bc/regulator or dry suit

[Dryglove]

KrisB once bubbled...


Please define "cold water" -- somehow I find it hard to believe that California water is colder than BC... just given the lattitude.

I do most of my diving around moterey and carmel area. The water temp varies from high 40's to high 50's at the surface with the average being around 55deg. The water temp is around the same along the central California coastal area as well.

I have no idea how cold BC water is although i would imagine it is quite cold. Heck, I have a friend who ice dives in a wetsuit. I am personally much more comfy in my drysuit than i ever was in my 7mm wetsuit and 5mm jacket. If anything my SIT's are much more bearable in cold weather.

Notice i use the term "cold" water and not freezing cold water

 

[diverlady]

I'd suggest the regs first. I bought my suit first as rentals didn't fit me very well. I'm taller than average.

My plan was to buy one big piece of equipment each year and rent the rest. When my rental regs crapped out on me at 80ft (twice - two different sets) right after I bought my wetsuit I changed that strategy and got regs.

I support the idea that life supoport equipment should come first. You might never have a problem with rentals like I did and perhaps other who seem to have strong opinions against this order of purchase didn't either. But it's your life. My experience is that rental equipment is certainly not top of the line, they go in pools, gets dragged through mud and doesn't necessarily get looked after as well as they would if the renter actually owned them.

As for BCs, I would suggest that next. Try different styles out and pick what works best for YOU. Forget the "do it right" crap. What's really right is what works for YOU. If that happens to be a backplate and wings. Great! If it's a jacket or BI, then that's great too.

A good thick wetsuit will be good in quite chilly temps. Try a few out. Personally, I will always choose my wetsuit over my drysuit if the temps aren't too chilly. I find the drysuit bulky and more work. I was in 48F temps in a 7mil and wasn't too bad for about 35min but I'm quite thin with little natural insulation so you might be warmer for longer or in colder temps.

My personal opinion only.

Diverlady

 

[ERP]

If you can afford the drysuit I'd go with that.

If your not comfortable you won't have fun and your not going to dive, In my opinion the difference between good fit and bad on an exposure suit is much more significant than the difference between rental regs and one you own.

Personally I bought my BC first, but that was largly because the one I had on my first open water dive was defective and I couldn't deal with it on the second dive. Originally I planned to dive wet for a few months before going dry. Being freezing cold while doing a days worth of boat dives convinced me that the drysuit was something I wanted now and not later.

 

[etype]

well i'm going to toss my hood in the ring and say go 7mm wetsuit young man.
Why? Because wetsuits are sexier... and will make a better diver and athlete out of you in the long run. You'll burn calories and have to swim to stay warm...and as long as you swim you will be perfectly warm at 40F-55F . Sure for multiple dives in winter where you don't have a place to warm up it may cut short your day. But for myself i'm always looking to stay away from having to buddy up with drysuit wearers...always slow and lugubrious...basically bounce divers....using their lead and bc's to do their swimming for them...i find myself circling them repeatedly wondering why they can't move it up a notch. Meanwhile buddy with a experienced diver who wears a wetsuit by choice and your swimming with the dolphins...gliding through the water from level to level creating your own warmth and seeing more of the world below than ever before and becoming a part of it.
If you do wetsuit look into a pair of excellent undies....namely helly hanson polypropylene thermal underwear...this stuff is secret weapon gear...drys in seconds and holds air and water against your skin for warmth....

http://www.outrec.com/shop/ctlg/1/brand/18

Also make sure your suit is custom tailored. This is very important...it's better tight than loose.
That said a excellent first and second stage is one of the most important purchases you can make. Nothing is going to make diving more difficult for you than heaving on a unbalanced reg at depth...nothing worse than drawing water and having to bail. This is your most important purchase. BC's are important but if serviced they are all good...you can take your time and see what you like best. But having a quality reg and 1st stage is number one...one that you can build your gear around. But regs is also something you want to try out and have your LDS get out some of his best regs and set them up for you. Give them a dive. I recommend cold water regs strongly...the heat exchanger will act as a dehumidifier for your exhalation leaving moisture for your inhalations. This is a huge incentive to pay for coldwater regs. Thus you won't have carpet mouth after a long dive. So imho get a wetsuit made first....it's not too expensive and thus you are attired like solomon with tailored finery pleasing to the eye and swift in the water ...and a set of marine enviro thermal undies like the helly hansons...then get the very best regs you can...primary and secondary and have the dive shop set them up for you...then after trying jackets, semi-wings and wings/bp, you can choose your bc. This stuff will last years so you want to have pride and satisfaction with it. And for fins get force fins...find someone to let you try them, break yourself in to them and be amazed! Break the bounce diving habit now or don't get started and you will be a better diver in the long run.

 

[jonnythan]

etype once bubbled...
well i'm going to toss my hood in the ring and say go 7mm wetsuit young man.
Why? Because wetsuits are sexier... and will make a better diver and athlete out of you in the long run. You'll burn calories and have to swim to stay warm...and as long as you swim you will be perfectly warm at 40F-55F . Sure for multiple dives in winter where you don't have a place to warm up it may cut short your day. But for myself i'm always looking to stay away from having to buddy up with drysuit wearers...always slow and lugubrious...basically bounce divers....using their lead and bc's to do their swimming for them...i find myself circling them repeatedly wondering why they can't move it up a notch. Meanwhile buddy with a experienced diver who wears a wetsuit by choice and your swimming with the dolphins...gliding through the water from level to level creating your own warmth and seeing more of the world below than ever before and becoming a part of it.
If you do wetsuit look into a pair of excellent undies....namely helly hanson polypropylene thermal underwear...this stuff is secret weapon gear...drys in seconds and holds air and water against your skin for warmth....

http://www.outrec.com/shop/ctlg/1/brand/18

Also make sure your suit is custom tailored. This is very important...it's better tight than loose.
That said a excellent first and second stage is one of the most important purchases you can make. Nothing is going to make diving more difficult for you than heaving on a unbalanced reg at depth...nothing worse than drawing water and having to bail. This is your most important purchase. BC's are important but if serviced they are all good...you can take your time and see what you like best. But having a quality reg and 1st stage is number one...one that you can build your gear around. But regs is also something you want to try out and have your LDS get out some of his best regs and set them up for you. Give them a dive. I recommend cold water regs strongly...the heat exchanger will act as a dehumidifier for your exhalation leaving moisture for your inhalations. This is a huge incentive to pay for coldwater regs. Thus you won't have carpet mouth after a long dive. So imho get a wetsuit made first....it's not too expensive and thus you are attired like solomon with tailored finery pleasing to the eye and swift in the water ...and a set of marine enviro thermal undies like the helly hansons...then get the very best regs you can...primary and secondary and have the dive shop set them up for you...then after trying jackets, semi-wings and wings/bp, you can choose your bc. This stuff will last years so you want to have pride and satisfaction with it. And for fins get force fins...find someone to let you try them, break yourself in to them and be amazed! Break the bounce diving habit now or don't get started and you will be a better diver in the long run.

LOL this post is so full of misinformation and tripe I don't even know where to begin.

 

[etype]

drysuit divers always hate it when you point out the obvious that they are basically human ballast in an inflatable air bladder, so that they can get back to the surface....

"Well, sunshine, I don't give a monkey's toss whether you dive DIR or Wanker Supreme."

 

[Soggy]

etype once bubbled...
But for myself i'm always looking to stay away from having to buddy up with drysuit wearers...always slow and lugubrious...basically bounce divers....using their lead and bc's to do their swimming for them...i find myself circling them repeatedly wondering why they can't move it up a notch.

This explains a lot. etype is down there to get his exercise while I'm down there to look at pretty scenery and not scare the fish. If I wanted to move fast, I'd buy a scooter. It's diving, not swimming. I prefer just hovering motionless and looking around, watching the wildlife come right up to me. Or, I'll hover and try to wait for that lobster to come out of a hole so I can grab it. If I'm doing a wreck dive, I actually look at the wreck rather than do a quick swim by.

I'm not sure how lead or a BC can swim for you, but whatever. You have decades of experience, several drysuits, and are commercial rated diver. Yippie.

 

[sasdasdaf]

etype once bubbled...
well i'm going to toss my hood in the ring and say go 7mm wetsuit young man.
Why? Because wetsuits are sexier... and will make a better diver and athlete out of you in the long run. You'll burn calories and have to swim to stay warm...and as long as you swim you will be perfectly warm at 40F-55F . Sure for multiple dives in winter where you don't have a place to warm up it may cut short your day. But for myself i'm always looking to stay away from having to buddy up with drysuit wearers...always slow and lugubrious...basically bounce divers....using their lead and bc's to do their swimming for them...i find myself circling them repeatedly wondering why they can't move it up a notch. Meanwhile buddy with a experienced diver who wears a wetsuit by choice and your swimming with the dolphins...gliding through the water from level to level creating your own warmth and seeing more of the world below than ever before and becoming a part of it.
If you do wetsuit look into a pair of excellent undies....namely helly hanson polypropylene thermal underwear...this stuff is secret weapon gear...drys in seconds and holds air and water against your skin for warmth....

http://www.outrec.com/shop/ctlg/1/brand/18

Also make sure your suit is custom tailored. This is very important...it's better tight than loose.
That said a excellent first and second stage is one of the most important purchases you can make. Nothing is going to make diving more difficult for you than heaving on a unbalanced reg at depth...nothing worse than drawing water and having to bail. This is your most important purchase. BC's are important but if serviced they are all good...you can take your time and see what you like best. But having a quality reg and 1st stage is number one...one that you can build your gear around. But regs is also something you want to try out and have your LDS get out some of his best regs and set them up for you. Give them a dive. I recommend cold water regs strongly...the heat exchanger will act as a dehumidifier for your exhalation leaving moisture for your inhalations. This is a huge incentive to pay for coldwater regs. Thus you won't have carpet mouth after a long dive. So imho get a wetsuit made first....it's not too expensive and thus you are attired like solomon with tailored finery pleasing to the eye and swift in the water ...and a set of marine enviro thermal undies like the helly hansons...then get the very best regs you can...primary and secondary and have the dive shop set them up for you...then after trying jackets, semi-wings and wings/bp, you can choose your bc. This stuff will last years so you want to have pride and satisfaction with it. And for fins get force fins...find someone to let you try them, break yourself in to them and be amazed! Break the bounce diving habit now or don't get started and you will be a better diver in the long run.

i hope this is a joke.

what does any of this have to do with bounce diving anyway?

 

[WileEDiver]

etype once bubbled...
drysuit wearers...always slow and lugubrious

Lugubrious: Sad, mournful, gloomy, depressing, doleful, melancholy, somber, cheerless.

Can't say this describes any drysuit divers I've ever gone diving with.

 

[Soggy]

WileEDiver once bubbled...

Lugubrious: Sad, mournful, gloomy, depressing, doleful, melancholy, somber, cheerless.

Can't say this describes any drysuit divers I've ever gone diving with.

I'm frequently quite gleeful, especially when I doff my suit after 45 mins in the water and I'm warm and dry while all the wetsuit divers on the boat are shivering after their 15 min dive to 100 feet on air.