Diving in the winter months can be a fantastic experience, and the feeling after a dive can be truly "therapeutic". The good news is that you do not need a drysuit to dive in winter. With a little smart preparation and a few tricks, a wetsuit can be perfectly enough - at least for shorter and controlled dives.
Below are proven tips for making cold water diving more comfortable, safer and more interesting.
1) How to "boost" a wetsuit
A wetsuit keeps you warm by holding a thin layer of water against your body. You warm that water up, and the suit slows down its movement and the loss of heat. The goal is: as little exchange of cold water as possible, as much of a stable layer as possible.
Trick #1: an extra layer under the suit
Put on a shirt, leggings or a thin thermal layer under the neoprene (lycra, thin neoprene, thermal underwear). That gives you extra insulation and helps the water against your body move less.
2) Hands: they get cold the fastest
Trick #2: latex gloves under the neoprene
Under your neoprene gloves, put on thin latex or nitrile gloves (like "doctor" gloves). They reduce the flushing of cold water and often delay the feeling of "stiff fingers".
3) Feet: socks are a must
Trick #3: neoprene socks that fit well
If you dive with boots, get neoprene socks. Thickness matters less than the fit:
- they should sit as tightly against the leg as possible,
- but without squeezing (so they do not reduce circulation),
- the goal is again to create that stable layer of water which warms up quickly.
4) A thermos: a small trick that makes a big difference
Trick #4: warm water into the suit before you get in
A thermos of warm water is the best friend of winter diving. Before you enter the sea, pour a little warm water into your suit (or right after you get in, while you are still on the surface). That way you avoid the worst moment, when cold water "shoots" through the suit and drains your will to live.
Bonus: this often extends your dive by another 10 minutes or so (sometimes more), because you move into hypothermia more slowly.
5) Dive as long as you feel comfortable - shivering is the sign to get out
The most important rule: dive only for as long as you are not cold. "Cold" is subjective and it has to be respected.
If you start shivering, it means your body is spending enormous energy on heating (shivering is muscle work), so:
- you use more air,
- you lose strength,
- you reduce your safety.
In practice: by the time the shivering starts, you should already have been out.
This matters especially if you dive from a boat and getting out is hard. In the worst case you may not have enough strength to climb back into the boat safely - so take this seriously.
6) Regulators and cold water (below 10 °C)
If you dive in temperatures below 10 °C, pay attention to your regulator:
- for cold water, regulators with a sealed system are used,
- better quality models handle the conditions better and have a lower risk of freezing,
- other regulators can "freeze up" in the cold (freeflow / freezing of the first stage).
On more demanding cold dives two separate first stages are often carried, but for recreational diving in cold water a single regulator rated for conditions below 10 °C can be enough - with smart planning and caution.
7) Do not let your gear get cold before the dive (especially cylinders and the first stage)
If it is very cold outside (especially below zero), watch where your cylinders are before the dive. If you leave them in the car overnight, the air in the cylinders and the metal can be "below zero", which can encourage the regulator to freeze.
A better solution:
- keep the cylinders and the gear indoors or somewhere warmer,
- bring them to the site as late as possible,
- avoid unnecessary "purging" of air and playing with the regulator in the cold.
8) Diving is a team sport
Do not dive alone - and stick to the rule we all love:
Anyone, at any moment, for any reason, can call off the dive.
If your buddy signals that they are cold - the dive is over. No discussion, no persuading.
To finish: cold diving also has that "therapeutic" side
Winter diving can work like a reset: after days spent in the warmth, moving less, a single dive in cold water really "wakes up" the body. But that is exactly why it should be done smartly: warmth, safety and control come first.
If you respect these rules, you will have a great time - and very probably fall in love with winter conditions.
P.S. There are always those who can do it in nothing but a one piece wetsuit. Those are the "crazy" ones, do not look at them ( some of my friends will recognise themselves )
