What do you do when winter sets in?

[Butch103]

keep an I on your BT will ya. Syruss and I are great guys to dive with. We would both be happy to fill your BC for you at 90 ft.

Butch eace:

 

[100days-a-year]

We usually go to the Keys for a week or 2.The water temps inshore are in the 50's the offshore temps in the 60's.I use a 7 mil,some times a hood.Dives are deep this time of year 95'-140' or more.So times are kept short.Doing deco this time of year is a bad idea here.Very large PELAGIC sharks are seen often.I have seen them up close,very exciting.The spearfishing is best here Oct-March,but the lobster are scarce.Vis ranges from organic soup to 60' during the winter.Fish are slow- moving so opportunities abound for close-ups of normally skittish fish.Oceanic sunfish(mola-mola)are here already.They are cool to see u/w.The bailout dive is either to the spring system 64'-78' year round.Also artifact and fossill diving in the rivers.

 

[keralucu]

Originally posted by Rick Murchison


Which brings up the question - Is January-February a good time to come to Thailand? When's the rainy season? It's been so long since I was in that area I can't even remember what time of year it was when we were always wet!
I do remember it was never cold.
Rick

Rick - Jan/Feb is the BEST time to come. Yes, it is our winter p) but temps don't go much below 23-24C. From end Dec thru mid-March is the best time to visit the Similans, April-July is best for the Gulf of Thailand. Rainy season is right now... it's been miserable in Bangkok but down south they have been getting some dives in although viz is pretty crappy.

You're right, it doesn't get cold by Western standards, although we've had some wierd cold snaps in the past two years where people up north, unprepared, actually died of hypothermia! "Believe it or not"....

Are you planning a trip over this way next year?

 

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by Manogr
hey all... Can someone tell me some more about that ? what kind of courses? any descriptions or web site ?

You can take the "non-diving" courses that your agency offers e.g. equipment specialty and oxygen provider. Or you can take some of the NAS courses - the lecture part, with the diving to follow when you can.

 

[The Chairman]

Winter??? WINTER!!! We just call it the rainy season and dive in our trunks still... hope this helps!

:tease:

 

[WetDane]

Hehe -
you're right - the water temp goes from a balmy 55 to a cool 48... Ya - maybe add some argon...

Big T

 

[joewr]

It will come to no one's surprise that I clean the filters in the heater, place next to my desk a stack of books that I have purchased during the year for the rainy season (quite different in Northern California than that in Florida), check the firewood stack, have my raincoats dry cleaned, and reconfirm the dates on our airplane tickets to various tropical getaways. And page through the photo album, remembering all the neat places we have been during the winter.*

Joewr...CAD Co-Founder

*Of course, remembering the insightful quote of Flo (of BurtFlo fame): "If there are not palm trees there, I do not dive it."

 

[detroit diver]

Well, the drysuit's on all summer, so no change there. Just a little more in the underwear department, and thermos's full of hot drinks back on the frozen land. Haven't used argon yet, but getting very close to trying it

Finding open ice is a problem around here. I'm not ready for overhead environs yet.

The viz actually improves do to lack of divers, swimmers, boaters, etc.

 

[Scott Sayles]

heck, when winter hits this part of the coast in California the diving gets better! Less sun means less plankton bloom and better vis. The beach tourists go home so if you're shore diving it's much less crowded. The water temp actually increases 3-4 deg. from Nov to Mar. About the only thing we change is where we go for lunch. Eat on a patio or eat inside the restaurant...

cheers.

 

[Greg G.]

Water temp doesn't change here, (Puget Sound) still between 45-55. Same gear, will dive even more cuz the viz is better and unless you ski, weather isn't good for much else.