Wetsuit preheating? An idea

[large_diver]

My WETSUIT cold water tips (it snowed 1-2 inches here in Boston this morning -- UGH!) --

- I wear fleece-lined neoprene hunting socks under my booties when water is colder
- Hooded vest (vs. just hood when water is warmer)
- soak gloves in warm water between dives

 

[Brandon]

If I have access to anywhere remotely warm, it's nice to keep a pail of water inside (if no shelter, your car works too if it's close) to put hood and gloves in. When it's 10 degrees Farenheit outside and the water is 35 degrees, anything helps =) It sucks to be cold -before- you get in the water.

 

[nwdiver2]

Fill a cooler (48 to 60 qt size) with hot tap water in the morning, as hot as it can get. Float some apple cider in it to warm up the insides. Use a small pail to pour it into your suit after a dive. Be careful it is not; still too hot when you want to use it.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Fill a cooler (48 to 60 qt size) with hot tap water in the morning, as hot as it can get. Float some apple cider in it to warm up the insides. Use a small pail to pour it into your suit after a dive. Be careful it is not; still too hot when you want to use it.

..and the tip about warming up the insides is a good one too.

I have a *cooler* that I take warm water to the dive site when I will be doing multiple shore dives (and I remember) to soak my hood in... the only wet part I have.

Floating a water bottle in it is something I hadn't thought of before. Great idea nwdiver2, thanks.

 

[diver_paula]

Fill a cooler (48 to 60 qt size) with hot tap water in the morning, as hot as it can get. Float some apple cider in it to warm up the insides. Use a small pail to pour it into your suit after a dive. Be careful it is not; still too hot when you want to use it.

Oooh... very good suggestion regarding the apple cider.

Thank you!
Paula

 

[hantzu701]

Anyone try the hot wine apres dive?

Other advice relating diving wet in cold:

I vote hooded vest. Don't bother with buying just a hood. The cost diff is only ~$30. With just a hood, cold water RUNS DOWN YOUR BACK. Not very pleasant at 30ft. Even worse at 60ft when you begin shivering.

I think it goes without saying that you need to put on the wet suit right in the first place. Don't be shy about asking your buddy to help you put on your wet suit if necessary. If the wet suit won't lay flat, a little soapy water on the wrists and leg holes can help.

I think this trick is from dry suit neoprene divers - fold the neoprene for the arm hole back into the hole under your wrist. I'm not sure if I'm describing it correctly. This will help trap water in the suit and keep you warmer.

More neoprene is better, but too much results in Mr. Penguin. My buddy wears his 7mm and his tropical 3mm shorty AND his wife's shorty. He waddles to the water and can't really turn his head. He's funny looking, but WARM.

If the air temps are freezing, metal to metal connections will FREEZE together. Wet gloves, hoods, etc can freeze to whatever you place them on - picnic benches, cars... etc. Not to mention frozen hair..

We don't have heated changing rooms at our dive sites, so some members of my dive club wear their wetsuit on the drive home. I've tried that and this really, really sucks. I find that helping my buddy change and then having him help me speeds everything up. Big thick fleece hat helps a ton too. I look funny, but I'm warm.

I haven't tried hot apple cider, but I guess the effect is the same. When I was kayaking in Maine, I got addicted to hot cranberry juice.

I guess the last is looking into buying a used dry suit. Entry level drysuits w/ fleece, boots, go for $1000. Used is about $500. As a new wetsuit is $200-300, hooded vest $100, gloves & booties $100, you might be ahead if you dispensed with the wet suit altogether.