With a weather forecast like this one what else would you want to do it not go diving?
Which is exactly what we did. We set off to Sjøstrand just out of Oslo. a nice beach covered with about 5-7cm of snow, a heated to toilet and a bimbly dive. kitting up in -4 degrees with the windchill making it feel more like -11 made stepping into 3 degrees water a pleasant, warming experience. At 18m the temperature was a toasty 8 degrees, we had a surreal underwater conversation on whether we wanted to continue our dive in the warm silty flatness or have a look at the pretty, more interesting wall which was shallower but surrounded by 3 degree water. Rarely is the water at bottom warmer than that on surface.
When we came out we were all quite frozen and land definitely wasn't welcoming but luckily the heated toilet was open and functioning. So we decided that the only solution was to have a toilet party: the baby changing board was a very handy as a table where we could place our thermos with warm tea and lunch. Luckily no passers-by needed the facilities mostly as there was no one except the odd car which used the car park to make U-turns. The drivers gave the four of us puzzled looks when we happily hopped out of the toilet in our drysuits…
The braver buddy pair went in for another dip and we provided shore cover while making snow-angels.
After a brief stop for coffee and cake we headed back in Crankie (my old, divemobile without heating) home.