UK fishing - how cold do you go?

[Spiderman]

I started spearfishing last month and am devastated by the thought of stopping for the winter months. How late do most spearos continue? When do you start again? How much neoprene do you wear? Is it possible to freedive in a drysuit? Are there still fish to be found in the winter, and are they found in different places?
Sorry to post such a long list of questions, but answers to any will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Almostafish]

Just hunt on through.. In the winter you can work on your freediving and get to know the areas that you normally hunt really well. There are not that many fish about but when the water is at its coldest the big squid come back!! Night spearfishing is very spooky but can be rewarding.

As the warmer months come you will find that it is all so much easyer.

 

[Almostafish]

Dont wear a dry suit.. A 5-7mm is fine as the water is never that cold.

 

[takeshi]

I spear/freedive in sweden and norway. I've done it in december and it gets pretty cold. The good thing about that is that visibility usually gets better than in the summer months. I use a 6.5 mm and it works fine but I think a 7 or 9 would be even better for the winter. At least for me its the hands and feet that get cold first, a good solution is bigger footpockets and thick socks, preferably open cell. For the hands three finger gloves are great. picasso and poseidon make some that seem good.

http://www.scubastore.com/producte.asp?id=5&id_modelo=3899&desde=0&fromhbx=frame

http://www.scubastore.com/producte.asp?id=5&id_modelo=3355&desde=0&fromhbx=frame

Another good trick is to drink something warm right when you get up. A long dive in cold water makes the body work hard to keep the temperature up. I think this goes on for several hours after you get up, at least I always get really tired the whole day after long cold dives. Drinking something warm gets the body temp up so you have more energy for other stuff and won't be as tired.

 

[Huan]

I have a 6.5mm open cell (maybe 5mm after aging) and use it all year round, I am fairly stocky in build so tend to hold heat better than long skinny mates! also I think you can train yourself to go through the cold barrier, it sounds weird but is more less mind over matter.There are threads alluding to this in the freedive section.
as for the points already made by others , I use 4mm socks I think that they are Titanium lined but not open cell,They seem fine as long as they have no holes in them.
Gloves are 3mm in the winter and 1.5mm neoprene backed in the summer, I always wear gloves as the chances of injuring your hands when soft is high.
I have found that the reusable heat packs are a great job. when you get out.
I have dived down to 8ºC comfortably , not an all day session though!!

 

[portinfer]

The water goes down to about 7C in Feb here in Guernsey and last year I went straight through the winter. THe feet def. go for me ! Thinking of getting bigger footpockets and socks like the guy mentions above...

I used a 5mm Elios suit last winter and this winter I have a new 7mm jacket coming (dont like being cold).

Very large bass in the winter (spawning so maybe just looking at them) and not much else especially in Feb....
Ed

 

[rifmaniac]

I hunt in Tunisia, but it does get rather cold in winter and I'm quiet chilly.
I hunt with a 7mm Beuchat wetsuit, and I've stuck a 5mm layer of neprene at the back: its narrow on top (to fill the interscapular region) and wide at the bottom (for the lumbar region); I also put cycling shorts over the wetsuit to prevent water from getting in from under the top of the wetsuit.
Once the main part of the body is warm, hands and feet should be ok.