Exposure suit choice for cold & warm water diver?

[Matt S.]

I am new to diving—haven’t even gotten wet yet—and I am trying to figure out the best exposure suit purchase strategy for my needs.

I live in Seattle and I anticipate doing most of my diving in the pacific northwest simply because I am here most of the time. I’d guess that I would go no farther north than Vancouver, BC as I am not really interested in waters colder than that. I would also be diving in southern California once in a while, as well as on vacation in tropical waters like Cozumel.

I am leaning towards a drysuit because I like being warm! However, the staff at my trusty LDS use Henderson Hyperstretch 7mm 2-piece wetsuits and are happy with them. They pointed out that you can use the shorty part of the Henderson for warm water diving too. (They even have a good price on them.)

I guess my questions come down to these:

• Is a 7mm wetsuit going to be warm enough for the pacific northwest? I know it’s a really personal thing, I’m just looking for a weight of opinion.
• If I did go dry, can I still use the drysuit in tropical waters without roasting? My dive shop said this was not really done but I read anecdotes here about divers doing it.

My options seem to be these:

• Get a drysuit and use it everywhere, if that's not crazy.
• Get a drysuit and buy/rent a wetsuit for the warmer waters. (most expensive option)
• Get a 2-piece wetsuit like the Henderson 7mm and use it everywhere. (If I'll be comfortable, this is the preferred option because of cost.)

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[JessH]

The truth is that no matter which way you decide to go you are probably going to end up with atleast two suits in the end. Luckily a wetsuit for warm waters is relatively cheap. You can get a good 3mm full suit for $150 or less (sometimes much less).

I can't help you decide between the drysuit or the 7mm but for warm water you are most likely not going to want to use either of those. Some people do use a drysuit for warm water, but unless you are doing a very long dive most people don't want to bother with the extra hastle.

 

[Bob3]

You can't have too much dive gear... if ya buy right you can have a decent drysuit, 7mm wetsuit, & a 3mm wetsuit for those toastier temps.
Forget about renting wetsuits, yukkie stuff goes on in those things.
When it comes to wetsuits, FIT is way more important than labels.

 

[pnwdiverman]

If most of your diving is in the PNW then a dry suit is the best choice. If you want to do a lot of diving then invest in a good drysuit. I have not known anybody that has been upset with themselves for going dry. The next question to ask yourself is to by a trilam suit or a neoprene. I just went from a trilam to a neoprene. I have had two 80 minute dives with it and have stayed very comfortable. good Luck with your decsion.

 

[Matt S.]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Rainer]

As mentioned above, a 3mm suit is rather cheap (esp compared to a dry suit), so adding the 3mm to your collection shouldn't be an issue. Just determine if you can afford the dry suit. If so, you'll be much happier diving it!

 

[Damselfish]

Get the right suit for each job. Tropical suits are relatively cheap.

I wouldn't use the shorty part of a 7mm for tropical diving. It will be too warm above water while doing nothing to protect your legs from stingy things or whatever. Anyway one of the nice things about warm water is not having to wear the heavy stuff and the weight that goes with it. And since you're from up north and will be diving cold water you might be one of the many northerners who think even 3mm is too much in warm water, and are happy in a 1mm or lycra skin. Or a t-shirt.

I really can't see the point of hauling along and wearing a drysuit for your average warm water diving. Might make sense in some special cases and there's even tropical drysuits. But not wanting to buy or rent a light wetsuit doesn't seem like a good reason.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Although I have not personally used them, I have friends who swear by their "semi-dry" suits. I know they are warmer in cold water than a regular wetsuit but are not as complicated to use as a drysuit, and not as expensive.

I can't speak from experience but only from observation. The semi-drys seem to work very well. For me personally, I prefer to use a specific suit for specific dives; dry in winter, and varying thickness of wetsuits in warmer water.

I do agree with the post about not using part of a wetsuit in tropical waters. In those situations, you really need a full suit, probably a 3 or even a 1.

Jeff

 

[ScubaDivaDivemaster]

Ditto the "wear the right suit for the right job" mentality. My buddy has a drysuit and is very cold natured like me, but wouldn't wear it in the caribbean. Too much hassle. Get a suit for caribbean and a drysuit for northern, if that's what you need. I could wear the 7mm two piece in cozumel with no problem, but then I wear a 7/5mm there anyway. If I get too hot, I just pull out the neck seal and let a little water in. I've never ended a dive because I was too hot, but I've ended plenty because I was too cold...before I got my 7/5 that is! You do need exposure protection all over for the stingy nasty's as stated above, so maybe a full 3mm for caribbean?

good luck!

 

[mikeyjoe]

I dive in Vancouver and I dive in a 7mm neoprene dry suit. 99% of the divers here dive dry October to June as a wetsuit would be too chilly. Most of them dive dry 12 months of the year, like me. I am sure the water temp in Seattle is very similiar to here. I don't know what a drysuit would be like in the tropics, but I am buying a shorty for my trip to St. Maartin in April.

FYI - I found the neoprene more comfortable than the shell drysuit, but I have seen both - personal preference. Rent both styles before you but.....

BTW - if you are up in Vancouver, or Whitby Island area, and want a buddy, send me a PM or phone me @ 604-541-9598