Keeping Warm for Winter Diving

For spearos, winter always poses a problem – they can’t leave the rod in the holder and hide in the cabin like boat fishermen. But according to Darren Shields, modern wetsuits have given divers no excuse to avoid the water, no matter how cold it is. He shares some tips for staying warm this winter…

How are your gloves and booties? If you have holes in either, throw them away. I recently got a new set of gloves and the difference in warmth was instantly recognisable. Dive gloves with fingers poking through are something most divers experience at some stage. It’s okay during the summer but if you are a hunter gatherer, you will know it’s not ideal. Booties are the same – warm extremities will help immensely in overall body warmth. You may notice as you swim in booties with a hole that water almost seems to act like it’s been fired up your leg by a hose! Too much of this and you freeze.

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Having gloves and booties with holes in them defeats the purpose of wearing them.

Having gloves and booties with holes in them defeats the purpose of wearing them.

Of course, the main thing to keep you warm is a good wetsuit and I don’t mean your old one that’s as stiff as a board and can stand up on its own. You want the new, very soft suits which were originally designed for spearfishermen but now are multi-purpose.

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These suits have no zips! No zips? How do you get them on and why no zips? A zip lets in water, so it means the wetsuit isn’t fully waterproof. You all know that feeling of constant cold water coming in through a zip. These new suits have what’s called ‘open cell’ on the inside, which means you will need a bottle of soapy water to put them on. Now, I hear some of you say, “What a hassle!”, but believe me, it’s quite the opposite.

Zips let in water and don't stretch, making a suit uncomfortable.

Zips let in water and don't stretch, making a suit uncomfortable.

How many of you use a plastic bag or your mates to help you get your old suit on, or have to wear a woollen shirt under it to keep you warm? A soaped up suit slips on so easily! You will love it. No more sweating, pulling and being totally worn out by the time you have it on – oh and did I say these suits are warm? You should be able to last the whole day in them without being cold.

The other advantage is they are two piece. Forget the old one piece suits where the water flows down your neck all day! There is no more of that; instead, a little water trickles in, stays inside the suit, warms to your body temperature and stays that way. Having to pull on a hood and then try and tuck it in is old hat!

I mentioned the woollen shirt under your old suit – there are now products with special heat retention you can use instead, but you won’t need these either with a proper two piece open cell suit.

The jacket to the right is inside out - you can see what open cell looks like. This sticks to your skin once on and stops water flowing all around your body.

The jacket to the right is inside out - you can see what open cell looks like. This sticks to your skin once on and stops water flowing all around your body.

I was recently in Fiordland with a couple of groups. They didn’t want to buy a 7mm suit for the one trip as they were Northland divers mostly. The way around this is to buy a new 5mm two piece and a 3mm vest to put over the outside – yes, the outside. You want the open cell against as much skin as possible as this is where the warmth comes from. The vest over the outside simply gives you another layer to add a barrier against the outside cold.

A wetsuit should be changed on a regular basis. I believe the neoprene dies, losing both its softness and its ability to keep you warm. If your suit is too stiff, it won’t hug your contours, which is what you want a suit to do. It’s important your suit is like a second skin; if it’s not, water will flow freely through it. If you’re cold while diving, you have the wrong suit.

Another important thing many overlook is keeping warm before and after a dive, and this where having a good coat is a must. It creates a barrier from the wind which will chill the outside of your suit. I never dive in the winter without my coat being at hand when I get out.

I also like to keep my hood on between dives if it’s cold. Hoods retain so much heat and the new soft material means they’re not uncomfortable.

A wetsuit with an open neck and zip like this is not a good option if you really want to stay warm. A jacket with a fitted hood is best.

A wetsuit with an open neck and zip like this is not a good option if you really want to stay warm. A jacket with a fitted hood is best.

How much are these suits? They start around $320 and go up to the high $600s. A base model is just as warm, but you get more features as you go up the price scale. The imported Euro brands also have another margin that needs to be absorbed. If going for a cheaper model, make sure the edges are finished off with a binding and that the rubber used is a Japanese neoprene – this is important. You should also check the rating of the nylon on the outside.

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If you want to dive all year round, don’t put off investing in a two piece open cell suit – it will change your diving forever.


June 2021 - Darren Shields
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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