My time diving in Norway's fjords flipped how I handle cold water jobs

Before Norway, I avoided drysuits, but now I see they're key for safety in cold dives!

2 comments

2 Comments

Honestly that view seems way too strict to me. I did commercial diving in Alaska for years and we never used drysuits, just really good wetsuits with hoods and gloves. Your body gets used to the cold if you dive in it regularly, and you keep way more freedom of movement. Calling them key for safety feels like gear fear talking, not real experience. Proper training and knowing your limits matter way more than what suit you're wearing.

the_hannah8h ago

Ha, well my cold tolerance is clearly in the baby pool compared to @wendy_morgan9's Alaska level! I'm the person whose fingers stop working after 20 minutes in what you'd probably call a warm lake. Tried to stick it out once in a thick wetsuit on a longer job, and I spent the last hour basically useless, couldn't even clip a carabiner right. For me, shivering that hard just isn't safe or smart. The drysuit keeps my brain working so my hands can actually do the thing I'm getting paid for.