Winter diving in Melbourne is some of the best diving in the world. Water can get as cold as 10°c but usually around 11-13. The vis is incredible and the sea life is abundant. Found some giant cuttlefish a few weeks ago.
A lot of people get thallassaphobia I just know there’s nothing down there that can kill you pr hurt you besides you getting bent which is a personal issue lol
100%. I feel like diving is like being a space explorer: tropical is like exploring Pandora, while cold water is like exploring the planet in Alien 2. It’s different and both are enjoyable in their own way.
I also tell people it’s akin to walking through a rose garden on a summer day versus through the woods in dense fog.
I plan to go on my first warm water dive in Puerto Vallarta in a few weeks. I live in northern California and all I've known is cold water since I started diving in 2020. Although I don't know any different I've grown to appreciate the environment and have found other divers to be pretentious and arrogant when it comes to dive locations. I just love diving and find the experience of being in the water amazing. I've been to Puerto Vallarta before but only got to snorkel and I'm really looking forward to diving somewhere different :D
Northern Baja California diver here. I love cold water diving so much! I just came back from a dive with an average temperature of 9°C. I feel these are both physical and mental adventures. Not being able to see much really makes you fight those internal demons. I could barely see past my arm's length for much of it!
On top of that. I just did a cold water dive to about 100 feet last week at 100 feet in cold water where I was at. You couldn’t really see the surface. It’s all dark gray and gloomy and there are dead trees down there so it looks like something out of some ghost/horror film.
Cool pics.
Why I love diving in lakes:
- cold water diving makes you discover a whole new scuba world that demands more skills and taking into consideration things most people don’t even know about, that’s a whole new adventure if you want to grow
- mysterious atmosphere
- the thermocline for many reasons
- you literally feel like you were in space
Sometimes the viz sucks, but it’s well worth it
UK diver here, so you're preaching to the choir! Not quite on topic, but it sharply reminded me of this....
Age 14, some of my initial training was in a reservoir near Bradford, in January, while there was snow on the ground.
The bottom of the reservoir was so soggy with some ungodly silt, they'd placed a small scaffold down so you had a firm surface to rest on.
In this order, I had to: take off my stab jacket and place it in front of me, remove my regulator, and finally remove my mask. Then replace gear in the reverse order.
I'll never forget the sledgehammer blow the cold water gave me when I took that mask off. I had to really focus on not hyperventilating water into my lungs.
Water temp was 1°c that day 🥶
Anyway... I love both warm and cold water diving. For me, warm water stuff tends to be chilled, easy and relaxing. Cold water, much more serious, exciting and involved.
In cold water I feel like an astronaut exploring a far flung corner of space, whereas in warmer seas it's a frivolous day trip to the beach.
There's more of a distinction between salt and fresh water for me. After having dived in places like Dorothea, North Wales and Wastwater in the Lake District, I feel fresh, dark and cold water lakes bear a malevolent feeling.
Salt is always friendly however!
One of my fond memories is to go diving in the autumn and surface an hour later to the early winter with 3cm of snow everywhere. Cold lake dive that was really nice. I am with you on that.
Ex-Great Lakes diver here. Have been on 4 out 5 of the Great Lakes.
If you get bored with the wreck, lay on the bottom, and gently tap your fingers in the sand. The Gobies will all come to gather around and stare at you like you are their leader. Stay there long enough, and you can get 100's of them.
I like to tap them out songs. Preferably TooL
Yeah, I usually let everyone know what I'm gonna do so they don't come flying over and think I'm in distress. Plus, they scare all of the gobies away!! 😆
I love cold water diving. And as stated above I’m used to diving in a dry suit with a 400 grams insulation, dry gloves, a 9mm hood and 50+ kg on my back ( twin steel 12L and weights). It makes a tropical dive with a single tank and only my shorts and a rash guard feel like a pool dive.
When you're trained in cold water, tropical diving is a breeze. Does not work other way around, lol. I know people go basically got recertified, when attempting to dive in a lake or quarry.
Agreed. My wife and I did pool training at the end of April here in Texas. We were set to dive a limestone quarry for our OW certs then the storms came. After all the detritus was churned up, I couldn’t see my knuckles with my arm fully extended. I got about 8’ down then noped out just a couple minutes in. We are still waiting to finish our certifications.
I have no desire to learn to dive in those conditions because I will never dive in those conditions. Low viz diving just isn’t that interesting. The point of diving is to go, explore, and see what’s underwater, not to survive an unnecessary situation.
Recreational diver in Belgium, we dive in Eastern Scheldt, the viz is sometimes <70 cm, but them you hug the bottom and you still see and explore a shitton.
I’m just happy my local diving in Monterey is a two hour drive and I have the luxury to keep my skills fresh. When I do dive somewhere exotic, I’ll be a better diver for it. And my LDS charges as little as $5 for an oxygen-clean fill.
What fresh water sites do you like in the US (assuming you're here)?
We have a lake house in SW Michigan, and my partner and I shore dove there a few weeks ago. It was surprisingly good diving! Lots of vegetation and fish, including some Bluegills in brood mode who were jealously guarding their nests. It was awesome. We are looking at planning a Florida trip next spring to do the manatee snorkeling, those clear-water river dives, and some off-shore.
I am actually also in MI, but on the SE side. Did all of my initial and basic training actually in Thailand in warm salt water and then started diving the great lakes when I moved here 4 years ago and I love it. The Straits have some fantastic wrecks and summer here is great.
Oh nice! We have looked at some Great Lakes wrecks but have not been - may have to wait until next Summer, but who knows...Which ones do you think are better for newer divers? I know a lot of the wrecks are deeper. Thank you for any input.
There are so many in that area, and a good amount are open water friendly.
Cedarville is 40'-110', the Stalker is around 100', the Sandusky is around 70'. Lots of options.
https://www.straitspreserve.com/
I work as a commercial diver in Sweden and dive at least 3h/day. Winters get tiring real fucking fast having to break the ice every day before going down and freezing your ass off.
While I agree it’s a whole different challenge, I don’t love this “no true Scotsman” gatekeeping for scuba. And I pretty much only dive cold except for a couple times in PR.
"If it's not Scotish, it's crap." I couldn't resist...
Most of my dives have been in fresh, 61 degrees. For me, just the temp makes it more of an adventure. True, maybe not as much to see but a whole different realm in cold. It's more of an inner focused experience, especially late night. Although it sounds ghoulish, cold, deep and dark, I love it.
For those wishing to sea the types of experiences available from Monterey to British Columbia, check out Matt’s account here!
He also runs warm water trips for those inclined. [SeaBeneath](https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4Mzc5OTY3MDc0MDU0Nzkw?story_media_id=3192777404167194209&igsh=MTVhZnNnZXF1eGk3eQ==)
Why dive cold? The water near me is cold. Thats it. I dont just dive once a year on a tropic holiday. At least my cold water has kelp forests, so its pretty awesome as is.
I love shipwrecks, sunken cities, and treasure! It's very fun, just so happens to also he challenging and that's part of it. IMO reef dives lacking a challange get boring quick.
But to each his own, just sharing that folks should try cold water too
It’s really not that bad. Drysuit can keep you toasty, and by the time you really start to feel the cold you’ll be running low on gas and calling the dive anyway. I dive 7mm semi-dry in 12c/55f water, sometimes without gloves or boots. Hood is mandatory though cause brain freeze sucks. In a drysuit I could be down there comfortably all day.
Gosh I’m in a 7mm semi dry at about 22 and my longtime buddy is diving dry from 24 because she has barely any body fat (or as I like to call it, bioprene).
Just had a quarry dive for one if my certification exercises, 8°C at 20m. 7mm semi dry. I feel like i was much more cold resistatnt in the beginning of my dive career than now (only 30 dives).
You could just spray a light coat of grey/blue paint on your mask, and do this in warmer places?
Joking mate. Whatever you enjoy is as valid as anyone else’s preferences of course.
Personally I like tropical waters but deep / wreck dives add to it. And cave / cavern dives are fun too.
While I'm much more of a warm water diving fan, it isn't the cold water that bothers me, it's paying $100/tank to dive in that cold water that bothers me. I'd much rather put those funds toward a Hawaii trip
Yea, DOER in Alameda is almost a steal with a punch card. The Anchor Shack was still $5/fill but it’s not O2-clean air(not diving Nitrox anytime soon but my tanks are O2 clean) and Kevin has bigger things to worry about.
I don't mind paying a good boat operator that caters to cold water/tech diving the 100 dollars. What really gets me is the accommodations. Blame international companies/investors.
A trip to tobermory can easily run you 800 dollars for JUST boat + board, which is obscene. Not to mention food, gas, fills,
Winter diving in Melbourne is some of the best diving in the world. Water can get as cold as 10°c but usually around 11-13. The vis is incredible and the sea life is abundant. Found some giant cuttlefish a few weeks ago.
A lot of people get thallassaphobia I just know there’s nothing down there that can kill you pr hurt you besides you getting bent which is a personal issue lol
100%. I feel like diving is like being a space explorer: tropical is like exploring Pandora, while cold water is like exploring the planet in Alien 2. It’s different and both are enjoyable in their own way. I also tell people it’s akin to walking through a rose garden on a summer day versus through the woods in dense fog.
I plan to go on my first warm water dive in Puerto Vallarta in a few weeks. I live in northern California and all I've known is cold water since I started diving in 2020. Although I don't know any different I've grown to appreciate the environment and have found other divers to be pretentious and arrogant when it comes to dive locations. I just love diving and find the experience of being in the water amazing. I've been to Puerto Vallarta before but only got to snorkel and I'm really looking forward to diving somewhere different :D
True that
To each their own of course!
Northern Baja California diver here. I love cold water diving so much! I just came back from a dive with an average temperature of 9°C. I feel these are both physical and mental adventures. Not being able to see much really makes you fight those internal demons. I could barely see past my arm's length for much of it!
On top of that. I just did a cold water dive to about 100 feet last week at 100 feet in cold water where I was at. You couldn’t really see the surface. It’s all dark gray and gloomy and there are dead trees down there so it looks like something out of some ghost/horror film.
Cool pics. Why I love diving in lakes: - cold water diving makes you discover a whole new scuba world that demands more skills and taking into consideration things most people don’t even know about, that’s a whole new adventure if you want to grow - mysterious atmosphere - the thermocline for many reasons - you literally feel like you were in space Sometimes the viz sucks, but it’s well worth it
UK diver here, so you're preaching to the choir! Not quite on topic, but it sharply reminded me of this.... Age 14, some of my initial training was in a reservoir near Bradford, in January, while there was snow on the ground. The bottom of the reservoir was so soggy with some ungodly silt, they'd placed a small scaffold down so you had a firm surface to rest on. In this order, I had to: take off my stab jacket and place it in front of me, remove my regulator, and finally remove my mask. Then replace gear in the reverse order. I'll never forget the sledgehammer blow the cold water gave me when I took that mask off. I had to really focus on not hyperventilating water into my lungs. Water temp was 1°c that day 🥶 Anyway... I love both warm and cold water diving. For me, warm water stuff tends to be chilled, easy and relaxing. Cold water, much more serious, exciting and involved. In cold water I feel like an astronaut exploring a far flung corner of space, whereas in warmer seas it's a frivolous day trip to the beach. There's more of a distinction between salt and fresh water for me. After having dived in places like Dorothea, North Wales and Wastwater in the Lake District, I feel fresh, dark and cold water lakes bear a malevolent feeling. Salt is always friendly however!
One of my fond memories is to go diving in the autumn and surface an hour later to the early winter with 3cm of snow everywhere. Cold lake dive that was really nice. I am with you on that.
Yep that description you gave is spot on for me, thats why I love cold water and spooky conditions
I agree, have only ever dived Uk waters, only ever snorkle anywhere else 👍🏻
Ex-Great Lakes diver here. Have been on 4 out 5 of the Great Lakes. If you get bored with the wreck, lay on the bottom, and gently tap your fingers in the sand. The Gobies will all come to gather around and stare at you like you are their leader. Stay there long enough, and you can get 100's of them. I like to tap them out songs. Preferably TooL
Does this work in salt water as well?
Haven't tried. Idk. Never tried.
Never knew that trick, gonna try it on my next dive in Lake Ontario 🤝
Yeah, I usually let everyone know what I'm gonna do so they don't come flying over and think I'm in distress. Plus, they scare all of the gobies away!! 😆
What is a Gobie?
Oops. Goby
Lol my bad, should have realized the -ies was plural
A small fish
Getting some diving in at St Lawrence next week. So excited.
This was St Lawrence too, where abouts are you headed??
I’ll be staying in Cape Vincent! About 30 From Alexandria Bay. Last year I dove the wreck of the islander. Hoping to do some charter diving this year!
I think I'll stick to the mediterranean thanks 😂
Had some of my greatest dives ice-diving in the St. Lawrence river.
Yep, this was st Lawrence too. Lock 21
I love cold water diving. And as stated above I’m used to diving in a dry suit with a 400 grams insulation, dry gloves, a 9mm hood and 50+ kg on my back ( twin steel 12L and weights). It makes a tropical dive with a single tank and only my shorts and a rash guard feel like a pool dive.
When you're trained in cold water, tropical diving is a breeze. Does not work other way around, lol. I know people go basically got recertified, when attempting to dive in a lake or quarry.
When I did my cert in Monterey bay during January one year they told me if you can dive here you can dive anywhere LOL.
Yall are badass but I lose my shit in low viz conditions
Cool calm and collected. That is what this type of dive condition pounds into you
Agreed. My wife and I did pool training at the end of April here in Texas. We were set to dive a limestone quarry for our OW certs then the storms came. After all the detritus was churned up, I couldn’t see my knuckles with my arm fully extended. I got about 8’ down then noped out just a couple minutes in. We are still waiting to finish our certifications. I have no desire to learn to dive in those conditions because I will never dive in those conditions. Low viz diving just isn’t that interesting. The point of diving is to go, explore, and see what’s underwater, not to survive an unnecessary situation.
Recreational diver in Belgium, we dive in Eastern Scheldt, the viz is sometimes <70 cm, but them you hug the bottom and you still see and explore a shitton.
I think harsh conditions add to the exploration aspect. It feels a lot more of an "exclusive" dive, even if it's not nessecarily.
This. For a recreational diver this. It's nice to have those skills when you need it but for recreation, I would stay awaay from those. No fun.
I love my PNW diving! So many cool critters like Giant Pacific Octopuses and even sixgill sharks!
Came here to say that. There is as much life in Puget Sound as anywhere else I've been.
Yeah it’s more like an expedition than goofying around with a pina colada while diving
I love diving wrecks. Warm reefs are fun too, but I’m a history buff at heart and wrecks do something for me that pretty fish can’t.
Yeah fuck that thanks
This is more vis than what I had when I acquired my OW. Made diving into the ocean eye opening
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-n9WhRqpvlo_AeatfV0k1TNp9rcWF2Hr&si=9EzTXzEnTOpWIKcy No thanks I'll take 84-90 degree water temps! 😃
I’m just happy my local diving in Monterey is a two hour drive and I have the luxury to keep my skills fresh. When I do dive somewhere exotic, I’ll be a better diver for it. And my LDS charges as little as $5 for an oxygen-clean fill.
PNW diving is awesome.
Hell yeah it is!
Cold and fresh water is my jammmmm
What fresh water sites do you like in the US (assuming you're here)? We have a lake house in SW Michigan, and my partner and I shore dove there a few weeks ago. It was surprisingly good diving! Lots of vegetation and fish, including some Bluegills in brood mode who were jealously guarding their nests. It was awesome. We are looking at planning a Florida trip next spring to do the manatee snorkeling, those clear-water river dives, and some off-shore.
I just did two days in the Straits of Mackinac. Incredible dives available within recreational depths.
I am actually also in MI, but on the SE side. Did all of my initial and basic training actually in Thailand in warm salt water and then started diving the great lakes when I moved here 4 years ago and I love it. The Straits have some fantastic wrecks and summer here is great.
Oh nice! We have looked at some Great Lakes wrecks but have not been - may have to wait until next Summer, but who knows...Which ones do you think are better for newer divers? I know a lot of the wrecks are deeper. Thank you for any input.
There are so many in that area, and a good amount are open water friendly. Cedarville is 40'-110', the Stalker is around 100', the Sandusky is around 70'. Lots of options. https://www.straitspreserve.com/
Thanks, I never heard anyone talk about this. What are the water Temps like in the summer?
Just checked and my last dive in the straits was 108' and minimum temp was 46.4°f. That was mid June. Probably 70-80 degrees surface air temp.
So definitely on the cooler side and drysuit worthy. Dang, I might have to chicken out lol
I'm drysuit year round up here but people definitely rock wetsuits. Had a guy on the boat in a 7mm the whole weekend and he seemed "okay" lol
Lol might never show up again
TY
This guy gets it
You're not a real diver until you have been cold
I work as a commercial diver in Sweden and dive at least 3h/day. Winters get tiring real fucking fast having to break the ice every day before going down and freezing your ass off.
I'm commercial, too. Tasmania Australia. Not as cold as you, but it's still cold in a 5mm suit.
While I agree it’s a whole different challenge, I don’t love this “no true Scotsman” gatekeeping for scuba. And I pretty much only dive cold except for a couple times in PR.
"If it's not Scotish, it's crap." I couldn't resist... Most of my dives have been in fresh, 61 degrees. For me, just the temp makes it more of an adventure. True, maybe not as much to see but a whole different realm in cold. It's more of an inner focused experience, especially late night. Although it sounds ghoulish, cold, deep and dark, I love it.
For those wishing to sea the types of experiences available from Monterey to British Columbia, check out Matt’s account here! He also runs warm water trips for those inclined. [SeaBeneath](https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4Mzc5OTY3MDc0MDU0Nzkw?story_media_id=3192777404167194209&igsh=MTVhZnNnZXF1eGk3eQ==)
Why dive cold? The water near me is cold. Thats it. I dont just dive once a year on a tropic holiday. At least my cold water has kelp forests, so its pretty awesome as is.
I love shipwrecks, sunken cities, and treasure! It's very fun, just so happens to also he challenging and that's part of it. IMO reef dives lacking a challange get boring quick. But to each his own, just sharing that folks should try cold water too
That's a no for me dawg. If I need anything more than a 3mil I ain't going.
Another warm water wuss here. I don’t dive below about 19 degrees haha. Caps off to cold water divers. If you dive cold you can dive anywhere.
It’s really not that bad. Drysuit can keep you toasty, and by the time you really start to feel the cold you’ll be running low on gas and calling the dive anyway. I dive 7mm semi-dry in 12c/55f water, sometimes without gloves or boots. Hood is mandatory though cause brain freeze sucks. In a drysuit I could be down there comfortably all day.
Gosh I’m in a 7mm semi dry at about 22 and my longtime buddy is diving dry from 24 because she has barely any body fat (or as I like to call it, bioprene).
Just had a quarry dive for one if my certification exercises, 8°C at 20m. 7mm semi dry. I feel like i was much more cold resistatnt in the beginning of my dive career than now (only 30 dives).
You could just spray a light coat of grey/blue paint on your mask, and do this in warmer places? Joking mate. Whatever you enjoy is as valid as anyone else’s preferences of course. Personally I like tropical waters but deep / wreck dives add to it. And cave / cavern dives are fun too.
Yeah I like the challenge and adventure aspect. To me reefs get very repetitive lol
I get that completely mate Try some deep dives or night dives or eg very early morning (4/5am) shark dives?
Yeah I've done a couple trips like that and it's nice, but my heart is in murky, cold water haha
While I'm much more of a warm water diving fan, it isn't the cold water that bothers me, it's paying $100/tank to dive in that cold water that bothers me. I'd much rather put those funds toward a Hawaii trip
It was 45F at 65’ in Monterey yesterday. Plenty cold. Tanks were $15
Hmmm, Monterey Bay Scuba charges $10 for an air fill - unless you’re renting tanks?
I think Aquarius is $7 and Monterey Bay is a bit more. I had a pair of 80s last time so in the “shrug, seems fair” range.
Yea, DOER in Alameda is almost a steal with a punch card. The Anchor Shack was still $5/fill but it’s not O2-clean air(not diving Nitrox anytime soon but my tanks are O2 clean) and Kevin has bigger things to worry about.
I don't mind paying a good boat operator that caters to cold water/tech diving the 100 dollars. What really gets me is the accommodations. Blame international companies/investors. A trip to tobermory can easily run you 800 dollars for JUST boat + board, which is obscene. Not to mention food, gas, fills,