When most people think of scuba diving they imagine a warm tropical setting with the fantastic creatures and wrecks that have been presented in the media that we are all familiar with. Coldwater settings, though, can be equally, if not more amazing with the array of life and exploration possibilities. Places like the Arctic and Antarctic, the Isle of Man, and the San Juan Islands (all places I have reviewed on this site) are exceptionally fascinating and accessible to divers with the right equipment. Below I present cold water diving gear options so you will be ready when you get the chance to dive in cold water.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Drysuit Scuba Diving
If the water is really cold, the best choice is a drysuit. It can be pretty expensive and there are other accessories to complete the package, but is the option that will keep you warmest in the most frigid conditions.
Drysuits
Each drysuit has its own special features and characteristics and there is air inside it between your body and the suit that impacts buoyancy. Because of these factors, you need a little practice and training before wearing it on a serious dive at depth. Here is a post that provides a description of the features and considerations of drysuit diving in detail, followed by one with detailed descriptions of the best drysuits:
The water is cold and you’ve decided on using a dry suit. It will keep you dry, but only offers a minimum of warmth. You’ll need to wear something underneath that gives you proper thermal protection without overheating. The use of drysuit undergarments is the solution. This post explains the features and characteristics of drysuit undergarments and reviews 10 top models:
Drysuit gloves seal to the wrist of the drysuit. There are different systems to accomplish this including the use of a ring or zipper system. Here are a couple of top models:
Most divers use thick wetsuit boots with their drysuit. Some drysuits have a soft sock attached that can be worn inside wetsuit boots or durable, hard-soled drysuit boots, which add greater protection when walking over rocky surfaces:
Drysuits are usually pretty expensive, and as stated earlier, require some extra training and practice to become safely acclimated. For many a thick wetsuit of 7mm or more is an acceptable alternative, along with some added accessories.
Wetsuits
A wetsuit can provide good thermal protection in very cold water if it is thick enough, fits well, and has very minimal water circulation. The proper accessories provide a good assist in maintaining optimal comfort. Here are several posts to help you decide which wetsuit is right for you. The first gives you an explanation of how wetsuits keep you warm and describes the features and characteristics of good wetsuits. The others are reviews of wetsuit models generally, for women, for spearfishing, and for surfing.
For really cold water, 5mm should be the minimum thickness. A well-constructed and designed pair use material like stretch neoprene that provides warmth, a flexible, comfortable fit, and sturdy seams resistant to leakage. This post provides an explanation of the best features and reviews 8 models, 4 of which come in 5mm thickness:
For really cold water diving with a wetsuit, a hood 5mm or thicker is advised. A hooded vest is an option that adds a layer of neoprene to the torso while eliminating the possibility of inflow at the neck. The Bare 7/3mm Ultrawarmth Hooded Vest, shown at right, is a good example. Here is a review and description of wetsuit hoods, 4 of which are 5mm or thicker:
For cold water, the full-foot fin without a boot is a non-starter. You’ll want a boot with 5mm of neoprene in thickness and a thick sole is helpful. The following post describes the features and characteristics to look for with 9 of 12 boots reviewed having greater than 5mm in thickness:
When diving in extremely cold water the regulator’s first stage freezing up is a consideration. To avoid this, the first stage needs to have an environmental seal that won’t allow the very cold seawater to get inside. The Atomic M1 Regulator is highly rated for cold water use. Here is my post on cold water regulators where I describe features and characteristics and review models rated for cold water usage:
I hope you found this post on cold water equipment interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
Getting a good fit in a drysuit has always been challenging. Since most of the divers using them have been men, companies have historically made the shapes and sizing more suitable for them. When there was a question about how to configure and design them, it was safer for the margin of error to be in favor of men’s bodies. A few of the smart manufacturers have seen the light and are now creating suits specifically with women in mind. They have overhauled their patterns for the size and shape of the torso, arms, and legs of the female form. Some have even reorganized the positions of zippers, pockets, and other functional components to be more suitable for women, as well.
The selected drysuits below are the best examples on the market representing these design upgrades. There is a range of suits taking into consideration materials and pricing for recreational and technical levels. In the descriptions, each model has some bare-bones specifications, pros and cons, links, and a video. I suggest taking a look at the video to get the best idea of the important aspects of each. At the end is a comparison table with some key features, pricing, and a rating.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Women’s Scuba Diving Drysuits Buying Guide
For an earlier post with a description and comparison of the key features of a drysuit to consider, please click here:
Material: hyper-compressed 2mm neoprene for minimal changes in buoyancy and flexible movement, nylon laminate exterior, and high stretch interior laminate
Boots/Socks: boots
No-stitch double heat tape technology
Back-zip and female design pattern for easiest articulation in the legs, arms, and torso
Low-profile 360-degree swivel exhaust valve
Shoulder, underarm, and elbow protection
5 women’s sizes and 3 color combinations available
I hope you found this post on women’s scuba diving drysuits interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<