While snorkeling can be a fun adventure and a great way to see a world different from your own, one problem you’ll encounter is the cold. When you submerge into certain depths of the water, the temperature drops considerably. One of the reasons is due to the lack of direct sunlight that hits the deeper depths.
So how can you stay extra warm when snorkeling? It’s possible to preserve your body temperature with a wetsuit, wetsuit gloves or head coverings, or even a super thick wetsuit for extreme cold snorkeling in places like Iceland.
The danger of diving without a wetsuit and other protective swimwear is that you can develop hypothermia. As your body cools down, and your core body temperature drops, your body uses more energy to heat itself back up to a livable temperature. This can quickly drain your energy and make swimming difficult. You may experience other side effects like slow reaction time and difficulty in thinking.
All of these factors can lead to drowning.
In order to prevent that from happening, one of the first things you should wear is a head covering. Covering your head is vital because while the other blood vessels in your body start to slow down in order to decrease heat loss, those in your head do not.
One of the most important parts of your head that you should cover is your ears. They help with controlling the temperature of your body.
You’ll also want to make sure that you keep the water from accessing your suit. Even if you wear a wetsuit, any broken zippers or bare parts will allow the cold water to touch your bare skin. Make sure everything is covered and any broken seams are fixed.
The deeper that you dive into the water, the colder it becomes. Your wetsuit will also react to the temperature. The insulation of your neoprene compresses more the deeper that you go. Because of its compressing, it also becomes thinner which preserves less heat.
One tip that you should remember is that if you’re shivering, then you’re starting to experience hypothermia. You should surface immediately.
Finally, once you’re on deck, be sure to change out of your suit or wrap up in a towel. Your wetsuit can actually preserve the cold water, especially when also exposed to the cool sea breeze.
To make sure you can warm up fast enough to get back into the water, try having some hot cocoa or another hot drink before heading back into the water.
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At What Water Temperature Do You Need A Wetsuit?
Depending on how deep you go, you may find yourself needing to wear extra protective dive equipment. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- 72 degrees or greater: Wear Rashguard. Thickness doesn’t matter.
- 65 – 75 degrees: Wear a top or shorty wetsuit with a thickness of .5mm to 1/2mm.
- 62 – 68 degrees: Wear a Springsuit or a full suit with a thickness of 2mm to 3/2mm. You should also have a flatlock seal.
- 58 – 63 degrees: Wear a full suit and boots with a thickness of 3/2mm to 4/3mm. Your suit should also be fully sealed.
- 52 – 58 degrees: Wear a full suit, boots, gloves, and hood with a thickness of 4/3mm to 5/4/3mm. The suit should be sealed and taped.
- 43 – 52 degrees: Wear a full suit, boots, gloves, and hood with a thickness of 5/4mm to 5/4/3mm. The suit should be sealed and taped.
- 42 and below degrees: Wear a full suit, boots, gloves, hood with a thickness of 6/5mm and above. The suit should be sealed and taped.
Do Dive Skins Keep You Warm?
One option you may consider to keep yourself warm is the dive skin. However, dive skins are the lightest form of diving exposure wear out there. They’re typically used in tropical waters where the water temperature is warmer. It offers the least amount of protection for scraping against reefs as well.
They do offer some insulation protection. However, if you’re concerned about keeping warm, then you may be better of purchasing a diving suit that is thicker. In particular, you may want one that has fleece between the layers of spandex.
Dive skins are, however, helpful in putting your wet suit on and off. Many divers typically wear a dive skin and then put a wet suit on over it.
Do I Need A Wetsuit To Snorkel In Hawaii?
Because the waters surrounding Hawaii are considered tropical, most of the time you won’t need a wetsuit. You may be given one by certain snorkeling tour groups. This is because the US Navy has a regulation that if anyone is swimming in water that is below 86 degrees for over an hour, then they need to wear a wetsuit.
However, if you plan on snorkeling on your own during your vacation, then you likely can get away without a wetsuit. Though if you want the full diving experience, then you are more than welcome to use one. You may find that you’re a little less chilly when you snorkel in the water.
Do Shorty Wetsuits Keep You Warm?
A shorty wetsuit is just like a full suit wetsuit except that it doesn’t come with coverings for your arms and legs. They’re exposed to the water. Depending on the depth that you’re diving, this could be good or bad. If you plan on diving deep where the water is very cold, then a shorty may not be what you need. A full suit will ensure that every part of you is insulated.
One of the most important aspects of diving deep or diving in cold water is that you keep your body covered. Shorty wetsuits expose your skin to the cold temperature which can decrease the amount of time you can spend in the water.
However, in tropical settings, you can likely get away with just wearing a shorty wetsuit. You don’t need the extra added layer of insulation for your arms and legs.
