constant weight in cold water

[subaquaticus]

Hi to everyone !

Up to now I have mainly experienced dynamic apnea in swimming pools..

A little bit of diving pit (20 m) with water 27-29 °C warm..

A little bit of constant weight and sled in the sea in July (26-28°C at the surface)

I shall be soon experiencing constant weight in cold water (less than 14°C)...

I am a bit worried about my ears ...

My question is : to what extent is COLD WATER + DEPTH a handicap for the ears ?

Thanks for your piece of advice....

[derelictp]

In my experience from diving i Sweden there is no real difficulty when the temp is >10 degrees if you have a good suit. I rarely have problems despite diving in temps between 5 and 18 degrees.

[jome]

I find that if I dive for a long time or severeal days in a row, the cold and pressure causes me to develop a lot of mucous and eventually my sinuses get blocked. The thing to do then is to stop diving and let it clear, or pretty soon you'll be bleeding from the nose.

It helps if you clear the mucous out regularily (like after every dive just remove your mask and blow it out. A bit disgusting, but hey, there are worst things floating in the water).

I've also toyed with the idea of making a "full face" mask for recreational and warmup diving.

I used to have holes in my hood for my ears, but after getting some 3 celcius water in my ear canal a couple of weeks ago, I glued them shut. Any ideas on how to avoid hood squeeze are welcome

[Donna]

I have pretty much altogether wiped out hood squeeze by flooding my hood before diving - bit chilly in cold water but avoids the dreaded hood squeeze! In fact, my warm up routine before a dive now includes a hood flush! I only get a squeeze now if I forget to flush.....

Donna

[subaquaticus]

Have you got any idea how warm the water will be in Nice end of May ?

I guess something like 13-14 °C ?

Is it advisable to do trainings the 2 preceding days before a comp ?

Thanks for your advice.

[pat fish]

we freedive the lake of zurich in switzerland all year round. in winter time the water has around 5 degrees c. me personally I go for constant weight only if the surface temperature is above 10 degrees. at depht it is cold anyway, but for the preparation I cannot relax and breath up properly if it is too cold. And then packing doesn't seem to work anymore, when the lips are too cold. Of course a good suit makes all the difference! So usually it is hands and feet causing the real problems with coldness. Secret hint: Elios does not only sell super warm and flexible suits but also great open cell socks yours pat

[pat fish]

Just got the info of a friend of mine how was in Marseille: the meditarranean at southern france has now 12-14 deg., so you can expect 16 deg. at the end of may. cheers pat

[Rémi]

The Mediterranean in Nice is allways much warmer than in Marseille, I would expect 17-20 for the competition.

C U There

[Rémi]

Actually, it looks like it is allready on 16.... www.meteofrance.com
should be 20 in a month then... the 3mm will be on

[Erik]

There is good evidence that problems can develop over time if diving in cool or cold water. Bone growth occurs in the ear canal.
We use a half of a cotton ball stuck in the ear, to eliminate constant cold water flushing of the ear canal. I just got some Doc's Pro Plugs, which do the same thing, but in a more efficient way. They're supposed to help with equalising too. I have yet to use them as the ice is still on the lakes here, but I may head out this weekend and will report my results.
Cheers,
Erik Y.

[derelictp]

A good way to avoid hoodsqueeze is to put a shoestring arond the head under the hood and out of it on the sides. If you look careful on this photo you can see the string enter inside the hood on my left side. The water comes in so slowly and in so small amounts that you hardly notice it, yet there is no squeeze.

By the way, this photo is taken on CIPA's boat in Nice, there you can do some kick-ass training in good conditions.

[Jason Billows]

During the colder months of the year in Ottawa I dive with cotton in my ears. It keeps the water from rushing in and out of the ear too quickly, but also helps to keep the water around the ear warmer. I think that helps the ear and eardrum remain more flexible in the cold also helps to prevent bone growth.

One of the divers around here also used to stick small straws into either side of his hood to prevent hood squeeze.

[samdive]

Peter - do you have to pull on that shoe string to make the hood flush? I have loads of problems with hood squeeze on one of my suits and its the one I want to wear in Nice.... : (

[derelictp]

Sam; No I don't have to pull it, the water enters the hood very slowly and equalizes the hood. I use this system in the cold waters of sweden as well as in warmer conditions when I use open cell / coated open cell suits.