Test News

Test News... just as the name suggests, we are talking about reinforcing those diving skills which are the most basic, yet also most critical to ensure dive safety at all times.

By Henry C. Powers

"BRRRRRR!" You might have said on your last dive outing as the crisp nip of the Northwest winter is definitely in the air. If you haven’t done so, it’s time to put away your 2.5-millimeter shorty and break out your drysuit. More seriously though, you should start considering the effects of the colder days on your ability to keep warm before venturing out on your next dive excursion. I’m sure that if you are an experienced cold-water diver, you have several great techniques for keeping warm when winter diving. If you’re new to Northwest diving, here are several things you can do to keep warm and possibly avoid hypothermia.

Warm-Up Clothes
"Stay warm," I tell my students. One of the secrets to winter diving is not to get cold before you get in the water. If you’re already cold before you go in, you’re really going to be cold during and after your dive. Bring lots of clothes and stay warm during your surface intervals. I like to get really toasty by bundling up in all kinds of warm clothing before the dive. By the time I make a dive plan and put my gear together, I am so warm that I’m ready to jump in naked just to cool off (okay, I wouldn’t jump in naked.)

Make sure you bring a warm hat and gloves as well. Nothing is worse than having cold hands before the dive starts or trying to put your gear away after the dive is over with inoperable fingers. A good pair of thick gloves with a fuzzy liner should do the trick. Also, a wind-proof hat that covers your ears will be worth its weight in gold on a windy day or the boat ride back to shore.

Warm Beverages
Keeping your insides warm by consuming warm beverages will go a long way towards keeping your overall body temperature up. A Thermos-full of your favorite hot beverage will put a smile on your face and loving in your tummy after a dip in Northwest waters. My personal favorite is hot chocolate, but feel free to bring along whatever makes you happy. Remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water as well. Just because it's not hot outside doesn’t mean you won’t get dehydrated.

Warm Water
Oh, the secret of the warm water. I feel as though I am betraying the sacred trust of veteran Northwest divers by letting this out. Have you ever noticed other divers bringing coolers full of warm water on dive outings? Commonly called "wuss water," warm water is used by divers to warm up their hoods, gloves and possibly boots before a dive. Either soak your hood and gloves in the warm water or pour it inside them beforehand. This will make putting these items on especially pleasant if these items are cold and wet from previous dives. It is so much nicer to put on a warm hood than a cold and clammy one. Some wetsuit divers go as far as to poor the water into their suits before and after the dive in attempts to heat up their suit.

Now before you scientific

Add More Weight
Often in the wintertime you can get by with a thinner wetsuit or less insulation in under your drysuit. Keep in mind, though, that when you add extra exposure protection for winter diving, you will need to add more weight to offset it. So for every extra layer of neoprene or every extra pair of socks you put on, you will need to add more weight.

Try the following experiment to test neoprene’s buoyancy. If you have one, take off your neoprene hood and float it in the water. Now lay one-pound lead weights on it until it sinks. Obviously you’ll want to do this in shallow water so you can retrieve your equipment, but you will probably find that it takes more weight to sink neoprene than you thought. My hood took five pounds.

There are several things you can do to make your winter diving experiences more enjoyable. Winter diving is some of the best the Northwest has to offer. The water is clear, the beaches not crowded and the marine life friendly. Don’t miss out on these great experiences because of the cold. Dive Safe.

Henry Powers Began diving while overseas in Okinawa Japan. After returning home, Powers made his passion of scuba into a full time career as a dive instructor and manager for the Whidbey Island Dive Center in Oak Harbor, Washington.

He is an Instructor Trainer for SSI, a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and a IANTD Nitrox Instructor.

As an underwater photographer and journalist his work appears in Northwest Dive News, Sports Etc Magazine, and Skin Diver Magazine. He has received photo credits in San Juan Islander, Islander, Whidbey News Times, Crosswinds, and NW Travel Magazine, among others. Additionally, he finds time to oversea his own diving guide, The Whidbey Island Dive Guide which he created in 1996.

Henry Powers can be reached via email at hpowers@nwdivenews.com