BlackBeards - Jan 6th - 12th!

[fasorud]

Hi all!

My divebuddy and I are doing BB's in January!! It is my second trip with them so I am really excited! Anyone here going?

Here is a question: Has anyone dove in January with them? I am basically wandering what sort of wetsuit to get for a trip like that. I pretty much dive dry exclusively here in Chicago (cold water divers baby!!!) so I am not really into wetsuits.
My first trip with them was in October 2004 and the water was 82. It is to my understanding that the temp in Jan is 72-75.

Thanks in advance!
rudy

 

[Pam_In_Paradise]

If you already have a dry suit, I would dive dry....no question. January can be very windy and rainy and no sun....you will need all the body core temperature you can muster. YMMV

 

[osprey]

January is the dry season in the Bahamas. While air temperatures are normally in the high 70s they can sometimes drop into the high 60's and with the wind blowing it can feel cold. Water temperaturs are normally in the low to mid 70s. Most people dive with 5mm to 6mm but I have seen people diving with dry suits. Probably more would if they owned one. You should have a great time.

 

[Tamas]

Last tiem I went with them it was late Jan early Feb and I was fine with a 3mm steamer, towards the end of the day and the week, I also threw on a 3mm shortie as a core warmer and I was warm. But most dove in a 5mm and were not complaining, but a DS might be a bit of an overkill

I am going this December and will be taking a 5mm along

 

[www.freedomfilm.com]

We did the balckbeards trip last year in Feb, when that big storm that hit the north east came down and chilled the bahamas. In the water wasnt bad at all, and we laternated between shorties and shortie-5mil-vest-hood-im-freezing combos... But it was the winds and between dive time that was cold, the dives were a blast...

Sometimes I just huddled up in my wetsuit behind the fo'csle and waited it out between dives, not wanting to get my cabin wet, or have to squich into my wetsuit for the next dive...

You arent diving in BC, so, you might not need the wetsuit. But you will sure be warmer when you get out... As the whole upper deck is wet and windy, and the galley and cabins are cramped and wet... So being dry in between will be a blessing if it cold..

Also, you can bring all your gear, and then leave some at blackbeards HQ at the dock based on the weather.

 

[fasorud]

It seems from most replies and trip reports that I have read, people have a "rough" time in-between dives, rather than during dives. I really wasn't worried about being cold in the water, as I dive cold water on a regular basis, and would probably be fine in a 3 mil.

At this point I am leaning towards the DS, since the last thing I want to be doing is changing bathing suits 3-4 times a day ( getting my bunk/cabin wet!) , and struggling to keep warm between dives. If it's raining between dives I can just sit on the deck with my DS on and be toasty warm.

I will be probably taking my DS plus a couple of wetsuits and will decide when I get there

 

[capt GBI]

iF YOU HAVE A DS I'D BRING IT AS SOME HAVE SAID IT'S THE WIND BETWEEN DIVES THAT'S THE WORST SO BEING DRY AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE WATER WOULD BE A PLUS