gear base layer, a sweatshirt, and a cut off sweatshirt, along with a fleece sweat suit) I've been more than warm from a "core" standpoint, although I'm considering, spending the $$$$ and getting conventional drysuit undergarments...

 

[fisheater]

Buoyant1: If your head is getting cold, you NEED an Otter Bay custom hood. Best scuba money you'll ever spend. Contact Otter Bay Wetsuits in Monterey for details.

One caution, though. They are very tight along the jaw line. Get measured with a reg in your mouth. On the surface they can be a pain in the ass (or jaw, really), but underwater they are perfectly comfortable and WARM!


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[Parsons]

I have to give credit to 4th element and there dry glove liners. They work and I still have good dexterity.

 

[KevWind]

I wear unconventional undergarments (UnderArmour COLD gear base layer, a sweatshirt, and a cut off sweatshirt, along with a fleece sweat suit) I've been more than warm from a "core" standpoint, although I'm considering, spending the $$$$ and getting conventional drysuit undergarments...

If those sweatshirts are cotton lose them , they are the least effective possible material for insulation and merely taking up space. Also a general rule of thumb in and out of the water is, if your hands and feet are cold, wear a hat !! Just as blood will be drawn away from extremities to protect your core so to will it be to protect your brain.

 

[p1p]

WaterProof has a nice 10/5mm hood, thats a good alternative to the Otter Bay helmets.

Also 3mm and 5mm neoprene socks I've been using over smartwool expedition socks, with a silk liner sock.

But the Cou De Gra (sp?) is my new Golem Gear heated vest. I'll be diving it this weekend.

 

[p1p]

BTW, the vest was awesome.