the cold

Luna · 03-17-2006, 11:49 AM

I'll be going to dive in coldish waters in 3 months from now, my equipement is only 5.5 millimetres and i would like to avoid having to buy a new thicker one..anybody know what i could do?

scuba jerm · 04-04-2006, 10:24 PM

Luna, I'd get a hooded vest. This will give you an extra 3mm at your core and 6-7mm on your head. This is a much better solution to layering with a shorty since that kills bouancy control. The 4mm hood vest hardly changes your bouancy but really helps to keep your core and head warm. I'd check out this one.... http://www.onestopscuba.com/catalog/...roducts_id=123. If you have more questions, you can PM me!

Cheers,

Mantas · 04-17-2006, 05:35 PM

I've always wondered if those diving suits realy did protect from very low temperatures.. another question i've asked myself is if some part of the face was in contact with the icy water when you are in it?

scuba jerm · 04-17-2006, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mantas

I've always wondered if those diving suits realy did protect from very low temperatures.. another question i've asked myself is if some part of the face was in contact with the icy water when you are in it?

How low is "very low temps" anything below 50 in my book should require a drysuit, and you can get full face masks to put over your hoodie which will cover your entire face thus not allowing the icy water to come into contact.

If you are diving in water in the 50F degree range and hooded vest should work fine.... the intial shock of cold water on your face goes away, and a 45 to 50 minute dive is perfectly comfortable.

piranha · 05-23-2006, 01:26 PM

i'd be interested in diving in very cold waters someday but i do admit that what does calm me down is the thought of being very cold. Whatever i'm told that's always what makes me change my mind at the last moment. has anyone have experiences to share?

**glynneco** · 06-30-2006, 01:33 PM

I was reading this thread and was intriqued by the discussion. What is cold? I routinely dive in 47-48F water with a 7mil wetsuit. It's not just cold but depth as well. The deeper you go the more your wet suit compresses and you loose insulation. 47 at 30 ft is a lot different then 47 at 90 ft. I must admit I have seen 42F at 15ft while oyster diving in the Chesapeake in November. I WAS cold but fresh oysters made it worthwhile.
Repeated dives over days also can make a difference. When I went diving in the Cayman's for a week I wore a full 3mil and stayed comfortable.
DCS and cold are linked so you need to manage your comfort level.

**Resqdivemedic** · 06-30-2006, 03:48 PM

I use a 7/5 one piece semi dry wet suit. I also wear a dive skin under it. My hood is a 5mm and gloves are 3 fingered. I have dove under the ice to a depth of 20 feet( water temp 36-38 degrees F) with this setup and did not get cold except for my feet. I have just purchased a pair of 1mm neoprene aqua socks to wear under my boots. I havn't tried it yet but I think it will solve the cold feet problem. The hooded vest is also a good idea. I know guys that just started using them and noticed a big difference.

**glynneco** · 06-30-2006, 07:00 PM

We call hooded vests " sissy vests" but then we give the dry suit guys a real hard time. The vests do work well though. I wear a henderson 7/5 mil and sometimes layer up with a full three mil underneath. I have not even thought about the socks! Great idea. I've gotten use to the color draining from my feet. They look sickly grey when I come up.

WOW 36? I'll stck to the balmy 42