The intense northern winds, that usually take place in winter keep the water crystal clear and the underwater sea life reaches high levels. All these factors can guarantee an amazing underwater experience that will keep you warm during your stay in the crisp water!
There are a few ways to manage the cold, but all solutions of course are temporary. The first thing to do is to make sure you are using an adequate wetsuit, at least 5 mm in winter, including warm booties and gloves (or mittens). Divers who want to have one suit to dive in year-round will often choose a 5 mm wetsuit.
Keeping warm in cold water comes down to wearing the right protective layers such as compression shorts and a long-sleeved rashguard. It really helps to acclimate to the water temp, but that's not always applicable/possible. Lifeguards going out on an emergency rescue don't have time to squeeze into a wetsuit.
between 45 and 60 degrees
Cold water helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defences. Cold water swimming activates endorphins. This chemical is what the brain produces to make us feel good during activities.
How to Stay Warm When Wearing a Suit
- Choose a Thick Fabric. First and foremost, it's important to note that some suits are thicker, and subsequently warmer, than others.
- Wear an Undershirt. Don't forget to wear an undershirt with your suit.
- Choose Thick Socks.
- Wear Gloves.
- Button Up.
- Wear Another Coat.
- Wear a Scarf.
The simple answer is that a drysuit is warmer than a wetsuit. By keeping you dry it slows down the loss of heat from your body into the water whilst also allowing you to wear thermal layers underneath.
Depending on the dry suit you select, the suit normally does not keep you warm. Common dry suit material like Trilaminate, vulcanized rubber, coated fabric, and even crushed neoprene suits have little insulating properties.
Swimming in a dry suit is generally difficult. With fins and scuba gear, it isn't too bad, but you would be hard pressed to swim very far on the surface. You can wear a light sweat-suit under the drysuit that helps to keep you nice and toasty warm. These suits are ideal for deep dives in cold, cold water.
Even though dry suits seal out water, it is possible to get wet from your perspiration or a leak; so as with other outdoor sports, the best types of clothing to wear under a dry suit are clothes made from materials that insulate even when wet. This includes polypropylene, pile fleece, wool, etc., but not cotton.
Wearing nothing under your wetsuit is totally acceptable, and a matter of personal preference. However, consider these factors: Chafing: Wetsuits can chafe. Give it a try, and wear a swimsuit if it's uncomfortable.
Wetsuit Thickness & Temperature Guide
| Water Temp Range (°F) | Water Temp Range (°C) | Recommended Wetsuit Type |
|---|
| 65°- 75° | 18° - 24° | Top / Shorty |
| 62°- 68° | 16° - 20° | Springsuit / Full Suit |
| 58°- 63° | 14° - 17° | Full Suit + Boots |
| 52°- 58° | 11° - 14° | Full Suit + Boots + Gloves + Hood |
You'll need to keep your upper body warm and cozy as well. You can choose from a wide variety of undershirts, but a rash guard or compression shirt makes for a good first layer in colder waters. Like diving shorts, they provide an extra layer of warmth and protection from wetsuit chafing.
They're entirely liquid filled, so you're not going to burst one in your suit or anything like that. Besides, the only thing in them is sodium acetate and water not remotely toxic or dangerous. The ones you get at Wal-Mart are air (oxygen) activated and simply won't work underwater.
Wetsuits are usually worn by swimmers, divers, or surfers who swim in cold water. Wetsuits insulate the swimmers, or help them retain body heat. This, in turn, helps the swimmers avoid hypothermia, a dangerously low body temperature.
A mask lets you see clearly. A scuba regulator and tank provide the air you need. Fins allow you to swim efficiently, and a wetsuit helps you stay warm. Whether you're just starting as a scuba diver or you're an experienced diver looking for new equipment, you'll find helpful suggestions and tips in this section.
How To Keep Your Hands and Feet Warm
- 1) Glove and Bootie Up. There are many fundamental ways to keep your hands and feet warm, but the best head start you can give yourself is to don a pair of neoprene gloves and booties.
- 2) Keep Moving.
- 3) Insulate Your Core.
- 4) Wear A Hood!
- 5) Upgrade to a Drysuit.
- 6) The Next Level: Wear Dry Gloves.
So does a wetsuit make you float? The short answer is yes, it does – but not as much as a life jacket. They might assist in flotation, but do not outright provide it. Whatever activity you use a wetsuit for, they'll help you float – and keep you warm while doing it.
Bottom line, it's easy to get cold even when you wear a drysuit. But with a little attention to what you wear underneath, every dive can be like a tropical vacation.
Drysuits work by enclosing the wearer in a layer that is 100% watertight. The rubber seals, or gaskets, around the wearer's neck and wrists are typically two parts: an inner and outer seal.
Drysuits offer one significant advantage over wetsuits – they keep you warm out of the water as well as in it because they withstand the cooling effects of the wind. The major disadvantage of the drysuit however is its cost and the additional training required to use it.
What makes a dry zipper different, and dry, is the material the teeth are mounted to and that there are two seals, one above the teeth and one below the teeth. When the slide closes the zipper, the teeth interlock, bringing the two seals together to seal both outside and in.
