Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Tell us your tale of coming nose-to-nose with a 6 gill [--this big--], or about your vacation to turquoise warm waters. Share your adventures here!
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Dive Monkey
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Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Dive Monkey »

Very cold today. I no longer WANT a dry suit! I NEED a dry suit!
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loanwolf
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by loanwolf »

Greg
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nwbobber
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by nwbobber »

Yup you need one. Have you tried the cooler full of hot water to pour down your suit, warm up your gloves, hood etc. Helps a lot while you look for the perfect suit. Last winter I was toughing it out with a wet suit. This year I can say for certain that a dry suit is definitely worth it!
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Grateful Diver
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Grateful Diver »

Yesterday was bloody cold! Got up early and drove up to Anacortes for a 7:30 AM hookup with some friends at Skyline. The temp was 28 degrees and the wind was howling out of the north strong enough to make my cooler with 2 gallons of fresh water in it skid across the pavement. Felt like it was bringing fresh air straight off the top of Mt. Baker. Brrrrrrrrrr indeed. I got into my drysuit first ... and fast.

Splashed around 8:15 ... we had figured slack for about 8:45. Somehow we managed to screw it up ... current was ripping, and vis was about 4 feet. Didn't even bother unclipping the camera. After about 20 minutes of drifting along bumping into things in a current that didn't seem to be slowing down any, I decided to call the dive ... drove 220 miles and four hours round-trip for a 34 minute dive.

It wasn't any warmer when we got out ... and that wind was so damn strong and cold I really didn't want to take off my drysuit. I couldn't imagine what it'd have been like in a wetsuit in those conditions ... but the word "hypothermia" comes to mind.

We stopped at The Farmhouse for breakfast on the way back ... after about 20 minutes and three cups of coffee I was finally starting to warm up.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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60south
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by 60south »

:bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake:

Whine whine complain complain..... "oh, it's sooooo cold!"

At least you guys get to DIVE.

Where I'm at, it warmed up today from -60F to a whopping -30F. Ooooo, a heat wave.

......And no diving.
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fmerkel
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by fmerkel »

Lot of effort for a crummy dive. Too bad.
Have you had much luck with Skyline winter dives? I've given them up, generally too much Skagit river dump > viz goes to hell (as you saw), temperature plummets, fresh water mixes all the way down (no cap or thermocline to get under), and the invertebrate life pulls in due to the fresh water (my theory anyway) in making the dive kind of barren.
I have to admit we haven't had a lot of recent rain and recent Skagit flows are modest. . I'm not sure what the transit time or how long the fine silt from the Skagit impacts the area. Maybe this is the stuff from a couple weeks ago sloshing around.
Otherwise, one of my favorites.

Your timing didn't look too bad to me. I see 8:50 slack so would have went in about 8:20-8:30.
Fritz
Last edited by fmerkel on Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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loanwolf
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by loanwolf »

60south wrote::bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake:

Whine whine complain complain..... "oh, it's sooooo cold!"

At least you guys get to DIVE.

Where I'm at, it warmed up today from -60F to a whopping -30F. Ooooo, a heat wave.

......And no diving.
Their's good Ice diving their. and a few warm springs that you can dive in.
Greg
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60south
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by 60south »

loanwolf wrote:Their's good Ice diving their. and a few warm springs that you can dive in.
Uh, I think I'm kinda far from those spots.

I'll either need an airplane or a really, really big chainsaw. Like two kilometers long. ;)
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loanwolf
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by loanwolf »

60south wrote:
loanwolf wrote:Their's good Ice diving their. and a few warm springs that you can dive in.
Uh, I think I'm kinda far from those spots.

I'll either need an airplane or a really, really big chainsaw. Like two kilometers long. ;)
I just looked at your location so you are a Summit Camp. yea you are out were hell already froze over. But it is some very beautiful country though when its clear.
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by gcbryan »

I use Rosario Strait with no corrections so slack before ebb would be 9:22am. No one agrees with me and most generally use Fishmiller's figures but others get blown off and I don't.

I would have gotten in for the swim at 9:10am or so. I time it so when I've dropped down and I'm actually diving the current turns a few minutes later. Since it's a low exchange day it doesn't affect the dive until you're ready to turn around anyway.

That sounds like a cold dive Bob. Ugh! I'm not real fond of early morning dives especially in this kind of weather. I do love that site however.

I do agree that vis isn't great when it's been raining a lot at Skyline but it's a good enough site that I usually just deal with it. You don't need great viz with a site that has that much stuff right in front of you.

At least you had a good breakfast at the Farmhouse!
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Pinkpadigal
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Pinkpadigal »

It can be cold...I can live with that. The sun is shining and that is very nice.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.
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sheahanmcculla
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by sheahanmcculla »

How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.
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Grateful Diver
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Grateful Diver »

Pinkpadigal wrote:It can be cold...I can live with that. The sun is shining and that is very nice.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.
... what's wrong with snow? Remember last December?

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... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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Grateful Diver
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Grateful Diver »

sheahanmcculla wrote:How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.
So tell her to park on the street! And hang your gear in the living room.

Where are your priorities, man? :breakdance:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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Tom Nic
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Tom Nic »

Grateful Diver wrote:
Pinkpadigal wrote:It can be cold...I can live with that. The sun is shining and that is very nice.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.
... what's wrong with snow? Remember last December?

Image

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Right now I'd PREFER snow! It's the single digit temps that are messin' with me...
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by gcbryan »

Snow would be warm! I was supposed to dive last night so I got to the site and set all my gear up. The person I was supposed to dive with got there, wasn't feeling good so she decided to cancel. We ended up just going to dinner which was probably a smart thing.

As I was repacking my gear, my hood was frozen into some strange shape and the water bottle on my back seat was frozen solid!

Brrrrrrrrrrr! is right!
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cardiver
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by cardiver »

Tom Nic wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:
Pinkpadigal wrote:It can be cold...I can live with that. The sun is shining and that is very nice.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.
... what's wrong with snow? Remember last December?

Image

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Right now I'd PREFER snow! It's the single digit temps that are messin' with me...
Tom on Christmas day, 2008
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Tangfish »

I'm having none of this. Time to service the regs.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Tom Nic »

Tangfish wrote:I'm having none of this. Time to service the regs.
You can run, but it doesn't take 3 months to service your regs and your dry suit! :bootyshake:
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dwashbur
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by dwashbur »

Tom Nic wrote:
Tangfish wrote:I'm having none of this. Time to service the regs.
You can run, but it doesn't take 3 months to service your regs and your dry suit! :bootyshake:
Uh, if this cold snap lasts 3 months I may think about moving back to Idaho!!!!!!
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dieseldude
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by dieseldude »

sheahanmcculla wrote:How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.
If you dont have a garage, I would suggest taking advantage of the warm water buckets at your local LDS that everyone hates now. Hang the stuff on their rack long enough to not be dripping & then load it back up.
If you have a garage, I'd recomend building a rack in there close to the doors & put a fan on the gear. My garage stays warm enough on its own to thaw the freeze from my cleaning & then dry the gear. I usually have to go out & turn my hood inside/rightside out(depends on where it was when i washed it)
Lots of folks hang in the bathroom over the tub. Washroom over a large drain pan works too. Personally I dont give a rip if its wet or frozen on the outside if its clean & dry on the inside.
She's your wife, she'll get over it. She wants you to be happy doesn't she?
MJ

p.s. My wife is just always mad at me. My dry gloves get front seat in front of the propane fireplace in the family room. TT for her.
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ORDiver
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by ORDiver »

sheahanmcculla wrote:How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.

You need to install one of those big, plastic washbasin sinks in the garage. I have an old concrete one in the basement. I just throw everything in it and let it soak in luke warm water while I go outside and hose off the suit really quick. Then I come in, hang up the suit and warm my hands up rinsing the other stuff. Works great.
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Pez7378
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Pez7378 »

You wanna talk about Cold? I'll never forget this trip report written by Rich when he went to Iceland!
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sheahanmcculla
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by sheahanmcculla »

dieseldude wrote:
sheahanmcculla wrote:How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.
If you dont have a garage, I would suggest taking advantage of the warm water buckets at your local LDS that everyone hates now. Hang the stuff on their rack long enough to not be dripping & then load it back up.
If you have a garage, I'd recomend building a rack in there close to the doors & put a fan on the gear. My garage stays warm enough on its own to thaw the freeze from my cleaning & then dry the gear. I usually have to go out & turn my hood inside/rightside out(depends on where it was when i washed it)
Lots of folks hang in the bathroom over the tub. Washroom over a large drain pan works too. Personally I dont give a rip if its wet or frozen on the outside if its clean & dry on the inside.
She's your wife, she'll get over it. She wants you to be happy doesn't she?
MJ

p.s. My wife is just always mad at me. My dry gloves get front seat in front of the propane fireplace in the family room. TT for her.

Thanks Mike!

I have a garage but I should probably do the fan thing. It's warmer then outside, but not warm enough to dry the gear quick.
ORDiver wrote:
sheahanmcculla wrote:How do you guys wash your gear? I leave the hose in the garage so it doesn't freeze. As soon as I rinse the gear it all turns into Popsicles. And the wife has a hard time getting up the driveway when it is covered in ice.

You need to install one of those big, plastic washbasin sinks in the garage. I have an old concrete one in the basement. I just throw everything in it and let it soak in luke warm water while I go outside and hose off the suit really quick. Then I come in, hang up the suit and warm my hands up rinsing the other stuff. Works great.
I have thought about a sink, but have not figured out the whole drain thing yet.
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Dusty2
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Re: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Post by Dusty2 »

Tom Nic wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:
Pinkpadigal wrote:It can be cold...I can live with that. The sun is shining and that is very nice.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.
... what's wrong with snow? Remember last December?

Image

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Right now I'd PREFER snow! It's the single digit temps that are messin' with me...
Yep it was much warmer then. But never fear it's supposed to warm slightly tomarrow and start snowing by Saturday! :neener: :neener: Besides were all crazy... Just ask my wife. :roll: :roll:
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