Wet or Dry in the Florida heat, cave diving

[BlueWaterDiving]

Ok the last time I was up there diving in cave counrty it was HOT. After suiting up I got so hot that all I wanted to do was flood my drysuit. And I took my time suiting up and made trips to the water to cool down. So the next dive I dove wet and at 120 minutes I was cold. So the question is how do you do it.

 

[piikki]

Only travel between Oct-March!

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I dive the caves all year in a drysuit. Its easy to do. Get as much of your gear in the water as possible before suiting up. Suit up and go cool off if necessary and then get in harness or whatever. There are times between dives where I stay in the water and float around. Just getting out long enough to get some water to drink while I float around. The heat does'nt bother me as much as the damn nats do.

 

[pickens_46929]

Yep, what Kevin said. Put a gear line in the water. Get all your tanks and gear in the water on the line (or not if there's a handy place to rest the gear). Get in your drysuit, zip up right there before you get in the water. Gear up in the water.

 

[diverdoug1]

In the summer I will carry my gear to the entry point before suiting up. Sometimes I will even jump in for a swim and the towel off before donning my dry suit. That way I am refreshed at the beginning of my dive.

 

[piikki]

Yep, what Kevin said. Put a gear line in the water. Get all your tanks and gear in the water on the line (or not if there's a handy place to rest the gear). Get in your drysuit, zip up right there before you get in the water. Gear up in the water.

Are gear lines possible at cave sites? I am just curious because I have back injury, and currently I gear in water. A lot of cave entries get crowded though as they aren't that spacious, and there can be a lot of water movement too. One would have to remove lines before submerging for them not to become an issue for others. Not so much of an issue if only one of buddy pair needs a line as the other can remove lines but then someone is gonna get sweaty...

Not experienced enough caver to have seen it used. With SM not an issue...

 

[BlueWaterDiving]

I have done all the above. BUt the predive swim and I'm going to try that this weekend Thanks.

 

[medcop]

Dry in the North Florida Caves for me. I am in sidemount for OC or on my Optima, so most of the gear / tanks go in the water before I put on the dry suit.

I carry a piece of nylon cord with me with 6 loops on it and a stainless bolt snap. You can always find something to attach it to...then attach gear / tanks to the line.

No reason to be cold when diving!

 

[pickens_46929]

Are gear lines possible at cave sites? I am just curious because I have back injury, and currently I gear in water. A lot of cave entries get crowded though as they aren't that spacious, and there can be a lot of water movement too. One would have to remove lines before submerging for them not to become an issue for others. Not so much of an issue if only one of buddy pair needs a line as the other can remove lines but then someone is gonna get sweaty...

Not experienced enough caver to have seen it used. With SM not an issue...

No gear lines but I bring my own so I can move off to the side, away from the entry point. Most times there's enough room to simply float the gear next to the stairs or entry point.

Again, it depends upon when you're diving. Weekdays, crowding isn't such an issue. Weekends it's more a problem.

 

[TSandM]

I just did a week of diving there. It was hot, but we just assembled all our gear and made sure everything was ready to go before we suited up. I have done the trot to the water and dunk for cooling here at home, and it definitely helps, but in class, I didn't have that option much. The walks to the water weren't long, and although I was definitely hot, it was quite tolerable. I'm sure it is better not to be cold, although given my leaky drysuit, I didn't get to find out . . .