cold water exposure suit debate

[arcticat99]

ok i have been doing a lot of reading but still have not made any decisions .im a new ow diver and did my dives in mid Sept in northern Sask Canada i was wearing a rented 7mm john plus 7mm jacket and i never was cold and i did 2 dives per day and the worst part of second day was putting on the cold wet suit .my biggest issue was buoyancy control which is understandable being a newbie and second feeling constrictive with the double layers . i first started looking at semi dry wet suits but the local dive shop says they wont even sell them as the people up here who have bought quickly realised they didnt work well as claimed ,now i been looking at dry suits but not sure whether or not ill get enough use for the cost ,now i see Bare claims to have a 1 piece wet suit called the reactive that supposed to be warmer than standard wet suits .now the big question would a 1 piece be easier to control buoyancy than a 2 piece and will it be as warm ,second for the dry suit peeps did you find it harder or easier to control buoyancy than a wet suit

 

[Johanan]

For me the dry suit serves as the primary BCD and the wing for redundancy. IMO it is easier to control buoyancy in a dry suit as the air vents kinda automatically or it takes just a movement of the shoulder to vent it. The trick is to maintain a good trim. In a dry suit you have to learn to distribute the air in the suit as it always travels to the highest point and can start rotating you in any direction. However, when you have mastrred the bubble control, it is easier to keep a good trim in a DS than in a wet suit. In a DS you can correct, let's say, sinking feet problem by adding more air in your feet (calfs, actually), whereas in a WS you have to re-distribute the weights, which can hardly be done under water.

 

[runsongas]

you will be much happier with a drysuit in the long run if you intend to dive locally in canada. a little practice and you'll get the hang of managing the bubble. a drysuit will keep you diving more often because you won't be restricted from diving in the winter and you will be enjoying your dives more by staying warm and dry.

 

[NAM001]

OP
You ? about wet suits is a basic one as long as there is a compressable suit you will have buoyancy issues to tend to. the specific you as is a "to what degree" in a farmer jon vs one piece... the dynamics will change because you will only have 7m on the chest instead of 14m. I agree with others that the ds is the way to go. given that what kind of ds to get. I use a shell suit and others do not.

 

[tbone1004]

I have to firmly disagree with @Johanan as using the drysuit for a bcd can be dangerous if you are diving with large tanks. With tanks like AL80's you don't really need a BC anyway except for the suit compensation, but that's neither here nor there.

that said, I have HUGE problem with 7mm farmer johns because I don't think they're safe due to the compression at depth. One of the common curiosities that occur is when people dive a 7mm farmer john in fairly shallow water and go "man, I'm really warm, this thing is awesome*, then they go into a drysuit and aren't quite as warm. 7mm wetsuits are VERY warm, on the first dive.... The cumulative heat loss is huge in a wetsuit especially for a second dive as you noticed when putting it back on, and when compounded with evaporative cooling and wind chill can be a distinctly unpleasant experience. Drysuits aren't terribly expensive compared to good wetsuits *though with your currency being what it is, that one is a bit harder to swallow up there*, Bare suits are quite good and will run you somewhere between $1200-$2500cad, but a good 7mm is going to be in the $600-$700 range. What is your comfort worth to you? I dive wet whenever I can and surface conditions are usually want push me into a drysuit, but the coldest water I dive regularly is in the high 40's but it is also with surface conditions in the 60's so it's not terribly bad and I can do it in my 5mm with a good hood. If surface conditions drop below 60F, then into the drysuit I go

 

[stuartv]

No way is a Bare Reactive 7mm going to be as warm as a 7mm FJ setup that puts 14mm on your core.

Yes, diving a drysuit is a bit harder to learn, for managing buoyancy and trim. But, if it's a decent suit that fits well, it's not that much harder. And compared to the PITA of even just wearing a 7mm (not even a FJ), to me a drysuit is WELL worth it.

With a good drysuit, you can avoid buying a 5mm wetsuit or anything thicker. Really, a decent drysuit can even replace a 3mm. So, with a good one, you can be in the position of being where it's warm enough to dive in shorts and a t-shirt and for anything else wear a drysuit (with undergarments appropriate to the conditions) and be comfortable and warm at all times.

My newest drysuit is a fairly lightweight, breathable "shell suit". I.e. they call it a quad-lam, but it looks and feels and works just like a tri-lam. I have worn it in water that was 79F degrees on the bottom and in water that was 37F degrees on the bottom. And I was totally comfortable and warm in both. One was just shorts, a t-shirt, and short socks underneath. The other was with good, thick, undergarments underneath.

If you're going to be diving in Canada, I would definitely suggest to save yourself the hassle and the money spent on wetsuits and go straight for a decent drysuit. Bare are good and in Canada. The USIA Techniflex suit has been getting good reviews here on SB, is made in the USA, can be custom sized to your measurements, and is relatively inexpensive (compared to the better-known name brands). I also have to say I REALLY like the Waterproof D9X that I got recently, and they aren't much more expensive than a custom Techniflex.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

You might want to consider a freedive type of 7 mm suit. I find them the warmest.

They have a smooth rubber interior that is flexible and prevents water migration in and out and inside the suit.

The fj pants give a second layer of insulation on the core. The elimination of all zippers eliminates all leaks. The attached and integrated hood means zero leaks at the neck and this has a big effect.

Not too expensive either maybe 275. Didnt check. I am currently using mako Spearguns suits and like them a lot. You willNeed to use a suit lubricant to get it on, but this makes it easier than any zippered suit bbecauses it slides on.
For cold weather. You heat the lube up, wrap it up inside the suit in the gear bag and you will have a warm lube to get into the suit. Used these suits in Maine and was warm in 45 degree water for a while.

 

[fmerkel]

What newbies often overlook is time in the water. In the beginning you are probably lucky to hit 30 minutes. Part of that is you aren't very efficient yet, moving a lot, and generating heat via activity. As buoyancy improves, and you become more comfortable in the water your bottom time will improve. Cool, right? And you'll start going for more depth. At 60 feet that suit that felt warm will start getting kinda thin. At 90 feet it is damn thin. The combination of decreased energy output, increased bottom time, and suit squeeze is going to be a synergistic cold hit.
Very very cool..... right?
Get a drysuit.

 

[Marie13]

Learning to dive a drysuit really isn't that difficult. I did it in conjunction with my OW cert. I was much more comfortable in the water. Just do the drysuit. You will thank us.

 

[BoltSnap]

If the water is cold enough to require the use of a 5mm or thicker suit, get a drysuit and you will never look back!!! In your part of the world, you may use a 5mm or thicker suit and do a dive and get away with it but if you are going to be doing more than one dive a day or go deeper (you just did your OW so you haven't gotten that deep), you are going to be freezing in your wetsuit. There is no way around it, drysuit is the way to go. In your part of the world you can/will use the DS all year long for sure.

Bare drysuits are made mostly in Malta FYI.