Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ??

Blomman · 17th December 2007, 19:58

I'm doing a wrecktrip in the red sea in Jan 2008. Depths will be around 40-90m and divetime around 2-3h. Watertemp is around 20-21C (68-70 Fahrenheit) and I am thinking of wearing a 7mm semidry. Before doing this I thought I'll check with the members here if this is doable without freezing my balls off. Drysuit is of course an option but at the moment my old drysuit doesn't have a pee-valve and is no longer dry (I will replace my drysuit but will not get a new one in time for my trip).

I have too little experience of wet dives so any help / advice is appreciated.

EDIT: added temp in Fahrenheit

// Blomman

decoweenie · 17th December 2007, 20:31

Personally, I know I won't be able to dive for 3 hours in 20C without feeling cold wearing 7mm (i.e. not in Red Sea, but close)

Lately, I have been diving around 2.5 hours with 5mm but only the bottom was around 18-20C (max BT 42 mins) and majority of the deco was in ~25C.
And I was cold at the end - not trembling cold, but ready to get out of the water cold.

Even if your drysuit is leaking a little, it won't feel as cold since only spots of your body is slightly damped from the wet undersuit - versus the entire body is wet in a 7mm wetsuit.

Then again, I am more suspectible to cold than most people...

Dave & Sandy · 17th December 2007, 21:44

Hiya,

Our summer water temp is 18-19 degress C and I can't do anything over an hour runtime without shivering away near the end in a 7mm wet suit.

IMHO, dive dry and wear a nappy. But make sure you buy the nappies which can hold heaps of liquid. I think they have a water rating sytem written on the side of the packet.

Have fun.

Mark Chase · 17th December 2007, 22:51

We dived three hours in the red sea in 20c and we were very pleased we took drysuits.

A one off dive would probably be fine but a multi day gig id go for a dry suit without a second thaught.

I just baught a Hammond light weight suit for travel. It weighs 2Kg as oposed to my 03 Neo suit at 8.5Kg.

ATB

Marl

jhaaja · 18th December 2007, 07:16

I would also say dive dry. Put a P-valve to your suit, it takes 20mins to do the job.

JH

**Fun Under Pressure** · 18th December 2007, 07:29

Quote: (Originally Posted by jhaaja)

I would also say dive dry. Put a P-valve to your suit, it takes 20mins to do the job.

JH

Yep that´s it.(Use a dive rite pee-valve)

Cheers Markku

maayanh · 18th December 2007, 18:40

Quote: (Originally Posted by Blomman)

I'm doing a wrecktrip in the red sea in Jan 2008. Depths will be around 40-90m and divetime around 2-3h. Watertemp is around 20-21C (68-70 Fahrenheit) and I am thinking of wearing a 7mm semidry. Before doing this I thought I'll check with the members here if this is doable without freezing my balls off. Drysuit is of course an option but at the moment my old drysuit doesn't have a pee-valve and is no longer dry (I will replace my drysuit but will not get a new one in time for my trip).

I have too little experience of wet dives so any help / advice is appreciated.

EDIT: added temp in Fahrenheit

// Blomman

I've done it.
the problem is only when you're not moving in the deco, if dry is not an option than plan on continually swimming slowly in the deco and you should be fine if you have a good suit (and gloves...)

OceanOpportunity · 18th December 2007, 23:13

68-70 F here in New England during the summer we dive 7mm wetsuits without any problems at all. If the dives are long, wear a good hood and chicken vest. I generally go no gloves (or thin gloves) when its this warm. If youa re planning lengthy bottom times you may consider dry, but you'll be more than comfortable at your deco.

jean-marc · 20th December 2007, 21:22

Three years ago, I went to Egypt in february for deep diving.
Water temp was 21° and I was wearing a 7mm semi-dry.
Most of the dive were around 2h and I have been cold. A dry suit would have been a better choice.

Good trip (wet or dry).

Gadget · 21st December 2007, 12:10

At that time of year in the red sea dive dry. also take a hat and coat as it isnt that warm. will be there also in jan i will be the one wearing a "snow suit"

17th December 2007, 19:58	#1 (permalink)
Blomman Helium is addictive! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 148	Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? I'm doing a wrecktrip in the red sea in Jan 2008. Depths will be around 40-90m and divetime around 2-3h. Watertemp is around 20-21C (68-70 Fahrenheit) and I am thinking of wearing a 7mm semidry. Before doing this I thought I'll check with the members here if this is doable without freezing my balls off. Drysuit is of course an option but at the moment my old drysuit doesn't have a pee-valve and is no longer dry (I will replace my drysuit but will not get a new one in time for my trip). I have too little experience of wet dives so any help / advice is appreciated. EDIT: added temp in Fahrenheit // Blomman Last edited by Blomman : 17th December 2007 at 20:07.
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17th December 2007, 20:31	#2 (permalink)
decoweenie Crash Test Dummy Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cairo Posts: 5,509	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? Personally, I know I won't be able to dive for 3 hours in 20C without feeling cold wearing 7mm (i.e. not in Red Sea, but close) Lately, I have been diving around 2.5 hours with 5mm but only the bottom was around 18-20C (max BT 42 mins) and majority of the deco was in ~25C. And I was cold at the end - not trembling cold, but ready to get out of the water cold. Even if your drysuit is leaking a little, it won't feel as cold since only spots of your body is slightly damped from the wet undersuit - versus the entire body is wet in a 7mm wetsuit. Then again, I am more suspectible to cold than most people...
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17th December 2007, 21:44	#3 (permalink)
Dave & Sandy New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 91	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? Hiya, Our summer water temp is 18-19 degress C and I can't do anything over an hour runtime without shivering away near the end in a 7mm wet suit. IMHO, dive dry and wear a nappy. But make sure you buy the nappies which can hold heaps of liquid. I think they have a water rating sytem written on the side of the packet. Have fun. __________________ Cheers, Dave & Sandy Atvar shows Dave & Sandy testing their new habitat 101 and home build RBMK69's
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17th December 2007, 22:51	#4 (permalink)
Mark Chase I go down for ages Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Kent Posts: 2,410	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? We dived three hours in the red sea in 20c and we were very pleased we took drysuits. A one off dive would probably be fine but a multi day gig id go for a dry suit without a second thaught. I just baught a Hammond light weight suit for travel. It weighs 2Kg as oposed to my 03 Neo suit at 8.5Kg. ATB Marl __________________ Is it supposed to make that noise ? I took my unit to the dive shop and demanded they bolt on every thing that would fit. Join my elite diving teem and get a Tshirt "Doing It Chasey"Hammerhead Eccr Advanced Diving System
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18th December 2007, 07:16	#5 (permalink)
jhaaja Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 867	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? I would also say dive dry. Put a P-valve to your suit, it takes 20mins to do the job. JH
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18th December 2007, 07:29	#6 (permalink)
Fun Under Pressure Supporting Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 579	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? Quote: (Originally Posted by jhaaja) I would also say dive dry. Put a P-valve to your suit, it takes 20mins to do the job. JH Yep that´s it.(Use a dive rite pee-valve) Cheers Markku
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18th December 2007, 18:40	#7 (permalink)
maayanh New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Evolution Not Bought Yet Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 18	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? Quote: (Originally Posted by Blomman) I'm doing a wrecktrip in the red sea in Jan 2008. Depths will be around 40-90m and divetime around 2-3h. Watertemp is around 20-21C (68-70 Fahrenheit) and I am thinking of wearing a 7mm semidry. Before doing this I thought I'll check with the members here if this is doable without freezing my balls off. Drysuit is of course an option but at the moment my old drysuit doesn't have a pee-valve and is no longer dry (I will replace my drysuit but will not get a new one in time for my trip). I have too little experience of wet dives so any help / advice is appreciated. EDIT: added temp in Fahrenheit // Blomman I've done it. the problem is only when you're not moving in the deco, if dry is not an option than plan on continually swimming slowly in the deco and you should be fine if you have a good suit (and gloves...)
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18th December 2007, 23:13	#8 (permalink)
OceanOpportunity for a world of water Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Dolphin Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Inspiration Classic Other CCR Dolphin Home Build Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Providence, RI USA Posts: 465	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? 68-70 F here in New England during the summer we dive 7mm wetsuits without any problems at all. If the dives are long, wear a good hood and chicken vest. I generally go no gloves (or thin gloves) when its this warm. If youa re planning lengthy bottom times you may consider dry, but you'll be more than comfortable at your deco. __________________ Michael Lombardi Oceans of Opportunity www.oceanopportunity.com Elected Director, Society for Human Performance in Extreme Environments MN'07, The Explorers Club Project Manager, Diving a Dream
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20th December 2007, 21:22	#9 (permalink)
jean-marc New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montpellier - France Posts: 55	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? Three years ago, I went to Egypt in february for deep diving. Water temp was 21° and I was wearing a 7mm semi-dry. Most of the dive were around 2h and I have been cold. A dry suit would have been a better choice. Good trip (wet or dry).
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21st December 2007, 12:10	#10 (permalink)
Gadget Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon rEvo Dolphin Home Build Other Rebreather/s: rEvo Dolphin Home Build Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hoddesdon, Herts. Posts: 159	Re: Long, deep, wet dives in 20-21c ?? At that time of year in the red sea dive dry. also take a hat and coat as it isnt that warm. will be there also in jan i will be the one wearing a "snow suit" __________________ Si Lawrence www.divehdi.com
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