When is it "warm" enough?

[Spears]

well guys its finally happened, after a long winter of staring at ice in the harbour the water is finally showing itself. i have been inpatiently waiting all winter to go diving again and i was wondering, when is it warm enough to start diving in nova scotia again? i wear a 7mm 2 piece with boots/gloves/hood. now i know it wont be warm enough to enjoy a nice long comfortable dive for a long while, but when is it considered to be warm enough to go for a quick one tank dive for a couple scallops without risking hypothermia by the time your face is underwater?

 

[jeckyll]

I personally wouldn't want to get into water colder than 40 degrees in a wetsuit... maybe 45 is more reasonable

 

[gangrel441]

Go dry. That way, the water is warm enough when it is wet.

 

[Charles R]

Go dry. That way, the water is warm enough when it is wet.

Good point

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I've done numerous dives in a wetsuit without any issues in water down to 42 F. I wouldn't want to go much lower than that in a wetsuit.

With that said, I now dive dry.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

My coldest wetsuit dive was in 43 degree water. Diving wasn't the hard part ... getting out of the water was. Evaporation is not your friend ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[fppf]

I'm soft, I don't dive wet unless its at least 60.
But we dive dry all winter long.

 

[johnny_bravo]

I used to do 40-42F dives but at depth even 14mm at the core is not much. Also as a previous poster mentioned it's the surface temp that's the issue.

Have fun.

-J.-

 

[MBH]

I just did my coldest water today. Leak detection dive in an 18'X32' pool. 46 degrees and I was semi ok. I had on my 5mm wetsuit, 7mm hood, booties, and I had to use my reef gloves for dexterity. I was ok, but 5o minutes into the job and I started feeling cold. I stayed under for 60 minutes and called it a day. I'll go back tomorrow with my shorty over my 5.

Like NWGratefulDiver said "evaporation is not your friend"
I'd just got into the pool and had to get out and go to my truck to get a tool that I'd forgotten. It was a quick trip.

 

[gomi_otaku]

Is there a hole in the ice? It's warm enough!
gomi_