Open Water Training in the Winter

[Apnea_Addict]

Winter Training

Hi,

I read something about the new "mermaid" being chosed for enough craziness to train throughout the winter (in a northern country). Are there many of us crazy enough to do that ? I don´t thing you will find many of them in Germany. What kind of tricks do you use to keep warm ?

best wishes
Holger

 

[samdive]

we do - or at least a hardcore of 5 or 6 of us do...

you need
a very good suit (5ml or even better 7ml)
even better gloves and socks, pref semi dry gloves with a double seal, one that goes inside the suit and one that goes outside, aqualung do good ones, scuba pro do bulkier ones that are also good
thick socks - picasso do a nice 5ml sock
maybe an "Ice cap" - also known as a gimp hood....
some very good friends
some hot blackcurrant juice in a flask (Ribena is the UK brand of choice)
to be able to dive after eating as if you haven't had a huge bowl of porridge of a fried breakfast you will freeze....

just some ideas!

S

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Hi Sam,

with my 5mm-Suit I was freezing in 14 degrees water at the beginning of this month. I was in 10 degrees last year but that didn´t feel good at all.

Does pouring warm water into the suit before the dive do any help ? I tried that last time and it seemed to make the entry into the water a lot easier ?

Are you going to provide the new mermaid with all that stuff (and show pictures of that) ? In a gimp hood ? ;-)

best wishes
Holger

 

[samdive]

pouring warm water into the suit is a bit of a double edged sword - yes its nicer than using cold water but the best way in the winter is to use no water, or very little water - as the warm water cools very quickly and then it cools you....

mermaid is getting fins and a computer free - will try and help her with a suit, lending her one to start with.... but luckily she's done a lot of UK scuba so she's used to the cold!

 

[Ricochet]

I just returned from a dive session in <10°C water (Germany). In contrast to what I expected, my Elios suit was still very warm. Though I did neither use gloves nor socks. :duh
Wich was for sure no wise choice! I couldn't feel my feet for almost an hour after I finished my dives.
I could feel the cold at depht but I didnt freeze at all!

But the water was soooooo clear! Visibility far beyond 15m!!!
Realy great diving.

Not so funny was the fact that I had to jump into the water to wash the lube off.
*brrrr*

IMO its not a problem to dive at these temperatures (and below!), so you can call me crazy enough



Happy ice-diving!

Sascha

 

[X-Fins]

How many mm have your wetsuit??? Which model??


Thanks

 

[portinfer]

The sea goes down to about 6C or 7C (but everyone is predicting a cold winter so maybe 5C this winter ?) - last year I was using a 5mm elios that allowed me about an hour or so - the feet and hands let me down though... Might buy a larger footpocket this year so I can get fat-boy socks in there
Double socked it on some occasions and double gloved it but that was with nasty mares quattro fins.
Aa hot shower before diving or a quick cycle sprint to raise the body temp seemed to improve dive times...And yes the water is alot clearer in winter from what I remember - at least on the days when there isn't a force 6 and a heavy swell
Ed
(This year I'll be trying out a new elios 7mm jacket - Memo and Shane in Gib have similar sea temp in winter I think and they swear by under-vests in 2mm or 3mm and also over-shorts in what I guess is 3mm - they reckon it keeps everything together and in place...)

 

[Ricochet]

X-Fins, I have a 5mm, Heiwa, open cell inside, super-stretch nylon outside.

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Interesting - I´ll wait till I get a better suit which is planned for next spring.

Which lake were you in, Ricochet ?

greetings
Holger

 

[Ricochet]

I've been to the quarries near Löbejün (Sachsen-Anhalt)... a popular dive spot.

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Ah, Löbejün...I have been there (but just on scuba).

It´s one of the places where I would like to return for freediving. Is it legal to dive there, again ?

greetings
Holger

 

[Ricochet]

Yeah, perfactly legal
And I finaly I found the 'secret' path for cars that leads to the third quarry

Drop me a line if you are there! It's only 20 minutes from where I live.


Sascha

 

[7BDiver]

For diving in 40 Deg F (4 Deg C) I use a 6 mill open cell and stay warm enough given there is a decent amount of laying still on the surface between dives. For open water aerobic swimming (not using fins) in the same temperature, what would be the minimum suit thickness to stay cozy, anyone try this out?