Old school diver told me to skip the drysuit for 45 degree water

Guy named Mike from a Gulf rig swore I'd overheat in a drysuit on a shallow job. Sure enough, I was shivering 20 min in and had to call it quits early. Anyone else get bad advice from a salty vet that backfired?

2 comments

2 Comments

jakewhite7d ago

Haven't we all been there trusting someone who's been doing this since before we were born? I got told by a old timer that a 5mm wetsuit would be plenty for 50 degree water because "you'll warm up once you start moving." Spent 45 minutes shivering so hard my mask kept fogging up from my breath, couldn't feel my fingers enough to work a simple valve. Ended up cutting the dive short and had to sit in the truck with the heat blasting for an hour just to stop shaking. It's rough when you respect their experience but your body just disagrees.

hernandez.ben7d ago

Jake, that "you'll warm up once you start moving" line is one of the most dangerous pieces of advice out there. It works fine in 60 degree water maybe, but at 50 degrees your body is losing heat way faster than any movement can keep up. Your hands going numb is a huge red flag - that's your blood pulling back to your core to keep your organs alive. Good on you for cutting it short, a lot of guys would have pushed through and ended up in real trouble. Old timers forget that what worked for them twenty years ago might not be the straight truth.