Cold water wetsuit...?

[Notso_Ken]

I've dove a 7mm 2 piece suit (farmer john and jacket), in water down to 36F, for up to 40 minutes. I finally did break down and get a drysuit (and actually use it - sometimes), not because of the temps, but for those days when the cold surface conditions make it impossible to get in multiple dives in the wetsuit. So, for 19* air temps - it's dry suit time! If the water is 36, but air is 60 - wetsuit.


Ken

 

[Dean810]

I've dove a 7mm 2 piece suit (farmer john and jacket), in water down to 36F, for up to 40 minutes. I finally did break down and get a drysuit (and actually use it - sometimes), not because of the temps, but for those days when the cold surface conditions make it impossible to get in multiple dives in the wetsuit. So, for 19* air temps - it's dry suit time! If the water is 36, but air is 60 - wetsuit.


Ken

I'm going to second this. I'm a drysuit diver, but had to go wet most of last year. I don't know about water in the 30's, but in the 40's was not much of a problem in a 7mm farmer john. I found being warm after the dive was what was important. That takes more planning in a wetsuit.

 

[NJDiverMark]

I dive 38f water with my 7mm bare wetsuit with 7mm bare hooded vest and 7mm boots and 5mm semi dry gloves. No issues on my longest 45 min dive.

 

[pjhansman]

I dive 38f water with my 7mm bare wetsuit with 7mm bare hooded vest and 7mm boots and 5mm semi dry gloves. No issues on my longest 45 min dive.

With my only diving being with 3mm wetsuits.....my question is, how much loss in flexability do you experience with this 7 + 7 setup compared to a drysuit?

 

[CamG]

Greetings pjhansman I used to dive wet primarily all the time and rarely dove dry for almost a year and half after I owned a dry suit. "CRAZY"
I would recommend you get a dry suit and train till you master the skills.
You will be amazed at the length of dives and comfort while diving.
I know that many will disagree but your dive season never ends when you are dry.

Once I began my Adv. Nitrox / Deco. I had to dive dry for redundant buoyancy as well as thermal protection for deco dives.
What I learned was that dive times went way up and the cold, the pain that is from it was not a issue.
When you are diving dry and dive times are reaching 2+hours and you begin to get chilled in your dry suit you smile and realize this is why I'm dry!

When wreck diving I can not remember being chilly on the wreck but while doing deco it gets pretty chilly just hanging there.
The surface as mentioned can get rather cold at times as well not so much when you are dry on the inside.
If you do go dry get a relief valve right away do not delay.
I have found that relieving myself on the dive boat to be priceless.
If you see a guy in a dry suit hanging on the boat rail smiling it is probably me.

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[Rubis]

Get a drysuit. The water is brutally cold in the Great Lakes and you will be miserable without it, no matter what you do.

When I was living in Cleveland, the club I was working with would associate drysuit course with Open water course, so mastering the skills is not impossible, just takes a while.

Don't underestimate the shock of cold to your body. It will make you very tired and prone to DCS.

Once you start diving dry, you will never go back to wet, so it's money well spent.

 

[NJDiverMark]

With my only diving being with 3mm wetsuits.....my question is, how much loss in flexability do you experience with this 7 + 7 setup compared to a drysuit?

Never dove a drysuit. But i have fine flexibility in my setup. No restrictions what so ever. I have a Bare Sport full 7mm wetsuit and a Bare Sport shorty style 7mm hooded vest. The hooded vest looks like a front zip shorty with a hood. It zips from the thigh at a very slight angle up to the chin to seal the hood.

 

[Notso_Ken]

With my only diving being with 3mm wetsuits.....my question is, how much loss in flexability do you experience with this 7 + 7 setup compared to a drysuit?

Comparing my particular wetsuit and my dry suit, I'd call it even between them for flexibility.

One other difference, though, if I'm using my heavy fleece for real cold in the dry suit, I need more lead to get down than the wetsuit needs. The light fleece in the dry suit is the same amount of lead as the wetsuit.

So, one more consideration!


Ken

 

[scubabudie]

I have used the same Bare 7mm suit for the last 8-10 years. It was front entry semi dry. I just today received the new bare 7/8 mm velocity in the mail. The new material is very comfortable. It did not feel stiff and I do not think it will be difficult to maneuver. It was easy to don and I look forward to using it. I live in New England and dive into December. Water Temp 41. The only part that gets cold are my hands and feet.

I hope this helps you.

FYI if you put a custom package together through leisurepro the cost does not seem too bad.

 

[Peter_C]

Although your guys idea and my idea of cold water are probably different...Anything below 55 degrees you will find me in a drysuit with a thick base layer, 400g thinsulate undies, Otter Bay 12mm hood, and dry gloves.

There are plenty of used drysuits available. Check here, The Deco Stop, and Ebay for some good deals. You can even find some suits that only have a few dives on them. If you are at all handy you can repair a drysuit fairly easy. We acquired my gals drysuit from Ebay with undies for $127 shipped including dry gloves rings, new wrist seals, and a new neck seal. The seller wrote that it needed a new zipper but subsequent testing found six leaks and only one "near" the zipper.