How to Stay Warm during Cold-Water Diving and Ice Diving

I believe many fellow divers had experienced either cold-water diving, winter diving or even ice diving and remember how the cold knock them back.

You put on your wetsuit and jump in 82.4-degree F (28 C) Coral Sea. When you dive to 17 metres/55.8 feet you experience a thermocline and the water temperature suddenly drops to 78.8 degrees F (26 C). You start wondering whether you should continue to dive deeper.

You miss the chance witness Mola Mola in Bail as you cannot withstand the cold water.

For those certified instructors and divemaster who dive most of the time in Southeast Asia still wearing 3mm wetsuit and gloomy hood each time in order to keep warm underwater.

Divers with low body fat they cannot bear with the water temperature that is lower than 80.6 F (27 C).

The water temperature can be extreme cold under during some deep cave diving or freshwater diving.

What Diving Gear You Need for Cold Water Diving?

• Exposure suits

Wear a thicker exposure suit, consider a drysuit or a 5-7mm wetsuit

• Environmentally sealed regulators or cold-water regulators

Regulators may freeze up in cold temperatures, check what temperature your regulator can withstand before go cold-water diving.

• Undergarments

Invest in a heated undergarment is never a waste of money if you’re going to be cold-water diving or ice diving regularly.

• Hood

A fit hood keeps your head and neck warm and comfortable during cold-water diving. Make sure it does not interfere with your seals.

• Gloves

A pair of dry gloves will protect your hands from freezing and numb.

• Socks and boots

Wear few pairs of thick socks and a pair of thick dive boots, you will not regret it. 

All these cold-water diving experiences mentioned above make people wondering if they could warm up themselves like the opah, or say moonfish. The only fish that can warm its body by rapidly flapping its pectoral fins, which enhances other body parts’ functions, increasing metabolism and speeding up reaction times. The heat gives the opah a great advantage in deep and cold environment.

AKUANA Opah Heated Vest is inspired by the opah, that wishes to provides extra thermal protection for divers underwater. Ever since Opah Heated Vest came into market has already received a flood of complimentary from divers around the world about its superb performance in cold water.

K as PADI Course Director, diving has become his day-to-day life. When he first dived with Opah Heated Vest, he went for the highest level of heat and found out immediately the temperature was too high for him. He then let water into his wetsuit and the water got heat up and all of sudden he felt he was surrounded by warm water. As he described the feeling as comfortable and nice.

Tips: It is recommended to turn on the lowest level of heat first, and then adjust the heat level accordingly to achieve the best water temperature for you.

Lulu who has been teaching and leading her own diving team in Semporna has seen Opah Heated Vest as an important part of her life. Before she could not dive without her drysuit now she is addicted to the vest and if she forgot to bring it to a dive, she will not be feeling good for that day.

AKUANA Opah Heated Dive Vest also supports the Dive for Love Coral Reef Conservation Volunteer Program in Dapeng Bay. The volunteers can start their coral protection work 3-4 months earlier this year with Opah Heated Vest on. 

In February, Dapeng Bay area has very changeable weather that four seasons can be displayed in one day, which increased the difficulty of underwater clean up. One of the volunteers Zhi said that Opah Heated Vest makes all the cleaning hard work go smoothly as they feel more comfortable working in water around the temperature of 68 F (20 C).

Mexico is considered as the cave diving paradise for many divers. It has some of the most stunning and intriguing underwater caves and caverns in the world. The extreme temperature difference between caves and surface does not stop divers from all over the world to come to witness those spectacular caves.

Lily Pocobelli is an expert cave diver living in Mexico who has been dedicated to cave and technical diving education for years. After the used of Opah Heated Vest, cave diving has never been easier for Lily and Opah has become a must-have gear for her each cave exploration and teaching course.

Last but not least, Opah Heated Best helps Behind the Mask finished their 6-week shooting in Antarctica in February this year. 

Through the groups of photos taken by Behind the Mask, we can feel the beauty of the polar regions and hope Opah Heated Vest can help more divers unlock the broader underwater world in the future.

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