keeping warm

[zds3488]

Question for you guys. I am headed out to the MG next weekend, and am embarking on my first cold water dive trip. I am planning to wear a skin, 7 mil semi dry, 5 mil hood, and 5 mil booties. Am i going to freeze my ass off?

[fishkilla]

who's boat are you going on?

[bgbill]

Make sure you drink a lot of coffee and when you get cold piss in your wetsuit, that will warm you up a little bit



You should wear gloves also.

[zds3488]

Jolly Rogers....unless you know something I dont!

[Reel Cracker]

zds the first two dives or so usually are not that bad but around your third or fourth dive of the day you really can start to feel it.

[zds3488]

I guess it just takes cojones to dive in the winter :D

[Spear One]

Take your wetsuit off between dives. If you don't the suit will draw your body heat out over the course of the day. Dress very warm between dives to rebuild your "core temperature". Drink warm liquids or eat hot soup or broth. Hang your wetsuit up between dives preferably in the sun, so it is as dry and warm as possible when you put it back on. Good Luck and dive safe.

[Screen Name]

I think you will be fine, personally. Especially if you get on fish.

I'm not so sure about the skin with a semi-dry. Someone else may know, but that doesnt sound right to me.

Check to be sure your hood seals good to your suit and doesnt mess up the seal at your neck, otherwise you dont have a semi-dry anymore.

Be sure you have something dry and warm to put on when you are on deck. Personally I dont like to take off my wetsuit......just means you will have to get back into a cold wetsuit.......but other guys like to take theirs off between dives. The difference may be that I have a good neoprene coat I wear over my wetsuit. Try it both ways.

Good luck. Be thankful you are not going shark fishing with Spear One. That'll dampen your coldwater diving enthusiasm! :D

[zds3488]

I will keep that in mind Kevin. The only problem is that a 7mm wetsuit isnt exactly slip on and off with no trouble. I guess i have to stop complaining. :)

[zds3488]

Thanks for the advice screen. One day, despite your stories of SpearOne working you all like slaves for three days, I would LOVE an invite on the double vision.

[Spear One]

Careful what you ask for Zak, you may just get it! They don't call my boat the "slave ship" for no reason.

[zds3488]

lol. yeah, but it would still be fun as hell. I get it. Once youve been on the Double Vision, you become a "man" in the spearfishing community. :D

[Kasshia]

Just about the fastest way I've found for me to get cold is to wear a wetsuit on a breezy day after getting out of the water. I've heard about having somebody pour warm water in the back of the suit periodically, but I've never tried it.

I'm thinking you may not want the skin under a 7mm semi-dry, unless it just makes getting in the suit easier for you.

[TGuthrie]

Zak,
The warm water will take the shock away when you hit the 58 degree water, but if you poor water in that is too hot it kinda makes your body want to vent heat and it really does you no good.

The skin will not keep you any warmer, but like Kasshia said it will make it easier to get the suit on and off. The best thing to do out of the water is to put a jacket on over you suit and stay out of the wind.
Tom Guthrie

[RichT]

Like bucket Said,the water in the grounds is a lot warmer than it is inshore. Another thing to make sure you have is a wool hat that covers your head and ears. 7mil semi dry should be all you need.I usually go with a 3 mil semi dry,but I have a long coat that I wear when Im out of the water.
That coat is the best piece of cold water dive gear that i own.
It goes down to your knees and has polar fleece in it.
They are used by competition swimmers when they come out of the water to stay warm between races. It has a built in hood also.
They are pretty inexpensive on the internet but you have to order them several sizes bigger than you think you need in order to get a good fit and to get a good long length.

[Kasshia]

If it's around 67 F at the MG like Bucket One and Rich are saying, it's about what #1 and I are spearing in here. We're wearing 3-2mm fulls with 2.5-0.5mm hooded vests underneath, cotton socks and gardening gloves and can stay in for hours. We just went cruising the reef for a couple hours this afternoon and the worst part was getting from the water back to the Land Cruiser with the north wind blowing.:D