Best wetsuit setup for So Cal coast diving

[Rudebob]

I am hoping someone in this forum may be able to help me. Living in Arizona has made me a warm water weenie. Since any decent diving requires me to travel I have pretty much determined I will likely limit my choices to warm waters and seasons if at all possible. The only exception would be diving in So Cal since I travel there frequently and quality of dive opportunities. I can see myself diving San Diego and not too much further north than Catalina.

I am now in the market for a full wetsuit that I can use for local lake diving (spring and fall) but would like something that is sufficient for diving off the So Cal coast. I am asking in this forum as your water temperature will likely be the coldest waters I ever dive. My diving would likely occur spring through fall as I turn my attention to offroad activities in the coolest months. Based on my presumed needs I am looking for input regarding the optimal wetsuit and hood combination for this kind of diving. Also, do you have an recommendations for a specific suit and/or style. Keep in mind that my use will be limited, and my funds to some degree, so it does not have to be the best suit available but best value for use.

Thanks in advance for any responses,

'bob

 

[DiveMonkeys]

Bob,

My wife and I have tried many different kinds of wetsuits for So Cal diving (Henderson Gold, Henderson Hyperstretch, Performance, Body Glove, and ScubaPro) and have settled on the Pinnacle Semi-Dry. We currently have the 7/5 version. My wife says the next suit she will get will be the 8/6 Semi-Dry Pinnacle. We like the warmth, the ease of donning, and the hood that is incorporated with it. We use them in water temps from 50 to 72 degrees. They've been very durable. Over the weekend my brother said whenever I wanted to give it to him he was ready for it.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My favorite wetsuit was my Harvey's. I had a full 6mm suit that fit over a shorty and hooded vest. I made dives over two hours and came out with a dry chest. The shorty could be worn for warm water dives.

 

[scubacalifornia]

The answers to your questions are so much driven by your tolerance to cold. Some people are comfortable with a 7mm suit year-round. Me, I dive an Xcel 9/7/6 and even with 9mil in the torso, I still wear a 5mm vest underneath. I'm not too often cold, and I'm never too warm except when donning gear in the hot sun. Temps here vary from the low 50's to the occasional upper 60's. Over this summer water temps in Laguna Beach seemed to hover between about 57 and 62. As for wetsuit brands, there are many choices. Establish your budget, then buy the best you can afford. I've been very happy with my Xcel. 250 dives on it and still going strong. There are other good brands out there as well.

Kevin

 

[Otter]

What is the temp of the lakes that you will be diving? Assuming a 7mm is not too warm, I would go with a 'stretch' suit of some type and used a hooded vest underneath allowing you to add/subtract neoprene as needed. The stretch materials tend not to wear as well, but give you more flexibility to add/subtract layers comfortably.

 

[CompuDude]

The Xcel Scubacalifornia mentioned above is not cheap, but I will second the notion. Probably the best and warmest suit this side of a custom Rubitex wetsuit. When I current wetsuit dies, that will be the one I buy. Perfect for SoCal diving.

I've been on a number of two-day trips on the Peace in chilly Feb/March weather, and every time I go, the only people who are still diving towards the end of the day (as opposed to huddling up and shivering) are the drysuit divers, the Rubitex suit divers, and the Xcel divers.

 

[Teamcasa]

Choosing a wetsuit is a personal thing. In my experience, I dive SoCal frequently and I chose a custom 7mm full suit with a separate, modified (custom fitted) Henderson hood, gloves and boots. I can made 4 or 5 dives in a day without getting chilled. I chose custom for the fit and comfort. For me, a stretchy suit will have gaps in some places and be too tight in others. With a custom suit, the fit is perfect. Easy to don and doff, no flexibility issues and warm. The final reason is cost. Mine suit cost less than the quality off the rack suits anyway.

On the other hand, my lovely bride wears off the rack and likes it just fine. It too is a full 7mm with separate hood, gloves and boots.

I know have three custom suits, one for SoCal, two for Hawaii!

Dave

 

[DaFireMedic]

I have a custom 6.5 mm farmer john style (it was as cheap as buying a premade one), might be what you are looking for. You can use only a portion of it for warmer water, but the whole thing when its cold. I am a "cold" diver, so I use more insulation than most.

 

[Rudebob]

Thanks for the quick responses.

I doubt that I will ever dive anywhere except locally from November through April so I won't need the suit for winter diving. The coldest water I have ever dove was 52 degrees at depth in a local lake dive last April. A rented a 7 mil suit (5 mil hood, gloves and booties) that kept me very comfortable. However, surface intervals were under sunny, 80+ degree weather so it was easy to keep my core temp in check and I only did two dives each day. I am thinking an S.I. on a charter boat off in the pacific coast may require a little more warmth.

I could probably function fine for local diving in a 5 mil full suit and be fine. I just figured I would get a 7 mil for those occasional dives in San Deigo but began to wonder if that would be enough.

I don't care much for being cold. I dove San Carlos, Mexico last weekend and the water was 90 degrees at one dive site. That was nice!

Thanks,

'bob

 

[Otter]

If you are comfortable in a 7mm suit at 52F, you will be fine in SoCal. The water rarely dips below 52F unless you are going deep and if you dry off and stay warm on the boat you should be fine as well. There are lots of people who dive nearly year round in 7mm suits...me I go dry in winter although this winter I dived my 9/7/6 for the most part.