Vent with Steam? Staying warm in a drysuit under cool water on a HOT day.

[HBDiveGirl]

Shore diving beautiful SoCal in a drysuit can be cruel.

It was February 5th today, with 80F temps under a blazing sun with no wind and no clouds.
No complaints from me... on land.

Underwater? We can have 50F to 53F below the thermocline all year.
This is drysuit country for our long wonderful dives.

But on hot days, once I seal the dry suit, hoist the hp130, don the Otter Bay hood, click the drygloves closed, and cross the sand or rocks with the 44 lb MiniCuda on my shoulder under the blazing sun.... well, I'm melting.

Once in the water, perspiration-soaked undergarments and cold water is NOT a good mix.
Brrrrr!
I've been cold underwater many times on the hottest days of the year, even with wicking layers.
I just steam up everything on the march to the sea.


But lately I've found a good solution:
Vent the steam, and replace it with cool dry nitrox.

Once in the water, I overfill the drysuit while floating prone on the surface, then completely empty the suit by going vertical.

Then I do it again.

Out with all that high-humidity self-generated swamp air.
In with the super-dry cool gas from my cylinder.
Twice.

Since I've been doing this I'm warmer and more comfortable underwater than I remember on prior super-hot days.

One of those "little" things that's made a big difference.


What tips and tricks have you found for managing your drysuit on hot days when diving in cool water?

Share, please!

~~~~~
Claudette

[Fish Eater]

What a GREAT idea!!!

Thanks.

I can only contribute my little trick of soaking my Otter Bay neoprene helmet in cold water before donning.

[JS1scuba]

That's an old fat boy trick from the North East. In the old days before Fourth Element of high end DUI u/gs it was not uncommon to wear "thermals" or "Sweats" under a neoprene dry suit -- those got pretty hot and steamy while gearing up on the surface. Flushing the suit was critical-just don't stand down wind from your buddy when he's doing it. Flushing the suit. In areas where floating on the surface does not work and you have a down line (off boat) you can do the drop as a vertical drop while holding the line. Be careful not to get too much squeeze, but a little pressure will help get all the air out from the u/g. Then you can flush twice. Be careful not to cool down to far as it may chill you later in the dive. If you are using a suit bottle consider a 50/50 mix of air/argon. The heavier argon gas will help retain some heat after you flush. Don't do this with any mix that has helium in it!

Cheers
JDS

[SubMariner]

I guess my biggest problem has been not overheating BEFORE I get into the water. Here in FL during the summer when you're diving dry you're almost perishing from the heat before you even hit the water.

It seems to be more a matter of fine-tuning the suiting-up timing more than anything: you don't want to be last in yet you don't want to be first suited up.

Any thoughts?

Sorry, don't want to hijack the thread, but thought this might be the ying to your yang on this subject, Claudette.

[KMD]

When we dive Mexico and its super hot is all about the timing.

• Don't try to rush through something because its too hot. (gear setup) You'll just end up sweating more and even worse forget something that you need to go back for later.
• Whenever possible, prep your gear in your street clothes. You will stay cooler out of the suit and undergarment
• If its hot, go dip your hat in the water or pour cold water on it. Having a cool head goes a long way to keeping a cool body.

And most important

• Once you get your drysuit on, go take a dip in the water. It will cool you down right away, and the evaporative cooling while getting your gear on will help keep you from sweating.

[JS1scuba]

I guess my biggest problem has been not overheating BEFORE I get into the water. Here in FL during the summer when you're diving dry you're almost perishing from the heat before you even hit the water.

It seems to be more a matter of fine-tuning the suiting-up timing more than anything: you don't want to be last in yet you don't want to be first suited up.

Any thoughts?

Sorry, don't want to hijack the thread, but thought this might be the ying to your yang on this subject, Claudette.

Suit up, go to back of boat, climb down ladder and cool off. Or when waiting on the deck to enter while in full gear have crew pour a bucket of water over your head. That will help cool you down a little bit while you wait.

Cheers
JDS

[giles45shop]

And if you are cave diving:
Suit up (wetsuit/drysuit only) , walk down to the spring and jump in the 72ish water to cool off and then return to put on the rest of your gear (tanks, etc.) before diving.

John

[scubamountaingirl]

I know the OP was talking about the walk to the water, and with carrying a scooter this wont work, but last summer much to my embarrassment, I got out a big oversized umbrella. and......i got a battery powered fan. i have not used the fan yet but i am sure it will help with the last 10 min gearing up. the walk if your hands are free are really helped by the umbrella. you look goofy but hell i don't care. And you leave the umbrella on the shore. If its gone, well its just an umbrella and your not so exhausted from the heat at the end of the dive. If your on a boat and there is no shelter, the umbrella trick is also handy for that extra DM or a buddy who is ahead of you to take 10-20 degree's off your head and body. I will let you know how the battery fan goes later when it gets out of the 50's.....

hope this helps
ww

[JS1scuba]

I know the OP was talking about the walk to the water, and with carrying a scooter this wont work, but last summer much to my embarrassment, I got out a big oversized umbrella. and......i got a battery powered fan. i have not used the fan yet but i am sure it will help with the last 10 min gearing up. the walk if your hands are free are really helped by the umbrella. you look goofy but hell i don't care. And you leave the umbrella on the shore. If its gone, well its just an umbrella and your not so exhausted from the heat at the end of the dive. If your on a boat and there is no shelter, the umbrella trick is also handy for that extra DM or a buddy who is ahead of you to take 10-20 degree's off your head and body. I will let you know how the battery fan goes later when it gets out of the 50's.....

hope this helps
ww

On one of our boats we have a center hole in the gear up table that allows us to put in the BIG White Umbrella for sun shade in the summer. Out here and up on Lake Mead it can be 120 in the dry heat.


Wendy you can also attach a tiger-mount to the side of the doubles and clip that umprella on it so you can walk with it open. In a good wind it will pick you up and let you right down at the shore

Cheers
JDS

[Fish Eater]

<snip>

Wendy you can also attach a tiger-mount to the side of the doubles and clip that umprella on it so you can walk with it open. In a good wind it will pick you up and let you right down at the shore

Cheers
JDS

Wow. That'd solve some problems at Monastery Beach!




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[Peter_C]

I have been known to "fall" off the boat (Of course I stop the boat and disconnect the kill lanyard first). Often at our beach dive sites (Can you call softball to basketball sized rocks a beach?), we will stop gearing up once the drysuit is on and go float in the water. Taking a break lowers the heart rate (Heat output), and of course the cool water sucks the heat away. Once back to gearing up the evaporation cools the diver.

Another reason black is a stupid color for dive exposure protection. I am never cold at the surface, but more often that not cook in the sun.

[JS1scuba]

Another reason black is a stupid color for dive exposure protection. .

Check out this great looking white wetsuit ........ it was the custom suits made for Raquel Welch for Fantastic Voyage !

wet-raquel..jpg