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Avoiding the shivers
09 October 2020
By Danel Wentzel
With numb fingers and a chilling sensation in your body you try and unclip your BCD to pass to the skipper. You just finished your dive and are sitting on the side of the boat, soaking up every last bit of sunshine that you can to try and warm your body up. Five minutes goes by, then ten, and you start to wonder where the other divers are. You had to come up early because the cold was a bit too much for you.
As you look over the side you can see the divers surfacing from their safety stop, laughing and with big smiles all around. Confussed about what's going on you can make out the words "whale", "large" and "unbelievable". Once the divers get on the boat they told you that you just missed an incredible sighting of a Humpback Whale and her baby curiously circuling the group of divers. Still shivering you sadly stare off into the distance, wishing you could had a way of not getting cold so easily on your dives.
It can be easy to avoid getting cold while diving and stay warm while in the water. Don't let the cold stop you from exploring the wonders of the underwater world. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you stay warm and avoid the shivers on your next dive.
Choose the right wetsuit.
Everyone is different when it comes to getting cold. We are all unique. Some of us may feel comfortable diving in Cape Town's 14 degree water with nothing more than mere boardshorts, while others still get cold diving in a 7mm neoprene wetsuit, with a hood.
It is important to find an option that works for you, both keeping you warm and that fits comfortably on your body.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing your wetsuit;
Fit: Your wetsuit should fit like a second skin. Choosing the right size is pretty much a Goldilocks scenario - choose one that's too small and it will pinch you in the water and choose one that's too large and it won't keep you as warm as it is suppose to. Some brands offer in between sizes while others custom makes your wetsuit according to your exact measurements.
Dubble cuffs around the wrists and ankles: Wetsuits with double cuffs, like semi-dry suits, are designed to let water in. Once the water is inside, your body temperature heats the water up creating a warm layer between you and your wetsuit. The cuffs are what keeps the warm water from escaping.
Material: While neoprene is the go-to material for most wetsuit, a lot of divers have been diving with open-cell neoprene wetsuits. Unlike closed-cell neoprene, these wetsuit have a thick rubbery inside. This material is designed to stick against your skin, creating an airtight vacume.
Hoods, boots and gloves.
It is not just our bodies that we need to keep warm. We tend to loose a lot of heat through our hands, feet and most importantly our heads. Wearing a thick neoprene hood can make all the difference in you staying down for longer.
Boots and Gloves are also useful accessories to prevent you from getting cold. They keep our hands and feet warmer for longer and keep them from loosing feeling. This can especially be useful when using an underwater camera. Your hands will be more mobile and you won't have to worry about that extra camera shake from your shivers.
Dry suit.
If you find yourself diving in cold water on a regular basis, or doing repetitive dives in moderately cold water, learning to dive in a drysuit is undoubtedly the best option to keep yourself warm. Just as the name suggests, a dry suits keeps you warm by keeping you dry. The suit is sealed at the neck, wrists and ankles, and you can choose how snug you want to be underneath by layering your undergarments underneath your suit.
If you haven't learnt to dive in a drysuit you will need to undertake a dry suit speciality course to learn to dive safely, as you have an additional airspace to learn to compensate for whilst being underwater.
Warming up after the dive.
It is important to warm up between dives. There is a lot more at risk than just missing cool sightings, diving when you are too cold may put you at a greater risk of decompression sickness. When you’re cold your blood vessels constrict and blood flows slower, therefore it takes longer than your dive computer might predict for nitrogen to make its way out of your body.
The most important thing is to stay hydrated! Staying hydrated whilst diving not only lowers our chances of getting decompression sickness, but also helps us regulate our body temperature better. Being dehydrates impacts our bodies' ability to keep warm. Dehydration can cause your core temperature to drop, which is the biggest problem when doing repetitive dives across multiple days. Hot drinks or even soups can be a great option to warm yourself up between dives (but avoid excessive caffeine intake as this may cause dehydration).
Always make sure you dry off to avoid wind chill between dives, and if you get particularly cold on dives you can even change into a dry swim suit between dives to have a dry base layer. Your body requires a lot of energy to keep you warm, so ensure you’re fuelling up with healthy, snacks in between your dives in order to keep your energy level consistent.
In a seashell:
It is really important to ensure you stay warm on a dive, not only will the experience be more enjoyable but you ensure that the risk of getting decompression sickness is less.
When choosing your wetsuit make sure you keep in mind the fit, the style as well as the material.
Hoods, gloves and boots can be a game changer when trying to stay down longer.
If you find yourself diving in cold water on a regular basis, or doing repetitive dives in moderately cold water, try investing in a dry suit.
Ensure you regulate your core temperature by staying warm between dives. Stay hydrates, dry off and fuel your body with some healthy snacks.
Remember that feeling cold can also be subjective and varies hugely from person to person, but don’t be afraid to be the person diving in a thicker exposure suit than everybody else – you’ll be snug and toasty when everyone else on the boat is complaining about the cold!
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