Hi and thanks for the clip. I’m a newly qualified OWD with my first winter ahead of me. My first real winter dive was at the beginning of Dec at a local quarry in 10 degree water. I wore my running thermals (leggings and top) with my warmbac caving fleece over the top and then my neoprene dry suit over that. Seemed to work and I stayed warm. On the surface interval the snood , hat and gloves went straight on and I stayed in my dry suit. Air temp was 6 degrees. The second dive felt cooler but I was by no means cold. So you’re advice about layering up absolutely works. Looking forward to getting out again in the next week or so (with snow in the forecast)!!
We are doing af New Years dive this Thursday 31. December here in northern Denmark... air 3 C and water 4-5 C... so hope the drysuit (Shark Avatar Kit) and gear is up for it .. :D We plan to dive all through the year.. and do more dives in January, February and all through the spring. Happy New year everybody
If you only have you and your buddy and no dry people, make a strategic decision about when to put your gloves on! For cold water shore diving, I get everything on except my mask and gloves and bulky camera setup, do my buddy check and use my hands to help fix anything my buddy needs, get my buddy and her gloveless hands to clip my camera on, lock the car, put on one glove (for me the left one), walk down to the beach, put on my mask, do a final check with my buddy and our 1 hand without gloves that our mask skirts are under our hoods and our hair is tucked away, and then put on the final glove, put regs in, walk in, put on fins, and switch to snorkel and get going. Before descending, we normally do another mask check take some compass headings and turn on lights and camera strobes before heading down.
There are two types of cold water divers on the surface in these uncertain times. Warm Divers (Own a DryRobe or similar) and those that are hypothermic and or arrested for public nudity. It amazes me that some (a small but noticeable number of) divers think it is ok to strip down to barely anything in full view of kids. Started diving with my 12 year old this year and had not really noticed it previously. I do remember coming accross nearly naked divers, in fact once a completely naked diver in Swanage cap park, who had managed to lock himself out of his car. In Cold Water diving you get to see a lot more of the local wildlife below water, and nowhere near as much above the water, got my vote!
Started drysuit diving this fall in northern Wisconsin in the US. Last weekend dove in 36 degrees F, 2 degrees C, and had a blast. Did learn to not put your wet soft lead bags on the kit table after a dive. Needed some "warm" lake water to get it unstuck.
The coldest i have ever dived was 5 degrees C, but i am tall an fairly skinny, so my body is terrible at keeping heat, so even with a neoprene drysuit and a relatively thick underlayer i could only stay like 30 min at most.
Cool video and great advices.. We are a diving down until 1+C in wetsuits here in Denmark.. but then we cant stay in the water for more then 30-40 min .. somtimes i ice dive in my 7mm wetsuit.. just for the fun.. Have a great day..
I dive in the Puget Sound in the Northwest of the U.S. The water temperature is on average 47-50F. During surface intervals, I like to soak my gloves and hood in one of those sports beverage coolers full of hot water. Then, before I leave I pour the warm water over my head and gear just before changing out of my drysuit.
Hey Mark / Sean Hope you and the families had a great Christmas! Fantastic video as always, I’ve been DrySuit certified now for 5 years, I’m looking into getting some new thermals / undersuit, I currently have the 4th element Artic 2 piece, is there much difference between them and the artic expedition, also which would you advise to go for, another 2 piece suit or an all in one / Onesie style
... And you will likely need a larger set of fins that have a foot pocket that can accommodate either your dry suit's integrated bootie or (if you have integrated waterproof "dry socks" with insulating undergarment dry socks. inside them, then you'll need to wear hard soled boots over them) lace-up "Rock boots". Either way you'll surely need to scale-up another size for the fin's foot pocket. One other consideration is whether to wear "Depend"-style absorbent underwear or to install a Pee-valve and associated tubing (that connects directly to a "Texas condom) added to your drysuit as an accessory so that you can relieve yourself during your dives! Note, too, for female dry suit divers there is the "She-Pee" that conforms to the female anatomy and connects to the tubing and ambient pressure-balanced Pee-Vale, which exhausts into the water column). Each of these makes for more enjoyable Cold Water Diving!!!
It’s what you make of it. I enjoy it myself but you got to put the time and effort in like you said. I was in 42 degree water in a 5 mil thinking that was as good as it gets until I got my dry suit cert. What a difference!!! Is the gear expensive? Yep, but renting and/or layaway makes it easier to bear.
So far I haven’t had an opportunity to dive in truly warm water yet, so most of my dives have been in a 7m semi-dry wetsuit which I absolutely love. Going out to our local lake to get wet this weekend and plan to make sure I bring a beanie to put on in between dives! Any suggestions on how to stay warm on a surface interval without doffing the wetsuit?
It depends on how cold - cold is! I normally put on my rash vest and bathers at home, before setting off. That cuts out the getting chilly bit at the destination. My suit is a semi-wet, so the hardest part is getting OUT of the darn thing, because the wrist and ankle seals cling like limpets when I'm damp! I also don't remove my damp rash vest and bathers, I prefer to leave them on, and put normal street clothing on over them, accepting the rather clammy sensation until they warm up again, but at the same time reducing the wind-chill on bare skin. (It also avoids giving any casual passers-by an eyeful of man-bits!) This year, of course 2020 has been a bust due to covid. The only places I've got wet are in the rain, or in the bathtub!
Can you review the Cortez dui dry suit and compare it to the Yukon II dry suit it sells really cheap 1700 for the suit compared to the Cortez at 2250USD
He is only scuba qualified but the dive shop he uses now is working with him to get open water so he can get dive suit training.meantime which is is better 5mm or should he go back to the 7mm
Hey Ricky, It totally depends, the 7mm will be thicker, which theoretically means that he could be warmer, but he will need more lead to be able to dive ( as thicker suits means they’re more buoyant ) it may be worth looking into a long 5mm suit, plus a 3 or 5mm ‘shorty’ which will give an extra barrier to his core. There’s no one wetsuit is better than the other, all the different measurements of suites are better suited for different environments; for example, a 7mm or above could be used in ‘Cold Water’ U.K. diving for example, where as a 3mm shorty could be used in the Tropics. It’s totally dependant on where you’re diving and you personal preference / body type. I’m sure the Mark could give you a more detailed or better answer!
Sounds like the 7mm was a poorly fitting or old one :). Wetsuit degrade overtime. So a very old 7mm one will have lost alot of its warmth (material compresses so many times, it just looses its integrety).
Good day and happy Thanksgiving. I am an underwater repair specialist who specializes in swimming pool repairs. I live in America and in a state that gets very cold during the fall and winter. I have been looking for options to stay warm during the cold weather months but have been less than pleased with the equipment I currently have. It is my understanding that dry suits are not suitable for pools as there isn't enough squeeze to keep the suit from acting like a buoy. Can you offer any advice on how to stay warm in such an environment? I currently wear a farmer John setup that equates to 13 mil around my core. That being said my core stays decently warm. But my hands and head get frozen. I have a 5 mil head cover and 5 mil gloves, but they do little to keep the cold at bay. That and my job requires a level of dexterity beyond what a regular dive does. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi and thanks for the clip. I’m a newly qualified OWD with my first winter ahead of me. My first real winter dive was at the beginning of Dec at a local quarry in 10 degree water. I wore my running thermals (leggings and top) with my warmbac caving fleece over the top and then my neoprene dry suit over that. Seemed to work and I stayed warm. On the surface interval the snood , hat and gloves went straight on and I stayed in my dry suit. Air temp was 6 degrees. The second dive felt cooler but I was by no means cold. So you’re advice about layering up absolutely works. Looking forward to getting out again in the next week or so (with snow in the forecast)!!
yesssssss mark. I love my cold canadian waters.
As a UK diver we only dive in cold water and have no problem. Dry suits and 2 under suits work for me and we dive all year round. It’s not a problem.
I love the cold UK dives theres just something about cold water that satisfys me
We are doing af New Years dive this Thursday 31. December here in northern Denmark... air 3 C and water 4-5 C... so hope the drysuit (Shark Avatar Kit) and gear is up for it .. :D We plan to dive all through the year.. and do more dives in January, February and all through the spring. Happy New year everybody
If you only have you and your buddy and no dry people, make a strategic decision about when to put your gloves on! For cold water shore diving, I get everything on except my mask and gloves and bulky camera setup, do my buddy check and use my hands to help fix anything my buddy needs, get my buddy and her gloveless hands to clip my camera on, lock the car, put on one glove (for me the left one), walk down to the beach, put on my mask, do a final check with my buddy and our 1 hand without gloves that our mask skirts are under our hoods and our hair is tucked away, and then put on the final glove, put regs in, walk in, put on fins, and switch to snorkel and get going. Before descending, we normally do another mask check take some compass headings and turn on lights and camera strobes before heading down.
I dive the Great lakes in Michigan. It's never warm. But the best cold water ship preserve.Great advice for new divers keep up the good work.
There are two types of cold water divers on the surface in these uncertain times. Warm Divers (Own a DryRobe or similar) and those that are hypothermic and or arrested for public nudity. It amazes me that some (a small but noticeable number of) divers think it is ok to strip down to barely anything in full view of kids. Started diving with my 12 year old this year and had not really noticed it previously. I do remember coming accross nearly naked divers, in fact once a completely naked diver in Swanage cap park, who had managed to lock himself out of his car. In Cold Water diving you get to see a lot more of the local wildlife below water, and nowhere near as much above the water, got my vote!
Started drysuit diving this fall in northern Wisconsin in the US. Last weekend dove in 36 degrees F, 2 degrees C, and had a blast. Did learn to not put your wet soft lead bags on the kit table after a dive. Needed some "warm" lake water to get it unstuck.
Lake Wazee
The coldest i have ever dived was 5 degrees C, but i am tall an fairly skinny, so my body is terrible at keeping heat, so even with a neoprene drysuit and a relatively thick underlayer i could only stay like 30 min at most.
Cool video and great advices.. We are a diving down until 1+C in wetsuits here in Denmark.. but then we cant stay in the water for more then 30-40 min .. somtimes i ice dive in my 7mm wetsuit.. just for the fun.. Have a great day..
I dive in the Puget Sound in the Northwest of the U.S. The water temperature is on average 47-50F. During surface intervals, I like to soak my gloves and hood in one of those sports beverage coolers full of hot water. Then, before I leave I pour the warm water over my head and gear just before changing out of my drysuit.
Hey Mark / Sean Hope you and the families had a great Christmas!
Fantastic video as always, I’ve been DrySuit certified now for 5 years, I’m looking into getting some new thermals / undersuit, I currently have the 4th element Artic 2 piece, is there much difference between them and the artic expedition, also which would you advise to go for, another 2 piece suit or an all in one / Onesie style
We went diving in 47° water(8°c) was brisk but lot of fun in up state new york
... And you will likely need a larger set of fins that have a foot pocket that can accommodate either your dry suit's integrated bootie or (if you have integrated waterproof "dry socks" with insulating undergarment dry socks. inside them, then you'll need to wear hard soled boots over them) lace-up "Rock boots". Either way you'll surely need to scale-up another size for the fin's foot pocket. One other consideration is whether to wear "Depend"-style absorbent underwear or to install a Pee-valve and associated tubing (that connects directly to a "Texas condom) added to your drysuit as an accessory so that you can relieve yourself during your dives! Note, too, for female dry suit divers there is the "She-Pee" that conforms to the female anatomy and connects to the tubing and ambient pressure-balanced Pee-Vale, which exhausts into the water column). Each of these makes for more enjoyable Cold Water Diving!!!
It’s what you make of it. I enjoy it myself but you got to put the time and effort in like you said. I was in 42 degree water in a 5 mil thinking that was as good as it gets until I got my dry suit cert. What a difference!!! Is the gear expensive? Yep, but renting and/or layaway makes it easier to bear.
So far I haven’t had an opportunity to dive in truly warm water yet, so most of my dives have been in a 7m semi-dry wetsuit which I absolutely love. Going out to our local lake to get wet this weekend and plan to make sure I bring a beanie to put on in between dives! Any suggestions on how to stay warm on a surface interval without doffing the wetsuit?
Are there guidelines (do's and don'ts) for your tanks and regulators
It depends on how cold - cold is! I normally put on my rash vest and bathers at home, before setting off. That cuts out the getting chilly bit at the destination. My suit is a semi-wet, so the hardest part is getting OUT of the darn thing, because the wrist and ankle seals cling like limpets when I'm damp! I also don't remove my damp rash vest and bathers, I prefer to leave them on, and put normal street clothing on over them, accepting the rather clammy sensation until they warm up again, but at the same time reducing the wind-chill on bare skin. (It also avoids giving any casual passers-by an eyeful of man-bits!) This year, of course 2020 has been a bust due to covid. The only places I've got wet are in the rain, or in the bathtub!
Can you review the Cortez dui dry suit and compare it to the Yukon II dry suit it sells really cheap 1700 for the suit compared to the Cortez at 2250USD
He is only scuba qualified but the dive shop he uses now is working with him to get open water so he can get dive suit training.meantime which is is better 5mm or should he go back to the 7mm
Hey Ricky,
It totally depends, the 7mm will be thicker, which theoretically means that he could be warmer, but he will need more lead to be able to dive ( as thicker suits means they’re more buoyant ) it may be worth looking into a long 5mm suit, plus a 3 or 5mm ‘shorty’ which will give an extra barrier to his core.
There’s no one wetsuit is better than the other, all the different measurements of suites are better suited for different environments; for example, a 7mm or above could be used in ‘Cold Water’ U.K. diving for example, where as a 3mm shorty could be used in the Tropics.
It’s totally dependant on where you’re diving and you personal preference / body type. I’m sure the Mark could give you a more detailed or better answer!
You asked the same question twice!
I draw the line at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t like diving in water that’s colder than that.
What reg adjustments are made for "cold water"?? The best adjustment is to simply buy proper cold water rated regs!
What's the difference between wet suits. When my son took his classes he trained in a 7mm wetsuit, currently he bought a 5mm wetsuit which is better
7mm is warmer, but needs more lead to ballast it.
Sounds like the 7mm was a poorly fitting or old one :). Wetsuit degrade overtime. So a very old 7mm one will have lost alot of its warmth (material compresses so many times, it just looses its integrety).
It isn't cold if there is no ice...
Fresh water can be below freezing and still have no ice if it's in constant motion. Rivers and turbulent coastal areas are a good example.
Good day and happy Thanksgiving. I am an underwater repair specialist who specializes in swimming pool repairs. I live in America and in a state that gets very cold during the fall and winter. I have been looking for options to stay warm during the cold weather months but have been less than pleased with the equipment I currently have. It is my understanding that dry suits are not suitable for pools as there isn't enough squeeze to keep the suit from acting like a buoy. Can you offer any advice on how to stay warm in such an environment? I currently wear a farmer John setup that equates to 13 mil around my core. That being said my core stays decently warm. But my hands and head get frozen. I have a 5 mil head cover and 5 mil gloves, but they do little to keep the cold at bay. That and my job requires a level of dexterity beyond what a regular dive does. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.