drysuit in Miami..??

[Icarusflies]

Hello all;

I am thinking to buy a drysuit for the winter even though I live in Miami. I also want to have the option to dive when I travel to colder parts of the world however I plan to use the drysuit in Miami too....do you think it is too much insulation for Miami? What drysuit would be good for recreational diving?

 

[Paco]

Get a shell (tilam, bilam) suit and vary the underwear to meet your thermal needs.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I would get a shell suit, you can wear shorts and a t-shirt under it when it's warm if you want to. I have a Viking X-treme and like it, Bob3 here on the board is a dealer and may be able to hook you up with a deal.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Gary D.]

With a shell and that's what you want, the suit only keeps you dry. It's the undies that give you the thermal protection. If you dive a shell w/o any thermal protection you can be cooler than the water temp.

Lots of them out there so try as many as you can before buying. Some are size spicific while others aren't.

Gary D.

 

[Icarusflies]

For me the main advantage of a drysut is the fact that you are dry after a 2 tank dive and not freezing in the interval, that is what I am looking for. I hope to find a place in Miami that sells drysuits, do you know of any?

 

[Ber Rabbit]

This is the only place I found on google but I don't know if Miami Beach is anywhere near Miami, I'm geographically challenged.
Tarpoon Dive Center
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Icarusflies]

Hummm...Miami Beach....isn't that somewhere near the Galapagos....

Thanks Rabit

 

[ChrisA]

For me the main advantage of a drysut is the fact that you are dry after a 2 tank dive and not freezing in the interval, that is what I am looking for. I hope to find a place in Miami that sells drysuits, do you know of any?

Some disadvantage of dry suite: (1) they have a huge amount of swimming drag Water does not slip over then as easy as a wetsuit (2) You still ned to take awetsuit with out as a backup in case of a seal failure (3) You can not pee in a drysiut unless you have either diaers or a p-valve setup. (4) you can roast durring the SI unless you get a self donning suit and suspenders.

If the only problem you have is that you get cold between dives get a "boat coat" this is an over sized fleese linned nylon coat that is sized to fit over a wetsuit, has a hood and comes down to the kees at least. Everyone here uses these and it's colder here. we have water in the 50's and the air temp varies from low 60's upward. The big coats do just fine.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Some disadvantage of dry suite: (1) they have a huge amount of swimming drag Water does not slip over then as easy as a wetsuit (2) You still ned to take awetsuit with out as a backup in case of a seal failure (3) You can not pee in a drysiut unless you have either diaers or a p-valve setup. (4) you can roast durring the SI unless you get a self donning suit and suspenders.

Just out of curiosity do you take your wetsuit out every time you go drysuit diving? I know I don't and I don't personally know any drysuit divers who do.

You can have your buddy (or anyone else on the boat/shore for that matter) unzip and zip your drysuit if it's not self donning. Even my little sister who isn't a diver can manage to get mine zipped/unzipped with a bit of coaching. You don't even need suspenders, just take the thing completely off. I wear heavy underwear in the summer here and the suit and underwear both have to come off between dives some days, it's really not a big deal.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[DivingCRNA]

Just out of curiosity do you take your wetsuit out every time you go drysuit diving? I know I don't and I don't personally know any drysuit divers who do.

Ber :lilbunny:

I don't know anyone who does either. I just sold my 7mm wetsuit on eBay. At least 3 of us her are of a mind that we are wearing swim trunks, a 3 mm wetsuit or a drysuit. If the drysuit doesn't work, there isn't anything in the lake that we are going to put the 7 mm wetsuit on as a backup for!