Buy the drysuit. You can rent tanks.
Dry Suit or Tanks
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no comparison as far as price is concerned...so it may depend upon $$
Even brand new tanks AL-80's you can get for $200 or LESS---a drysuit?? minimum 1K and more depending upon company, customization, etc.....
Even brand new tanks AL-80's you can get for $200 or LESS---a drysuit?? minimum 1K and more depending upon company, customization, etc.....
Jimmer
Contributor
TANKS!!!! oh wait, I mean drysuit.
Nailer99
Contributor
Drysuit, hands down. Spend some dough and get a good one. Look for used tanks on Craigslist after that.
If you're going to dive when it's cold, the drysuit wins, hands down.
If you're primarily a boat diver (as opposed to a shore diver), the drysuit wins, hands down. (If you're going to a boat, you can rent tanks.)
If you're a big shore diver who only rarely goes out on boats and who cringes at the very concept of diving in the winter or cold water, it might be a close race. (If you're a shore diver, you're probably going to hit some lakes where the thermocline will make you wish you'd rented tanks, but you can hit them a lot more often if you can go on a whim... assuming they're close enough to go on a whim, otherwise, it's drysuit, hands down, again.)
If you're primarily a boat diver (as opposed to a shore diver), the drysuit wins, hands down. (If you're going to a boat, you can rent tanks.)
If you're a big shore diver who only rarely goes out on boats and who cringes at the very concept of diving in the winter or cold water, it might be a close race. (If you're a shore diver, you're probably going to hit some lakes where the thermocline will make you wish you'd rented tanks, but you can hit them a lot more often if you can go on a whim... assuming they're close enough to go on a whim, otherwise, it's drysuit, hands down, again.)
PerroneFord
Contributor
Suit. I had to make the same choice this spring. First dive of the cold snap, getting out of 70F water into 38F air, with a half hour SI, and back... Ordered the suit 2 weeks later.
Buoyant1
Contributor
Crazy Fingers:
Yeah....that's why I bought a tank..last summer it was a pain getting to the shop tuesday night to rent a tank for wednesday, then having to turn around thursday and take it back to not get stuck with another day's rental..this year I can go tuesday night right before, get my "banked" 32% Nitrox fill whilst shooting the :no with the guys doing the same thing....and not worry about having to get right back...or just wandering by saturday and dropping off the tank, and picking it up...yadda yadda yadda!
but yeah....Dry Suit's are the bomb..that's the next purchase for me!
Oh, yeah...
...unless you have a pool.
(Hehe, if you have a pool, you *need* at least one tank for when you get new gear in... or you read an interesting post and want to try the technique in the water... or you wonder whether you can really whistle underwater if you cup your hand just like that photo... or your team loses the game and you don't feel like washing the dishes quite yet... or... or... or...)
...unless you have a pool.
(Hehe, if you have a pool, you *need* at least one tank for when you get new gear in... or you read an interesting post and want to try the technique in the water... or you wonder whether you can really whistle underwater if you cup your hand just like that photo... or your team loses the game and you don't feel like washing the dishes quite yet... or... or... or...)
But go with the drysuit.
Seems like an odd trade-off becasue of the huge difference in price between the two. Anyways, everybody's going to have different demands, comfort levels and ways of diving. Personally I bought a tank and still have yet to consider a dry suit. But then I've never been cold while diving since getting a decent wetsuit (year round diving mostly in CA and Chile with water temps rarely below 50), nor on SI's with the right jacket. For me a tank made much more sence since I always preferred steel tanks over AL ones and I always had access to free fills.
In Jersey you've got water temps that reach the mid 30's in winter (I'm guessing) so if you plan on diving in winter, then you'll definitely want a drysuit. But then since spring is just about there, your water temps will be rising and by April/May you'll be in the 50's and won't (IMHO) need a drysuit again until like November. Therefore, I say get a tank (used would be a good option) and save the money back up to get the suit during summer. That way you can take your time buying the suit and get the best deal on the best suit for you and have the best of both worlds.
In Jersey you've got water temps that reach the mid 30's in winter (I'm guessing) so if you plan on diving in winter, then you'll definitely want a drysuit. But then since spring is just about there, your water temps will be rising and by April/May you'll be in the 50's and won't (IMHO) need a drysuit again until like November. Therefore, I say get a tank (used would be a good option) and save the money back up to get the suit during summer. That way you can take your time buying the suit and get the best deal on the best suit for you and have the best of both worlds.
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