Cold Water Diving "YES OR NO"

[@klixtrio7760]

I’m a skinny guy and I froze during my open water with a 14mm farmer John. I’m talking no more 5-10 minutes in 42F with painful pins and needles in my hands. So I bought a used drysuit with a MK2. Pins and needles within 10 minutes. Started questioning if cold water diving was for me. But then I bought a BZ400 and dry gloves. Best decision ever. A typical dive is 30 minutes below the thermocline at 42F and that’s no problem for me now. Late this last season with no thermocline I did a dive at 53F for hour and a half and didn’t feel chilled. Of course that’s just my personal tolerance but exposure protection makes a huge difference!

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You are correct KlixTrio, the proper exposure suit can make all the difference in the world to not only having an enjoyable dive, but a safe dive as well. Thankfully, there are many options out there for divers to choose from. What's interesting, I have taught Ice Divers both in Wetsuits and Drysuits. It still amazes me the tolerance for cold that some people have. I know my tolerance has changed over the years.

[@Binford400]

Ice diving is awesome! If you enjoy photography it’s some of the most inspiring shots you can take. It also keeps team skills and situation awareness sharp. Being from Michigan we do a lot of it. Yes it gets cold on the face but with proper garments and bearding (for the guys) its a great something to add to the bucket list.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

It started out as a bucket list item for me as well many years ago, and then the addiction hit, and so each winter we make a special trip up north to do it.

[@diverbob8]

Hell yes...It always looks far worse before the fact....it will be among your most fun dives! Under the ice, turn up side down and it's like walking on the moon! Trust me, it'll blow your mind!

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We enjoy every moment we get to spend under the ice. Most of our students come out of the Ice Diving Class with a much better respect for the cold water environment and for their exposure suit.

[@coreybaldwin989]

Brrrrr!!!! That looked cold.☃️ If i get the right under garments to go under my drysuit i think i would consider it, just to give it a try. Least nobody else would be silting up the water! 😂 We only live once, like you said its definitely not the same ole thing.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

It is always worth doing at least once. The first time I did it, I immediately became addicted to it. Now each winter, I get super excited as soon as I start to see the lakes begin to freeze over.

[@kurtsteiner8384]

Hi Brian. Not heard from you for ages. Being in the UK. Cold water diving is what I and others here do mostly. Not so much ice diving. But cold water yes but not in the winter. Autumn yes or to 10 degrees is possible even in a wet suit or semi dry is possible.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Kurt, hope all is well. We are still in colder water here in North Carolina. Saturday morning I had 2 divers finishing up check out dives, and the water temperature was 47 (f) degrees. Our so called worst winter ever did not hit us the way the weather forecasters had claimed it would. Hopefully we will be having an early spring, which will warm the water up pretty quick. We have stayed very busy though, as this winter has been the busiest for us with salvage work.

[@joycefung2473]

This looked really stressful to me aye, I think this ain't for everyone. Takes a lot of courage and determination, watching this made me so anxious about ice diving!! My heart rate just went up like mad. Really amazing for you to be able to do this, very admirable.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Thank You Joyce. Ice Diving is an extreme form of diving. We really enjoy it.

[@dharmapunk5]

I dive in BC, all we have here is cold water diving, and the visibility is best in the winter. I have a 7mm full wetsuit and a 7mm shorty over the full wetsuit and it's been fine. I also have a reg set designed for cold water. BC is where I learned to dive, once I get down to tropics I feel like I'll have it really dialed in.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I would love to come to BC and dive. I've always heard there was great vis there.

[@dharmapunk5]

@@LakeHickoryScuba It would be worth the trip. We have a pretty cool Wreck Treck you can do, lots of glass sponges, giant Pacific Octos, Sealions to play with etc. I dive Howe Sound and Vancouver Island.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Sounds like an amazing place. I bet the SeaLions get real friendly at times.

[@dharmapunk5]

@@LakeHickoryScuba The shop I trained with for my OW and AOW does regular trips out to a spot full of sea lions. They are usually quite playful.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I definitely need to come up there and dive then.

[@jwjco]

kind of like diving the north shore of lake superior in the winter time . its great the faster you get in the water the better.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We love drift diving in a current, even up underneath the canopy of the ice.

[@JAleksandr]

Just got my ice cert this last weekend, love it!!! Here in Colorado I’m having a hard time finding people willing to dive in less than 70 degree water....

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Congratulations, and welcome to the world of Ice Divers. Most of our professionals here love cold water diving, but we understand what you mean. Most newer divers tend to be what we call 80/80 divers. They have to have at least 80 feet of visibility and the water has to be at least 80 degrees.

[@gregbruner1918]

@@LakeHickoryScuba As far as I'm concerned, 80 foot vis is a myth...I got to get out more... (Monterey, CA)

[@NymNym-hs9lh]

Yep

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We love Cold Water Diving.

[@never2old-sd638]

Nice video , and like you said cold water diving is not for everybody. I’m from central Pennsylvania and that all I’m doing at the moment, drysuit Diving, I have an old Henderson arctic neoprene drysuit and people tell me I’m crazy to get in the 40 to 45 degrees water of the local quarry. I think is a mental thing , if you start thinking is too cold you won’t be able to make the dive. Don’t get me wrong I rather dive in the tropical waters where is 85 degrees but it is what it is up here in PA , winter is too long to stop diving, I have to keep at it so I don’t get rusty. 😀

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I agree with you, that its all in the mind. And good for you for wanting to keep up your dive skills through out the winter time.

[@jesspeoples3292]

I had the opportunity to dive while wearing a drysuit in 54 degree water. It is completely different from diving in a wetsuit which prefer but it was a great experience in itself. I might take a drysuit course one of these days.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We have a video that will be published later this evening talking about things to consider before you buy a drysuit. Stay tuned, as it will show you what can happen if you are not prepared for a major leak due to a torn seal.

[@jesspeoples3292]

@@LakeHickoryScuba thanks for the video. They had drysuit demo days at the quarry which I dive at. That give me a chance to tryout drysuit.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You're welcome. Drysuits are very useful in a quarry, especially once you drop below the thermocline.

[@morganames8142]

Bryan, do you perform Ice Diver certs under both SSI and PADI? You mentioned FEB-MAR ice diving classes; where do you conduct them? I'm in Alexandria, VA but can drive north or south to accomplish this cert. I was diving Lake Michigan for TEC-45 cert (drysuit with sidemount configuration and deco gas) in 38 degree water. Love cold water diving -- It certainly produces better divers as they incur added challenges of thicker exposure suits and gloves that reduce tactile feel of touch. All the Best in 2020! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Merry Christmas to you too Morgan. In regards to Ice Diving Certifications, I teach through 5 different agencies, SSI, PADI, PDIC, SEI, and CMAS. Typically we will travel up north, usually to Lake Champlain or Chazy Lake in upstate New York. Hopefully this year we will be teaching closer to home, if our lake freezes over. Give me a call early January and we can discussing the Ice Diver Course with you.

[@mdovideo1414]

I get cold easily and start shivering in cold water which makes me use up a lot of air.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Cold water will definitely make you breathe your air a lot faster. All the more reason to have a proper fitting wetsuit or drysuit.

[@scubadiveburr5122]

I dive 7mm wetsuit flooded with hot water and I'm good for 15 minutes under the ice. Come to NY we can do a ice dive on a shipwreck

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We usually do most of our Ice Diving in upstate New York, either in Chazy Lake or Lake Champlain. Last year we were changing up things and was going to head up to Indian to dive a frozen lake there. Thankfully our lake froze over here in North Carolina, which is very rare, so we took the opportunity to dive it instead. Ended up saving my students a big travel expense, and they ended up having a great time. Plus we had our shop here for comfort issues while suiting up. That is one of the thing we feel blessed about. You walk out our front door, and 8 feet later you are in the water diving. I would like to come back up north again and dive some ship wrecks.

[@scubadiveburr5122]

I'm about 120 miles west of that. Do most all our dives in the St Lawrence river. Zebra muscles have got that river cristal clear

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I've always heard there was some great diving in the St. Lawrence. I will try to head up that way sometime and check it out.

[@scubadiveburr5122]

It's a must. It's a shipwreck graveyard.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I will definitely have to come check it out then.

[@tadpole1969ful]

Which mm thickness suit should I try so I will be comfortable under water in Wisconsin area?

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello MICHAEL HATCHETT, it all comes down to your tolerance of cold water. Check with you local dive center to see what all they have to offer. Also, check with local divers in the area to see what they recommend as well.

[@revtechmarine]

Well I didn't realize people stop diving when the water got cold I just figured you ended up with less dive Buddies...lol and as far as students when the water temperature begins to drop not a bad idea inherently the human brain makes you retain information and learn more when it feels there is some sort of a concern end up with more cognizant students fairly easy to dive in the Bahamas when Frosty was your previous dive buddy ...lol

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Our numbers for Open Water definitely drop in the winter time, but surprisingly enough, students are still willing to train. Hope all is well up your way.

[@diversdown2116]

Well i would rather be cold water diving than plowing snow for the last 40 hrs its nap time now but had to watch this first

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We have already had 2 snow storms down here in North Carolina. And living on a farm, I understand the pain of having to shovel snow.

[@mdovideo1414]

What is the deepest you have went on an ice dive?

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello MDO Video, about 70 feet underneath the Ice has been my max.

[@landgin3781]

So when’s the ice diving class? 😂

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

As soon as we have ICE. Last year parts of the lake froze mid February.

[@flipflop82ful]

Reason to save up on asshair

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I guess if that is how you stay warm, more power to you.