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Equipment for Freediving in 4ºC water

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alexstjeanphoto

New Member
Nov 23, 2018
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Can anyone recommend me a good brand of gloves and socks for cold water (around 4 degrees)

I hear 3 finger is the way to go, but I'm not sure what brand to go with. Additionally, I will be taking photos, so will I have enough dexterity to shoot?

I was also told a 7mm open cell suit would suffice. Has anyone used a vest under this? Like a lavacore? or a neoprene vest?

Any information would be appreciated.

Many thanks.
 
Hi,

I think it depends mostly on how long you intend to stay in the Water ;-)
For example, in 6° Water, with my 5mm open cell, 5mm socks and 5mm fingered gloves,
the feet are freezing long before the fingers and the Body is still warm when the pain in my feet drives me out of the water.
hope i could help a little
 
Hi,

I think it depends mostly on how long you intend to stay in the Water ;-)
For example, in 6° Water, with my 5mm open cell, 5mm socks and 5mm fingered gloves,
the feet are freezing long before the fingers and the Body is still warm when the pain in my feet drives me out of the water.
hope i could help a little

Thanks, I've been hearing a lot that people get cold in their hands and feet much quicker than their bodies. Are your gloves and socks open cell as well?
 
I'm fine for an hour or two in 5mm open cell. So 7mm should be fine for most if you don't get cold very quickly, otherwise go for a 9mm ;)

Good gloves or mittens and thick socks and you should be fine
 
Back in the day, one response to cold-water diving would have been drygloves, which isolate the hands from the water with wrist seals, permit woollen gloves to be worn underneath and allow a greater degree of manual dexterity. Underwater hunters in the frozen wastes of Russia used to swear by them! I still snorkel with drygloves with warm textile liners. Lomo version below:
Latex-Dry-Gloves-1.jpg
 
Try taking a teaspoon of Coconut oil before you dive as it raises your temperature. Just one spoon though not three like a guy i know did and wondered why steam was coming out of his ears :)
 
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For winter diving in Alaska I used to use 3-finger gloves from Imersion. They were 7mm and appeared to be open cell. Along with them I used an 8.5mm top, 7mm long john, and 7mm fin socks. I would dive until I could no longer keep a seal around my snorkel (about 1/2 hour)
 
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Seacsub 7mm jacket and high waist pants,Seacsub 7mm socks, Beaver Dry Flex 5mm gloves which have a water tight inner wrist cuff like a semidry suit does. I then took some Aquaseal and put criss cross line on them for extra grip (you might not be able to get these in Montreal but there is always the possible of getting them online if you wanted too) Neoprene 1.5 mm vest for if it gets colder but so far this year it has been milder than average. A set of heavy waterproofs is a good idea for when you come out of the water as wind chill will cool you down very quickly ( I personally use a waterproof one piece suit as they are warmer than a two piece,quality depending of course)
I also use what is called here Hook and Loops straps around my wrists and ankles which minimizes any chance of water ingress into the open cell wetsuit suit even though my suit fits me good.
And my magic recipe which was given to me by a Norweiagn friend (A dash of Coconut oil)
You live at 45.5017 degrees North
I live at 60.5297 '' ''
hteas at 64. 2008 '' '' But he might live further North than that as Alaska covers a big area.
 
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These gloves might suit your needs,flexible but keep out the cold and a guy from Maine seems to think they are that good he uses them instead of dry gloves.
Amazon product
 
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