Water Tempeture

[austen.noyes]

I know the tempeture is around 54 degrees in a cave but is the water the same tempeture?
Looking at a 5mm wetsuit thats why im asking.

[Phil Winkler]

In general, the water temp will be the same unless the water flow rate of water coming in from the surface is very fast and the outside temp is different then the cave temp. Or, when a cave is in flood it could differ, too, for the same reason. If the flow is very fast there isn't time for the different temps to come to the same temp.

[BrianC]

Evaporation from many waterfalls will decrease water temps quickly. Some caves will see much lower water temp than air temp, others can have a warmer water as statements by phill can equate.

[austen.noyes]

Alright thank you very much!!

[austen.noyes]

Do you think 5mm is enough to be chin high in water for like a hour?

[BrianC]

Do you think 5mm is enough to be chin high in water for like a hour?

I use a 3mm arm/leg and 5mm body, it does well. When you are submerged, the water that finds its way into the suit actually warms against your body. If you are moving, swimming, you should be able to stay fairly well ok. Hey, there is always a way to quickly warm yourself if you must.

[graveleye]

In other words, always cave in front of Brian, and if you need to be behind him, keep your mouth closed.

[wyandottecaver]

As others have said...it depends. I once entered a small stream cave in Indiana during a snowmelt up top, and we measured the water temp at 38 deg...brrrrr luckily it was only knee deep!

*edit* by chin high...crawling or standing? you might want a 5mm for the flotation :) Sounds like a cave to watch the weather on.

Also, deciding between 3 and 5 (for me) depends less on how much water and more on the cave trip. 5mm will take a lot of WORK to move in. If you are in big open cave thats ok. If your crawling and grunting and squeezing your way through, a 3mm might be better. you can become exhausted/dehydrated while nearly completely submerged.....been there. However, if you will be lying mostly still on a super slow survey then a 5mm might be best.

[Squirrel Girl]

Do you think 5mm is enough to be chin high in water for like a hour?

I would probably be cold. I hate cold, and others might respond less to the cold, but I wouldn't be happy. I did a dive in 54° water for an hour in a drysuit and I survived, but I wasn't all that warm. A 5 mm wetsuit? Not me. Granted your head won't be U/W, I did have a nice hood on.

Brrr.

PS - Wish me luck. I'm slated for another one of those 54° dives this weekend. Brrr.

[caveflower]

I'm Wyndottecaver on the 3-5mm wetsuit. I have a 5mm I almost never wear because of weight and limited moblilty when I wear it. Also its not good for tight area's. I always wear my 3mm in every cave that I will be in the water for any length of time. If you are going to be in neck deep for only an hour or so I would go for the 3mm myself. I have spent up to 8 hours neck deep in water with my 3mm and as long as I keeped moving didn't get cold a bit.I also use a shorty 3mm if we are going to be in and out of the water a lot. I get colder if we are out of the water to long. Double up my ploypros though. Always keep a extra polypro top for when we taking breaks or a garbage bag.
Now my husband is a water weenie and wears a 7mm if there's even the remote chance of getting wet. lol

[Chads93GT]

funny thing about cave temps and water temps. They change......sometimes drastically. That being said I use 5mm wetsuits. If im hot I unzip the back.

This spring missouri's prime sinkhole cave country experienced about 40 inches of rain. The result was many floods underground, repeatedly, and as a result many many cave fish were obliterated. I use the term cave fish loosely meaning, fish that were living in the cave, and by no means do I mean cave only fish. Subsequent trips into the project later, the entrance passage was nice and cool as always, 54 degrees if you will. ONce we reached where this tributary dumped into the main stream passage, the temperature rose at LEAST 20 degrees and the humidity was ridiculous. The water was just as warm. It hadn't rained in weeks, what was going on? It was hot outside, and it seemed for the first time ever the cave was sucking in all that hot air and humidity and carrying it over 2 miles into the center of the core of the cave. Smaller side passages were normal, but the main trunk line, or the main drain was ungodly humid and hot. The 5mm wetsuits were killing me, even unzipping them and sitting in the water to cool down. There simply wasnt any cool down. That being said, Id rather have a 5mm and be too hot than have a 2 or 3mm and be too cold. I can stop moving and cool down if I get hot, but sometimes you just cant get warm when you are submerged in water for hours upon hours surveying.

[LukeM]

5mm full wetsuit? Shorty? Farmer john? I normally use a 4/3mm full wetsuit for wet caving where I am, but our temps are cooler - 40 to 52 degrees usually. For low airspace and swimming I've used up to 7mm both farmer john and shorty with a hood, neoprene gloves, and socks. Stretchy neoprene (hyperflex, etc) is a life saver.

[Cody JW]

Must be nice to find wet suits you can wear without having to spend big $$$ on a custom one. As for cold water in caves I hear the pool near the entrance to Blowing Hole in Indiana freezes solid sometimes. When not frozen I hear it is no picnic to cross during the winter. I also remember back in the 80s frozen water on the floor of Crooked Creek Ice Cave in Kentucky. I hear when that one freezes the ice can last into the spring.

[austen.noyes]

It is a 5mm full hoodless

[wyandottecaver]

LOL yes Blowing hole entrance can be fun....submerged in just-above-freezing slush, sliding on solid ice, or completely dry...its like a dirty santa gift exchange on every trip, never know whats waiting.