9 replies to this topic

[FirstChAoS]

How do you manage to enter cold water for photography. Lately I had issues submerging in normal streams as they feel a bit cold and the trout streams seem so cold they hurt. (I think part of that is perceptual, my brother and his friend used to jump in them in mid winter (something I'd never dare to do) and said they were warm, in summer trout streams feel painfully cold.)

 

So how do you manage to get yourself to enter really really cold streams?

[littlen]

It sounds like you are naturally predisposed to not liking the cold water.  Truthfully, there is no easy way to avoid getting cold.  What might be difficult for you is that initial contact with the cold, stream water as it first penetrates your wetsuit.  A helpful buffer to that initial shock is to take some water with you---possibly a few bottles, left at ambient temp.  When you're ready to get in pour them down your suit.  That way you already have water between you and the inside of your suit that is going to insulate you from the much colder, stream water.  Not doing that means the cold water that gets in needs to be warmed by your body.  40-50F water is going to rob you of more body heat than 70-80F water.  You'll inevitably lose body heat over time and still get cold.  Listening to how you describe it, I think you're never able to recover from that first encounter when the water seeps in. 

If you don't already have one, invest in a full hood.  You lose a ton of heat through your head.  For me, that was a huge game changer on how long I could stay in the water.

[FirstChAoS]

I don't have a wetsuit, which may be the problem.

[littlen]

In a very playful usage of the Jeff Foxworthy saying,  "Heeeeeerrrrrreeeeee's your sign!"

[loopsnj64]

Waders should solve your problem as most of these streams are fairly shallow

[don212]

wetsuits prolong the initial shock as they slowly fill, but as they warm up they allow you to stay longer,pretend you are 10, and it's the first day at the beach, or buy an expensive dry suit

[FirstChAoS]

Waders should solve your problem as most of these streams are fairly shallow

 

I meant for snorkling, sorry I didn't specify, I have a set of waders. I DO have to see if they make suspenders for hip waders as they tend to start sliding down and taking my pants with them.

[Matt DeLaVega]

 

I meant for snorkling, sorry I didn't specify, I have a set of waders. I DO have to see if they make suspenders for hip waders as they tend to start sliding down and taking my pants with them.

Probably get away with any pair of clip on suspenders.

[NateTessler13]

...
If you don't already have one, invest in a full hood.  You lose a ton of heat through your head.  For me, that was a huge game changer on how long I could stay in the water.

 

^ Right on!  I started wearing a full hood and was able to tolerate cold water much longer as a result.

[Sean Phillips]

7 mm wetsuit, full hood, and gloves are all you need. I can personally say that when I'm diving down at 40' and the water is 52° in the summer that it's hard to tolerate for very long without both a hood and gloves or I start having to rise above the thermocline. You lose most of your body heat through your head so a hood is technically more important than gloves but I still don't like watching my hands turn purple, haha.