Talked to a saturation diver about hot water suits last week and now I'm second-guessing my gear

I was swapping stories with a guy who's done 300-foot sat dives up in the North Sea, and he said he ditched his electric heated vest for a full hot water suit system because the cold hit harder than he expected. It made me realize my setup is pretty basic for the water temps I deal with around the Gulf rigs. Anyone here made the jump to hot water suits and think it's worth the extra cash and hassle?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerw729d ago

Had a buddy who ran a dive shop down in Morgan City and he swore by his hot water suit for the deep stuff. He told me one time his electric vest died on a 250-foot job in the winter and he spent the last hour of his bottom time shivering so bad he couldn't focus. Said he switched to a full hot water system the next week and never looked back, even though it was a pain to hook up topside. From what he described, the constant warm flow made a huge difference compared to just having a spot on your chest warm. Your mileage may vary depending on your typical depth and water temp, but I'd say try renting one before you drop the cash.

wyatt8628d ago

Renting first is smart. That umbilical tangle is no joke.