rent/own conundrum for wetsuit(s)

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suddha

Contributor
Messages
89
Reaction score
0
Location
Midwest/Great Lakes
# of dives
200 - 499
I will be OW certified by end of May but I am trying to plan ahead for my gear needs, starting with the exposure suit.

I live in the Midwest US and anticipate diving both in the Great Lakes and in tropical locations (Caribbean, Sri Lanka). I am not sure yet what percentage will be where, but assuming it will be 50/50, for what type of diving should I invest my exposure suit dollars? This assumes I only want to buy one wetsuit to start with.

I've been told renting wetsuits in tropical locales can be a bit of a nasty affair sometimes, due to the humidity and the fact the suits often don't ever dry out completely. I am guessing this is not as much of a concern in the northern latitudes. So, does it make sense to buy my own wetsuit for tropical dives and rent for local outings? I am guessing there is no one solution for both kinds of diving.

Thank you in advance for any advice.
 
Renting a suit anywhere is usually pretty nasty. People pee in them, and they only get rinsed off (if that). I would suggest a 3 mil suit. That would be comfortable in the Caribbean, and you could wear it with a vest or a shorty underneath in the lakes.
 
suddha:
I will be OW certified by end of May but I am trying to plan ahead for my gear needs, starting with the exposure suit.

I live in the Midwest US and anticipate diving both in the Great Lakes and in tropical locations (Caribbean, Sri Lanka). I am not sure yet what percentage will be where, but assuming it will be 50/50, for what type of diving should I invest my exposure suit dollars? This assumes I only want to buy one wetsuit to start with.

I've been told renting wetsuits in tropical locales can be a bit of a nasty affair sometimes, due to the humidity and the fact the suits often don't ever dry out completely. I am guessing this is not as much of a concern in the northern latitudes. So, does it make sense to buy my own wetsuit for tropical dives and rent for local outings? I am guessing there is no one solution for both kinds of diving.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Can't help you out on Great Lakes stuff but tropical(Caribbean) all you'll need is skins and a 2 mm shorty , though recently I've added a chicken vest/hood(very thin) for 81 & below.....The 1st 10 years I dove Caribbean , I had skins only- added shorty (much) later
 
If you are diving in Great Lakes and Caribbean, then you definitely need more than one suit. I would probably use a 3mm for Caribbean and a drysuit for Great Lakes. Those are two extremes, and you really can't use the same suit for both.
 
I dive in warmer waters and in Lake Michigan. If you can deal with cold OK then a 7mm wetsuit will work in the lake. Most people I see dive in a drysuit but I am OK in a 7mm. You will also need a good hood and gloves. Don't skimp on these. I use Henderson for my hood and I love it. Cheaper hoods just never seem to fit right and are a pain to get on and off.

For warmer water like Cozumel, except in the summer when I don't go, I use a full 3mm. I like the protection. I also find that it is much easier to add a bit of cooling water then to be cold. I also use a beanie in winter sometimes since my hair situation is less than warm... :)

I have Akona suits and find them very well made and reasonably priced. You will really like having your own suits. With these buying two is affordable and you still get a good suit.

Enjoy your new sport!
 
I bought a 7-6-5 mil wetsuit for my quarry diving in Ohio. I bought 2 3 mils on ebay (used- but they're MINE!) one full and one shorty. I didn't figure the 3 mils would get as much use and I'm not wierded out by the fact that someone probably peed in them!
 
I've got a 3mm full and a 0.5mm full. I can layer the two for colder water and the 0.5mm is fine for the tropics.
 
I own a 3mil for diving in the warmer climates. I had thought I would just rent wet suits when diving in warmer climates since it's unfortunately few and far between for me, then I smelled the rental gear. I bought one for that dive! luckily the shop I was in had one that fit me perfectly!
 
suddha:
I will be OW certified by end of May but I am trying to plan ahead for my gear needs, starting with the exposure suit.

I live in the Midwest US and anticipate diving both in the Great Lakes and in tropical locations (Caribbean, Sri Lanka). I am not sure yet what percentage will be where, but assuming it will be 50/50, for what type of diving should I invest my exposure suit dollars? This assumes I only want to buy one wetsuit to start with.

I've been told renting wetsuits in tropical locales can be a bit of a nasty affair sometimes, due to the humidity and the fact the suits often don't ever dry out completely. I am guessing this is not as much of a concern in the northern latitudes. So, does it make sense to buy my own wetsuit for tropical dives and rent for local outings? I am guessing there is no one solution for both kinds of diving.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

You will find that owning 2 suits is the way to go..Great Lakes can be cold(I would not think of diving there without a dry suit)so a good fitting 7mm suit with a vest/attached hood is probably the warmest you can get in a wet suit..For tropics a 3mm full suit,can be purchased new such as a neosport suit,for under $100. If a little cool with 3mm take the 3mm vest/5mm hood with you and use it in tropics..Get the 3mm now so it can be used in pool during your course..Diving is a commitment in both time and money.To do it right you need both.
 
Slightly different perspective - I have a 5mm full suit that is realtively comfortable down to the mid 60s, and I have dove it during the summer in places like Florida and Okinawa and not been too hot in the water. Could I dive a lighter suit? Sure, some of those dives I could have just worn a swimming suit. But this one gives me more versatility because of its range at the lower end. For example, diving in Hawaii in the winter. That plus a drysuit with a thick and a thin undergarment basically takes care of what I need, which is diving in water from around 36 degrees on up to the upper 80s.

I don't think, though, that you're going to find one suit that will cover you in all the locations you mention. I have dove my drysuit in the Caymans and in Mexico during warm months, but for specific reasons (carrying stages, doubles, etc into caves or deeper dives) but I would not begin to call the landside experience "comfortable."

Think about where you have the most opportunity to dive, and buy the right suit for that first. I would personally stay away from a 7mm neoprene but some people like them and not everyone is in a position to go for a good drysuit with undergarments. The most important thing is, get the equipment that allows you to maximize your diving.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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