What do you consider cold?

[JamesK]

It all depends on the thermal protection. The Florida Springs are cold at 72 if you are only wearing skins. I will dive in anything if I have the right exposure protection.

 

[Norm]

Since the deepwater never gets warmer than 52 where I live, I consider water below 40 degrees COLD. I wear a wetsuit all year long, but when conditions topside become horrific I may (rarely) wear a drysuit. When it hits 72 degrees F I'm ready for trunks-only!

 

[budgy]

10C and above is warm, 6 or 7C is about average though it gets a bit cold staying still for a safety stop, I never had a chance to dive below 3C. Around 6C using a delayed surface marker buoy is a bit difficult because my reg might free flow. I don't think it ever gets warm enough for a wet suit, I have thought about getting a 200gm undersuit, but I'm waiting for the Summer sales. Has anyone tried those battery powered heated undersuits?

 

[ChrisF]

Anything below the high 60s is too cold for me.

Then again, I live in Florida, so I still get to dive almost year round

 

[ChicagoMermaid]

I'm a wuss too....70 degrees is cold for me. While I live in Chicago and it's like the North Pole here in the winter, that doesn't mean I like it. I prefer 80 degree water to dive in (or warmer). I have never donned a drysuit, and probably never will. I have no desire to do any cold water diving. I admire those of you that do, but I would just turn into a human popsicle. I've snorkeled in freshwater that was about 40 degrees, but that little jaunt was brief for obvious reasons. It was still the coolest little spot I've ever been to.

 

[MSilvia]

I've never used a drysuit, but I consider a temperature of less than 40 to be too cold for me to dive. I don't mind it being colder, but there are thermoclines to consider, and I like to keep all my gear above freezing while I'm using it. If it gets too cold, I'm concerned my first stage might ice up and start to free flow.

Chepar, if you felt like the Michelin Man in a 5 mil, you should try my custom 6 mil two piece... 12 mil around the torso.

Where'd you go, Waitomo? I didn't think it was too bad.

 

[BigDiver]

I would say the majority of my dives are in the 40F range. Ofcourse it is warming in summer, but here in Wisconsin you hit those thermoclines very quickly. I dive with a 7mil suit and don't really get that cold until after a few dives. I plan on ice diving this up coming winter. That should be great.

 

[Arduous]

I have dove in 32 degree water here in New England, in my Henderson Gold Core wet suit. It was dam cold, but the worst for me was my fingers. It was a 40 minute dive and by the end of it I had lost most of my dexterity. Not good if things go bad. Now when it’s cold I use a dry suit & dry gloves. The water here never gets above the low 60's and thats on the surface.

……….Arduous……….

 

[Jonathan]

when the penguines refuse to get in......

 

[Spectre]

I managed to truely find my comfort limit this weekend. Two dives @ 42 degrees was perfectly comfortable. The 3rd dive @ 39 degrees was uncomfortably cold. So that narrows my threshold down to somewhere within those 3 degrees!