when is it to cold fo ra wetsuit

[bikeflip22]

at what month does it end where drysuit season begins? Is it possible to dive with a 7mm wetsuit year round, on shallow dives? I probably wouldnt go deeper than ~30 with it? or could i go deeper? im not sure...


Also, for added warmth, could i wear maybe a tshirt and shorts under the wetsuit for additional warmth?


call me stupid, but im not to sure, im new to cold water diving

 

[matt_unique]

I would say it's never warm enough for a wetsuit in New England I used to dive April through November in a 7mm wetsuit. Once I went dry I never looked back. The diving in April short - about 15 minutes before my hands were uncomfortably cold.

It boils down to your temperature tolerance. Some people dive Spring, Summer, and Fall in a wetsuit around here.

--Matt

 

[spectrum]

at what month does it end where drysuit season begins? Is it possible to dive with a 7mm wetsuit year round, on shallow dives? I probably wouldnt go deeper than ~30 with it? or could i go deeper? im not sure...


Also, for added warmth, could i wear maybe a tshirt and shorts under the wetsuit for additional warmth?


call me stupid, but im not to sure, im new to cold water diving

For some NE divers it's perpetual drysuit season.

Over the winter there were reports of some hardy wet divers though repeetitive dives are almost unheard of. Dives less than :30 seems to ring a bell as well. Actual Dates will vary but the coldest period seems to be Christmas till April 1. Remember that the ocean lags behind topside weather so there is a bunch of decent fall diving but spring divng can be chilly until well into May.

Street clothes will offer zero insulating value. If it's a baggy suit then in might limit water movement but in gereral it's worthless. Another neoprene layer is what you'd want to try.

Like all exposure protection matters a lot depends on your tolerance and chemistry.

Pete

 

[countryboy]

November, weekend before Thanksgiving...

Finishing up with an OW class. Water temp 41 degrees.. Was in the water for the better part of 3 hours... 2 piece 7 mil. COLD!

I was lucky to try the drysuit specialty this April.. Water temp 39 degrees.. Total time in water 1 1/2 hours... Nice and warm!

Now I need to save the money... still diving with the 7 mil, although have moved to a one piece for the summer.. too warm

 

[bikeflip22]

wow, 40 degrees, 7mil wetsuit, okay now i see the possibilities..

i can handle cold water quite well but i mean, theres not a fine line between stupidity and maturity.. i dont wana come down with hypothermia or something..

i wish dry suits werent so expensive..

 

[scubastew]

WET --> Eary June - Mid November
DRY --> November - May

If surface temps go below 47F (anything below 50F is a lil suspect), I would never consider a wetsuit. I think you'd be risking hypothermia with any prolonged exposure even at 15 feet in depth.

But that's just my belief, I am a skinnier diver without much of a "winter insulation layer" (on offense intended folks)

 

[countryboy]

Yes, I am insulated...

The students were not.. they only went in for 1/2 hr. each dive with a brief warm up in between..

Saturday, 14 students... Sunday, 9 came back, although not all dove. They finished in the spring, and the water was even colder, although I could not make it that weekend ;-)

 

[pennypue]

I think you can dive wet, but you have to dive a bit different.
I limited my 7m wet dives to about 30 minutes in 38-40 degree water.
I also have to be really careful on the surface interval to be sure that I get really warm or there won't be a second dive.

But now I'm a brat. I'm Dry, and still diving dry in August.

 

[ScubaSarus]

After diving beneath the artic ice for years .... yea haven't got my B.S. degree yet.

Actually I switch over to dry at about 50 or the way my suit now leaks lets say semi dry. In October sometime.
Also depends on outside air temps.

 

[navillus]

I think you can dive wet, but you have to dive a bit different.
I limited my 7m wet dives to about 30 minutes in 38-40 degree water.
I also have to be really careful on the surface interval to be sure that I get really warm or there won't be a second dive.

I only dive wet because I am too poor to buy a dry suit. I agree with what Penny said. I have a nice 7mm hooded vest and 7mm suit. I can usually stay down in 41F water at about 50 feet for 30 minutes before I feel it in my fingers. When diving wet in cold water I would seriously rethink a 2nd dive, unless you gave yourself enough time to warm up, BUT make sure you don't warm up too fast either. This is not good for your body. Try to use your own body heat and blankets. Make sure you warm up your core first, and to do this correctly (especially in the winter), it takes time.

I remember reading that heating your body too rapidly after a cold dive can actually contribute to the onset of DCS. Stay away from a hot tub or sauna after a really cold dive that dropped your core temperature!