To Cold to Dive??

[MntbikerBamBam]

Im just getting into scuba, getting my cert soon. I live in socal and work fairly close to newport. My question is does it ever get to cold to dive in socal? I have a semi-dry 6mm wetsuit. so thats what ill be wearing. so what you think? can i dive year round?

 

[Spade]

Well, it depends on you really. Some people have an odd ability to retain heat, one of my buddies never dives with gloves. Others, have to have 5mm gloves and 7mm booties, a hooded 5mm vest under a 7mm suit and they still get cold in 60 degree water.

Personally, I wear a 7mm wet, 3mm glove, and 5mm booties with a 5mm hood. Two weeks ago I was out it was 57 degrees for two dives at 45 minutes. I was "end the dive/day" cold the last 10 minutes of the 2nd dive.

The coldest it's going to be this year is probably this month. So, I'd say it depends on if you can handle it

 

[scubacalifornia]

You may be a bit cold wearing only 6mm in the winter, where local water temperatures typically run in the mid to upper 50's. Body fat is a great insulator, so the more you have, potentially the warmer you'll be. I recently lost about 20 lbs. and it made a big difference in terms of being cold. I'm diving a 9-7-6 Excel "semi-dry" suit which is 9mm in the torso, plus I wear an extra 5mm neoprene shirt/vest under that. I can tolerate 75 minutes in 57 degree water, but not much more. Your best gauge would be to go out in your 6mm suit and see how you feel. Keep in mind too that you may get colder doing multiple dives, and also that as time marches on, the insulation properties of your suit will diminish.

Happy Diving,
Kevin

 

[Teamcasa]

It depends - do you get cold easy? 6 or 7mm suit and hood works for most and perfect for me.

Dave

 

[jvdk01]

I did three dives yesterday at Anacapa in a 7 mm wetsuit with 3 mm gloves and 5 mm booties and hood. Dives ranged from 47 - 53 minutes in 56 degree water. I was a little cold for the last 10 minutes or so of each dive. I'm very well insulated, so you may be colder.

John

 

[pir8]

For me it's not really the H2O temp so much as the air temp when I get out

 

[Michael_Lambert]

Never too cold for scuba, Just dress correctly.

Our last dive was water temps 32 and surface temps -25. Great dive.

 

[pir8]

Actually I'll be Icediving in Vermont next weekend.

 

[Codyjp]

Never too cold for scuba, Just dress correctly.

Our last dive was water temps 32 and surface temps -25. Great dive.

ahhh, paying out the #*$ in rent suddenly doens't seem to bad! glad to hear you survived Michael.

as far as me, I find that I was much warmer when I first started diving, I think I have learned to relax and not use so much energy and so I get a bit colder now. I manage with a 7mm and 3/5 hooded vest, 5mm boots and 3mm gloves (i think)

-C

 

[HBDiveGirl]

I love my 2mm suit for diving SoCal year 'round.
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That's a 2mm compressed neoprene drysuit.
I made it through 2 winters of hard diving in a 7mm wetsuit, but the shivering ceased to be enjoyable.

A drysuit takes temperature out of the equation.
You'll know if you need one.

Otherwise, you'll dive all year in a good wetsuit and have a great time.

Welcome to spectacular SoCal diving.

~~~~~
Claudette