Overcoming the Cold Water Face hit

[Fondueset]

Yesterday was awesome - but I gotta figure out where all the fish went!

[laminar]

Hope it works for your dynamic, Lucia... that would be cool. Have you tried staying on the pool deck until the last minute or so? Try just dropping into the water with 30 seconds before you "go," do a few quick breaths, then go.

Pete

[naiad]

Today I went on a scientific swimming trip - I went to the pool to test whether something works. I also forgot my goggles.

I tried hyperventilating before getting in the cold pool and then going completely underwater. It worked - no contractions. However, my happiness was short-lived because about 30 seconds later I started swimming and the contractions kicked in with tremendous force.

Pete, your theory was correct!

I am glad to know what the problem is, but I still react very badly to cold water. The cold itself isn't as bad as it was because I have got used to it, so I don't shiver as much as before, but the contractions remain excruciatingly strong. They only last for the first few minutes, but that's enough for me!

Lucia

[Alun]

here's another interesting experiment for you...
next time get into the pool as normal without a wetsuit and perhaps you'll find that you shiver almost straight away(?). i do anyway! then just exhale passively and let yourself sink to the bottom (doesn't need to be deep). you should find that your shivering miraculously stops instantly! this is something i discovered during Seb Murat's clinic in Sweden. in all my years of freediving i had never experienced that before and it came as a real surprise!

[Fondueset]

I might be wrong - but I think this is essentially the same technique i use. Shivering is pretty much voluntary now. I think the exhale forces you to relax into the sense of cold. I haven't gone below the upper 50s F without a wetsuit - but at those temps I can maintain the sense of comfort for 20 minutes or so - it requires a certain quality of attention - and you have to sort of remember to relax past the instinctive contraction away from the cold.

[naiad]

Another scientific trip to the pool is on the cards...

[Huan]

Originally Posted by Jon

I use a Henderson ICE CAP
Jon

They look the business for keeping jellyfish away from your face too!
I have never heard of these before, maybe because I am not diving in waters like you guys have all the time.
Nice one.

[Fondueset]

Got mine from spearfishinggear.com - plan to try it out this weekend. Mask fit tests for both my masks seem good - though the omer alien seals a little more easily. Instructions say to wear it smooth side in - but I see from johns pics that he wears it out - I tried it both ways and there might be a problem with the masks sealing against the open cell, so I'll go smooth out.
Quite comfy and easy to put on. Tried it over the mask too - that works as well. I feel like I've beaten the nausea thing - but this could certainly save some energy and adjustment time.

[Jon]

Try the hood on both ways. I wear mine out, but Ted wears his in. I don't know if it makes much of a difference or if it's just personal preference.

Jon

[Fondueset]

Tried it! Smooth side out. What a huge difference! The pain and continuous cold (even though the pain is temporary) really takes alot out of you as your face adjusts.

With this mask I never really even got cold. My fingertips a little but otherwise I was toasty warm. Thanks for suggesting it!

[Jon]

Jim (landshark) and I got out today and I should have had mine on.

The, normally, toasty outlet water was only 36F today since they have not have been running the plant lately. I don't have too much to compalin about since I was in a full 5mm suit and kept fairly warm for almost an hour- compared to Jim who decided to tough it out even though he ripped his suit putting it on and dove anyways!

Since there was no warm water there were no big fish- I only saw one small one. We did go out and find the intake to the pipe and as well as a couple of lost anchors along the way.

Ice flows were floating around everywhere and they make for a good way to warm up- trying to push them along like a VERY big kick board. Air temps were around 37F today so it was nice to get out and warm up for a change- usually it's warmer in the water this time of year.

Here's a few quick pic's from today.

Jon

[Fondueset]

I took a few shots today but they weren't worth keeping. I was out in Grand Traverse Bay - I did see one boat out there, so there must be some lake trout or something, but I've seen nothing but zebra muscles lately. I'll ask the local dive shop where to find some fishies.Vis was around 70 feet - quite overcast with warmer than usual air right around 30F. My daughter got colder than I did - waiting for me to come out,

[BennyB]

Originally Posted by Alun

here's another interesting experiment for you...
next time get into the pool as normal without a wetsuit and perhaps you'll find that you shiver almost straight away(?). i do anyway! then just exhale passively and let yourself sink to the bottom (doesn't need to be deep). you should find that your shivering miraculously stops instantly! this is something i discovered during Seb Murat's clinic in Sweden. in all my years of freediving i had never experienced that before and it came as a real surprise!

Interesting point Alun. I found the exact same thing on Seb's course in Australia last year. On the second day we were simulating a max performance in an outdoor pool. It was a very cold windy morning (Autumn) but still sunny. Our pool was an outdoor ocean pool, the water would have been around 16 or 17 degrees. I was wearing a heart rate monitor and when I jumped in the water I started shivering uncontrollably, my heart rate immediately went from 75-80 up to 120. It stayed around here for half a minute or so and then gradually came down. I was immersed up to my neck and faced the sun with my eyes closed, letting the sun warm my face. After a minute or 2, I noticed that I was no longer shivering, my arms and legs didn't feel cold and in fact my face felt quite warm, it was a pleasant sensation. When I passively exhaled and sank the only cold I could really notice was my ears and face. Like you, it was the first time i'd experienced it and it was a real surprise.

Cheers,
Ben

[Fondueset]

I've noticed the chill-loss phenomena with breathhold too.
When I dive without a suit the quickest way to lose the chill is to get down. Even today in my suit, if I started to feel chilled I'd just breath up and dive.

Today I took my current fav piece of kit - my henderson ice mask, out for a longer swim. There are some cooling pipes from the old power plant that end about 1/4-1/3 mile out in the bay in 35 feet of water. In the summer it's really dangerous due to idiot boaters - divers flag or no. This is the first time I've ever seen them. The site is popular with scubies because it takes them about a tank there and back - they do alot of certification dives and stuff. The pipes end in big cribs containing rocks to diffused the heat (before the plant was torn down). I tried my Cressi matrix with the mask this time - it was a great, long swim - good vis despite the overcast but still no fish a disheartening number of beer cans and coffee cups - I'm sure the large pipes act as a sort of catchall for crap that gets thrown off boats. I'll have to check with the local scuba guys and see if maybe they want to do a spring cleanup.

[ajwaverider]

Fondueset ! Last time I looked at this thread you hadn't made the above post. As always interesting pics. I asked a ? in the (vest inside or out thread)
but you may have missed it. How does the ice cap fit with a hood?and is it a stocked item at spearfishing gear?