Anyone diving comfortably in a 7mm or semi-dry in Lake Michigan?

[SplitFinJunkie]

Or should I just get the drysuit traing and go with a drysuit? Thinking of diving a wreck or two to see if I like it, but I don't have a drysuit.

 

[Dean810]

Water temp in Lake Michigan under 30 ft. or so is in the mid 50's. If you have a 7mm, you could try it. Your season might be short. Dry suit makes everything so much easier.

 

[moneysavr]

A dry suit dive in the Great lakes makes your dive more fun,safe and enjoyable,I dove wet for years and still do on occasion,this year the winds have kept the cooler waters in on some wrecks,My average temp was the mid 40's and thats cold!
The other day on a dive (deep) I had mid 50's for a BT temp!
If you don't plan on getting hooked on the sport dive wet and dive late summer,If you get hooked dive dry,for tropical vacations you need a 3mm but they are cheap and easy to find,
Dive safe,
Brad

 

[Divin'Papaw]

It all depends upon how you define comfortable. Each person is different. On Saturday I did two dives on the Straits of Mackinac. The bottom temp on the wreck (60-75') was 45 degrees. I dove a Bare 7mm fullsuit with a 7mm hooded vest over the top, 6mm ice boots and 5mm gloves. The first dive was 34 min but I was pretty darn cold at the end. The second dive was 26 minutes. I enjoyed both dives, but turned them both due to becoming quite cold not due to low air. I would certainly dive wet again, but I am looking forward to the eventual drysuit purchase. I won't dive dry until I can buy my own suit. I'm not sure a rental drysuit is any better than a well-fitting wetsuit. I personally am fine in a wetsuit down to about 50 degrees. But between 40 and 50, while I can manage for awhile, I do end up turning the dive due to the cold.

 

[SwimJim]

Or should I just get the drysuit traing and go with a drysuit? Thinking of diving a wreck or two to see if I like it, but I don't have a drysuit.

If your dive season is June, july, August and September, a 7MM is just fine. If your dive season is twelve months long, or close to it, then a dry suit with dry gloves is the only way to dive. Some of the very best diving I've had over the years has been in March, April and November, December. The water, although its plenty cold, tends to be very clear and theres little to no weed growth at those times.
You have to hook the wrecks early and late as they are not moored in the off months, but your not competing with the rotor rooters either. The sail boaters who plague the coast are gone as are all but the serious fishaholics. The ones that do get out tend to be the better skippers anyway and they are less likely to collide with an anchored dive boat.
I guess what I'm taking a long time to say is that it is worth extending the season, which means that a dry suit is a very good idea for Lake Michigan.

Jim

 

[diverbrian]

They only thing that I will disagree with is that I dive a dry suit and switched back to wet gloves. One leak into a dry glove during deco will let someone know why. It gets colder than it does for wet gloves when you are planning on it. I'll add an exception to that rule as I do chance those leaky things when I dive in the winter as the surface temps are often colder than the water.

We have some tips from wetsuit divers here. Most of them are good ones and I am sure that they will chime in.

 

[crpntr133]

Never dove Lake Michigan but I have used a 6.5 semi for a 54 degree 30 minute dive. I was cool but the surface temp was pretty good. Anthing lower than the mid 50's and I will be diving dry.

 

[superstar]

I dive Lake Michigan in August and September in a 7mm and am very warm. My local dive sites are 30' deep so I'm not hitting major thermalclines. I get everything ready for the dive and put the wetsuit on last just before jumping in so I don't overheat on the boat.

 

[Notso_Ken]

Or should I just get the drysuit traing and go with a drysuit? Thinking of diving a wreck or two to see if I like it, but I don't have a drysuit.

I dive a 7mm wet suit, haven't dove Lake Michigan, but I have done Huron. I dive Gilboa regularly, water at 117' feet this past weekend was less than 45. I had 45 on my computer one of my dive buddies had lower. Take your pick. I do the annual New Years Day dive in a wetsuit. I will admit on that one my hands tend to get cold.


Ken

 

[Oldpirate]

Four dives in the Straits last weekend and each was 46 degrees at the wreck. I've been dry since 1991 and would NEVER go back.