We're planning on bringing all our gear, and because we're doing the liveaboard (Mike Ball FWIW) at the end of a 3 week trip, I just bought Aluminum backplates so I didn't have to lug around my SS plate all over New Zealand/Australia for the end of the trip.
Unfortunately, we just found out last week that the water temps will be a bit chillier than the 82 degrees our travel agent told us, and instead it will be 72 degrees that time of year.
Now, I'm no stranger to cold water diving, as a couple of weeks ago we dove in 37 degree water with ice chunks floating overhead. However, that's in a drysuit, drygloves, and lots of weight/insulation. I was hoping to use a 3mm fullsuit, but I'm now thinking that might be a little light for a liveaboard.
Also, my wife is borrowing a friend's 'tropical' drysuit, which is a bi-laminate with seals at the head, feet, and ankles. We were thinking that she'd be plenty warm in it, since it would be an upgrade from her 3mm full-suit she used in the Caribbean. On that trip, she ended wearing her drysuit hood most of the trip, and was still chilled despite the 82 degree water.
Does anyone have any advice? My concerns are:
1) Staying warm - Again, every person's different, but I really don't know what to expect, having never been on a liveaboard.
2) Travel weight - If we need, I guess we can drag it around our entire trip, but it would be sure nice to minimize the amount of weight in our luggage.
3) Diving weight - If we go with the light-gear and heavy wetsuits/drysuit underwear, will we be able to add enough weight to dive in our current setups. (We've got heavy STAs and heavy backplates for local coldwater diving, and Mike Ball certainly won't provide that kind of equipment for us).
If anyone has advice, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks!
Nate
Unfortunately, we just found out last week that the water temps will be a bit chillier than the 82 degrees our travel agent told us, and instead it will be 72 degrees that time of year.
Now, I'm no stranger to cold water diving, as a couple of weeks ago we dove in 37 degree water with ice chunks floating overhead. However, that's in a drysuit, drygloves, and lots of weight/insulation. I was hoping to use a 3mm fullsuit, but I'm now thinking that might be a little light for a liveaboard.
Also, my wife is borrowing a friend's 'tropical' drysuit, which is a bi-laminate with seals at the head, feet, and ankles. We were thinking that she'd be plenty warm in it, since it would be an upgrade from her 3mm full-suit she used in the Caribbean. On that trip, she ended wearing her drysuit hood most of the trip, and was still chilled despite the 82 degree water.
Does anyone have any advice? My concerns are:
1) Staying warm - Again, every person's different, but I really don't know what to expect, having never been on a liveaboard.
2) Travel weight - If we need, I guess we can drag it around our entire trip, but it would be sure nice to minimize the amount of weight in our luggage.
3) Diving weight - If we go with the light-gear and heavy wetsuits/drysuit underwear, will we be able to add enough weight to dive in our current setups. (We've got heavy STAs and heavy backplates for local coldwater diving, and Mike Ball certainly won't provide that kind of equipment for us).
If anyone has advice, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks!
Nate