Aussie diving July Week 2: Fri 11th to Thur 17th

[Sas]

Righto.. got a question considering you guys are talking dry suits.... what thickness wet suits are you using in Vic? We only have ones for tropical use (3mm) but as my husband comes from Melbourne, we are thinking we should look at another wetty for our return back to Oz...particularly now that I have seen those pics and wanna get out in that there water!

For summer (about 15-20C) and start of autumn I wore a 7mm semi dry with 5mm gloves/boats (no hood until it dropped to 17C).
For end of autumn and start of winter (12-15C) I wore 7mm semi dry with 5mm gloves/boots, with 1mm neoprene socks and 2.5mm hooded vest.
Now it has reached 11C I am adding a 0.5m full neoprene wetsuit underneath all my other stuff - just got it so haven't tried it out to see how warm it is yet, will see this weekend!

My buddy wears the same as me though I have noticed these days we are often the only two on boats that are in wetsuits, unless there is an OW course on.

I do long dives (usually 40min x 1 and 60min x 2 for each dive day) so by the end I am usually freezing (especially as we go real slow for photos!) but I have coped ok so far. 11C is the coldest it gets off boats (and a bit warmer when you go outside the Heads) I have heard, but on shore dives it can get down to 8C apparently.

Anyway, so what you need will depend on if you just want to dive in summer or if you want to dive all year around. If you are going to dive in winter, if you can afford a drysuit (I can't, hence the many layers I wear ) I would highly recommend that for winter. If it is just summer, a 5mm should be fine unless you really feel the cold, then get a 7mm. Actually 7mm is probably better as it will last you longer in the season than a 5mm. Hope that helps!

 

[almitywife]

.......I wore 7mm semi dry with 5mm gloves/boots, with 1mm neoprene socks and 2.5mm hooded vest....... I am adding a 0.5m full neoprene wetsuit underneath all my other stuff

.....just summer, a 5mm should be fine unless you really feel the cold, then get a 7mm. Actually 7mm is probably better as it will last you longer in the season than a 5mm...

now that was funny to read

Sas.. you need a money box to put your $1 & $2 gold coins in!!! we get about $1600 to $2K in one of these so there is your drysuit fund :multi:

 

[Kern]

Righto.. got a question considering you guys are talking dry suits.... what thickness wet suits are you using in Vic? We only have ones for tropical use (3mm) but as my husband comes from Melbourne, we are thinking we should look at another wetty for our return back to Oz...particularly now that I have seen those pics and wanna get out in that there water!

After years of going cold I'v just gone dry.

MMMmmmmmmmm............

 

[Sas]

now that was funny to read

Sas.. you need a money box to put your $1 & $2 gold coins in!!! we get about $1600 to $2K in one of these so there is your drysuit fund :multi:

Haha, all my gold coins go towards the laundromat or parking meters I have $400 saved for my drysuit so far (in ING, I want the interest!) but I am saving that on top of paying off my original gear so it is slow going I figure I will be able to get one in about five months - have heard they are cheaper after winter anyway as stores clear out their old stock. Any truth to that?

So far I have spent about $750 on exposure protection... but yea, I did think about just putting that towards saving up for a drysuit and skipping the semi-dry but figured I wouldn't be diving in winter if I had to rent the 5mm suits from the stores... just wanted to get in the water. Also looked at renting a drysuit over winter but with the amount I dive, I figured the rental cost would be close to $750 5-6 times a month renting a $60 drysuit for three months = $900-1100!

Me and my buddy are going to try rent them soon for a day, just to see what they are like. Gonna practice under Portsea Pier as we both don't want to pay for the course and will probably suck using them for the first few times, I figure I'll be able to work it out with some advice from people I know with them.

 

[almitywife]

......me and my buddy are going to try rent them soon for a day, just to see what they are like. .....

ohhhh young one..... dont pay money to rent one, find a dive shop that offers try dives

our lds is having a big trydive day at Shelley on saturday - hubby will be picking up 10 drysuits & undergarments tomorrow night and the divers have already booked with the dive shop but you dont have to attend such a big event so ask around

cheers

oh, you might find a shop wont rent you a suit without the cert card

 

[Sas]

Oh really? Awesome~~, I did not know shops let you try them out! I know I got to try my other gear out but I figured wetsuits and drysuits would be different. I have a few ideas about what kind of drysuit I'd like so might speak to a few shops to see if they will let me try them out. Cheers almitywife

Me=n00b about this kind of stuff!

 

[almitywife]

i dont know the melb market but try your local dive shops - tell them you are interested in buying a drysuit and you want to try them out as most would have a few suits in their shops they are pimping to sell

our lds has the oceanic paragon suits and apollo

it would be good actually if you try a tri-lam suit and a crushed neoprene

whatever you get one day - order them with pockets is my 2cents

 

[Coo]

Wow.. .thanks for all that - I think we will need the 7 mm then - have no intention of diving in Melbourne in winter as we will be based in Brissy most of the time so considering the water temp there, it is unlikely that we will need a dry suit in those waters, even in winter! Geez that water sounds cold and I am cold by my third dive in the tropics so... winter is out out out in Melbourne for me - would rather go the red wine by the fire!
Thanks for the advice - I better go shopping AGAIN - we did all have to pick an expensive addiction.....

cheers

 

[Sas]

Hmm I was thinking, with the drysuit specialty, is it worth taking? A few people I know have said it is really something you can get taught easily by someone who already has one... I don't like getting cert cards for things I can learn easily on my own (like I could have skipped the night and drift certs I did... don't want Drysuit cert to be the same ).

But I guess I will have to if shops won't rent/let me try them without a cert card!

 

[almitywife]

ive never done the drysuit cert - in fact instructor hubby and i differ very much on how to dive with a drysuit (he says use the suit for bouyancy and i still use the bcd)

but i dont know if diveshops will rent you a suit without the cert