Winter Wetsuit Diving in Monterey Area?

[Coelacanth]

I was hoping to get some diving done on my winter break from school (I decided against trying to dive during school, what with having to rent and return gear via bus and rinsing and drying out the gear in a co-ed communal bathroom...) but am wondering if the water will just be too damn cold for any enjoyable diving. I would be in the 7mm jane/jacket/boots/gloves/hood setup and have had no experience with drysuits so they're out of the question (for now! Don't attack me, drysuit die-hards!)

Are any of you guys able to dive in winter in just a wetsuit or is it just too miserable to bother with?

Thanks!

 

[Hinalo]

It's not so much the winter water temp, which is probably around 52 give or take a couple of degrees on a given day, it's the cold surface intervals out of the water that make more of a difference. The rig you describe sounds fine; I dive in a 1-piece 7mm jumpsuit with a 7mm hooded vest, etc. and am fine in the water.

However, with repetitive dives it's nice to be able to warm up a little during SI, and during the winter that's a little more of a challenge than during the hot months. Some boats have nice warm salon areas where you can hang out between dives.

 

[Thalassamania]

I've made many a winter wet suit dive in Monterey, 1/4" was barely adequate, 3/8" worked great.

 

[zen_man]

Hinalo is dead on.

It's the SI the is more of a concern. The water tends to be a little warmer during the Winter and your setup should be fine. I dive a 7 mil jumpsuit, hooded vest with 5 mil boots and gloves and I'm fine in the water. About the third dive in a day though, I will start to get a little chilled.

I do enjoy diving at Breakwater so I can jump in the hot shower in the bathroom. It feels sooooo good when I'm getting chilly!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I was hoping to get some diving done on my winter break from school (I decided against trying to dive during school, what with having to rent and return gear via bus and rinsing and drying out the gear in a co-ed communal bathroom...) but am wondering if the water will just be too damn cold for any enjoyable diving. I would be in the 7mm jane/jacket/boots/gloves/hood setup and have had no experience with drysuits so they're out of the question (for now! Don't attack me, drysuit die-hards!)

Are any of you guys able to dive in winter in just a wetsuit or is it just too miserable to bother with?

Thanks!

You shouldn't have any problem diving in a wetsuit. Winter is not the coldest water time, it's spring when the winds start up and the cold water upwellings happen, then the water can get down into the 40's.

Get a 5 gallon bucket with a sealable lid and fill it with piping hot water before you leave to go diving. During you surface interval it should have cooled down just enough to feel really good poured down into your wetsuit.

Have fun

Eric

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

If you can dive Monterey in the early summer in a wetsuit, you can dive it in the winter. Water
temps are the same. What you need to be concerned with is air temps and the probable lack
of sun. Get a big swimmers warm-up coat, and a warm hat (I like the dorky looking baseball caps
with ear flaps like Emer Fudd and Floyd R Turbo (they were probably before your time). REI and
West Marine has them.

And ZKY's hot water suggestion is a good one, though I used to take a different approach back
in my wetsuit days (which I will NEVER go back to). I'd fill two half gallon insulated jugs with
HOT water at home, and put them in an insulated bag. They be just about right post dive. I'd
use one after the first dive and one after the second. Put your booties OVER your pant legs.
Pour the water slowly in your neck, and your booties will fill up like the Michelin man. Slowly
is important -- if you pour fast it just goes whoosh down to your feet.

 

[Ben_ca]

Hinalo is dead on.

It's the SI the is more of a concern. The water tends to be a little warmer during the Winter and your setup should be fine. I dive a 7 mil jumpsuit, hooded vest with 5 mil boots and gloves and I'm fine in the water. About the third dive in a day though, I will start to get a little chilled.

I do enjoy diving at Breakwater so I can jump in the hot shower in the bathroom. It feels sooooo good when I'm getting chilly!

Agree with the gang....

Get a watchcap... toque or what ever you call it... but cover your head... get a nice coat and try to get warm on the SI...

The convenience of the Breakwater facilities is hard to pass up... Even the shower outside feels nice after coming up out from the bay... but Buck is right nothing beats the hot showers... don't forget the quarters!

 

[Peter_C]

Also bring a blanket or old coat to help keep you warmer on the SI. Hot cocoa or your warm beverage of choice will help keep you warm from the inside. Nothing wrong with doing one long dive a day either.

 

[Coelacanth]

Thanks for all the input, guys! I will definitely bring a big coat and steal one of those dorky ear-covering hats from my friend. Its pink, so the dork factor will become so high that it will have gone full circle and I will just end up looking pretty good.