What is Cold Water diving?

[Jen S]

<font color='#8D38C9'>Following on from the debate at present about cold water training, I was just wondering what people view as cold water?

By the way, the temperatures are in degrees C!!!

[Sean]

I think to book states anything below 10c

[Mary]

<font color='#F52887'>I go with the you jump in and if on surfacing you have the desire to swear loudly classification

[Juz]

<font color='#32CD32'>It's all about being kitted correctly.

Yesterday I was in 5.4C water for 45 mins.

All the time I was moving I was fine, but on the stops (20 mins) my hands were very very cold. Body fine tho (thanks to the weezle extreme).

Juz

[Mary]

<font color='#F52887'>think i'd better clarify what i said above i was going with the when you jump in and cold water hits you and gets under the hood. I'm nice and toasty too thanks to my fab thermals

[lynnj]

My limit this time of year is 20 minutes.

My hands stop working and I can't press any buttons after that.

And I have problems struggling into dry gloves...

I will go diving for training purposes this time of year, but I'm not really happy at temperatures lower than 8 - 10 degrees C.

[wreckweasel]

Erm.....isnt it a bit hard to dive below zero... doesnt the water get sorta thick.... and hard to do a giant stride into? &nbsp;

[Jen S]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (zaksherlock @ Mar. 01 2004,12:08)]Erm.....isnt it a bit hard to dive below zero... doesnt the water get sorta thick.... and hard to do a giant stride into?  

<font color='#8D38C9'>Sea water freezes at about -2 degrees, depending on it's salinity (how salty it is). So if your diving in the polar regions you can get it below zero.

[John N]

Water can be below 0 degrees and remain liquid - it depends on the salinity (how much salt in it). &nbsp;Think of a good bottle of vodka in the freezer which uses alcohol rather than salt to lower the freezing point.

[Andy the Coastie]

<font color='#0000FF'>Cold for me is when i jump in and after 5 mins want a swamp ( P ) .