Spent $800 on a heated vest for winter diving and it was worth every penny

I was doing a month of bridge inspections on the Ohio River in January, and the cold was getting to me even with my drysuit. I dropped about $800 on a battery powered heated vest to wear under my suit. It gave me an extra hour of good work time before my hands got too stiff, and I felt way less tired after each dive. The batteries last about 4 hours on the low setting, which was perfect for our shift. Has anyone else tried something like this for cold water jobs, or found a better way to stay warm?

2 comments

2 Comments

harris.drew2d ago

Ever think that extra hour is just your body getting used to the cold instead of the vest doing all the work?

kim.stella2d ago

That heated vest sounds like a game changer for those long river dives. Makes me wonder if the same idea could work for other parts of the body, like heated gloves or socks for when your hands and feet go numb first. Keeping your core warm is smart, but sometimes the cold just creeps in from the ends. What do you do when the batteries finally run out, just call it a day?