Essential winter dive gear

The days are short, the water is cold, and the air is even colder. Winter has arrived. Most will have put away the fins until Spring, some will have migrated south, but the hardy few will be ready when a break in the weather comes to be the last out for the year and the first in on the next.

1 Drysuit

Without a doubt, the best investment you can make into cold water diving is a dry suit. A wetsuit keeps a layer of water around you to help retain heat however the water flushes through the suit taking heat away from you at the same time. A drysuit uses a layer of air and thermal undersuit to keep you warm, the air conducts your body heat away slower than water does so you stay warmer. Because you are dry inside, you can change comfortably after diving and warm up faster. There are a few things to learn before using a drysuit safely though. The Drysuit specialty course will teach you everything you need to know.

2 Hood and gloves

 When the water temperature drops it’s nice to have everything covered by neoprene! A good fitting hood will stop the ice-cream headache after descending. Gloves will let you keep sensation in your fingers. They come in several styles and thicknesses, check them out! I like 5mm all around though some like 3mm gloves for dexterity. You can even get dry glove systems installed onto drysuits.

 

3 Torch

 As the evenings get longer night dives become a popular choice, 5pm night dive anyone? Even during the day, the Sun’s angle is so low than its light struggles to penetrate past 18m so 30m wreck dives are pitch black even with good visibility. Having a good torch is a must and a backup wouldn’t hurt too. Check out our range of rechargeable torches!

4 Cold water rated regulator

Is the water below 10 degrees C? Then you will need a cold water rated regulator, these are designed to function in the cold with less risk of freezing open. Manufacturers accomplish this in many ways like sealing the first stage, recycling the heat from our breath and so on. Look for a (³10C) stamp on the first stage, if it has one it is not cold water rated.

5 Warm clothes

Don’t hang around in wet things, get changed and throw on the layers, hats gloves and hoodies! Why not have a look at our clothing selection to warm you après dive.