First Diving Suit for Northern New England Diving

[formernuke]

I don’t understand they drysuit apprehension.

Drysuit plus undergarments=$$$$$$$
Wetsuit=$$ by comparison. For those who haven't experienced the joys of drysuit the cost can be a real turn off.

 

[drk5036]

Drysuit plus undergarments=$$$$$$$
Wetsuit=$$ by comparison. For those who haven't experienced the joys of drysuit the cost can be a real turn off.

Only if you buy the kind of drysuit you use! A basic neoprene seaskin runs about 650 dollars, which is still more expensive than most wetsuits, but it’s a %, not a factor of 2-4x

 

[Jay Adams]

if you're going to dive dry you should dive a good suit imo. I bought my DUI used but it's a good suit.

 

[Marie13]

Just did a quick search...

GLUE!?!

The gals have it much worse then the guys. We have to totally landscape and the amount of glue turns it into arts and crafts time. Look up the She-P.

 

[BoltSnap]

When in Rome...

Greetings Divers,

It looks like I am starting out diving wet. I visited my LDS last week and was very impressed with the people there. They have a group of folks that do regular local Saturday shore dives. And they all do it wet. We're talking from April through November, with special dives for New Year's Day, etc. They said the would sell me a dry suit if that is what I wanted...but when in Rome...

I certainly could have made all of the points in favor of drysuits that have been made in this thread, but these are people who I am hoping take me under their wing and help me become a better diver. I am new enough that being a copycat feels better. I suspect my second suit will be a drysuit, but until then...when in Rome...

To their credit, they seem to have figured out a way to make a wetsuit quite livable in our cold waters. They bring several large coolers of very hot water to the dive site. Then then pour containers of it down their suits before heading in. They claim to stay warm and comfortable this way, between the type of wetsuits they wear and the hot water trick.

Speaking of which, I am now the proud owner of:

A Waterproof W4 5mm;
A Waterproof Neoskin 1.5mm; and,
A Waterproof U1 2/5mm Hooded Vest

Apparently, I am fairly "normally shaped," (Good to know!), so everything fits properly and is comfortable, even despite the bulk of wearing all three pieces together.

I have been invited to bring my gear back and use their salt water pool to get everything dialed in before my first Saturday dive. Having my weight/trim roughly figured out, along with knowing what rental equipment I will need will keep me from being a needy pain on that first Saturday morning. I will most likely be able to get out there tomorrow to start figuring things out.

So there it is.

I am still very appreciative of your advice and opinions, but it looks like I will be getting into a drysuit in two bites instead of one.

As for the other sage advice I have received here, did I mention they are a Shearwater dealer? When I go to check out their pool, I will have my checkbook in hand for that Peregrine.

Step by step, inch by inch.

THANK YOU!

I initially went that route for few years and I was cold, even colder when doing more than one dive on the same day, and I was limited how deep I would go because it just got cold very fast. I didn't enjoy the dives in NH and ME in my wetsuits. I eventually went with a drysuit and I immediately noticed the difference in comfort and enjoyment of the dives when using a drysuit, never went back and probably can't. Drysuit divers start the season early and end it, if at all, late in the year while able to do more dives during the day. I was able to do the deeper wreck dives, like the Chester Poling, while comfortable and concentrating on lobster hunting or photography (I caught my 12, 15 and 20lbs lobster with my CF200) not how cold it was.

The biggest thing I noticed after switching from a wetsuit to a drysuit was that after the dive, wetsuit divers talk about how cold it was and drysuit divers talk about what they saw underwater and how much they enjoyed it.

 

[formernuke]

Drysuit divers start the season early and end it, if at all, late in the year

Yup we start the season and then end it at the end of the year.

My season starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st

 

[Marie13]

I dived once a month all winter. Drysuit, thick undies, and a Thermolution heated vest made all the difference. And dry gloves. Can’t forget those.

 

[drk5036]

if you're going to dive dry you should dive a good suit imo. I bought my DUI used but it's a good suit.

How do you define a “good suit”? For me, the most important thing, by far, is fit. A well fitting drysuit is much easier to dive and will be warmer.

This conversation has been had many times, especially regarding seaskin due to their low price. But no one has ever been able to show how a seaskin drysuit is deficient compare to other, 3-4x more expensive drysuits, as far as I’m aware.

 

[Jay Adams]

How do you define a “good suit”? For me, the most important thing, by far, is fit. A well fitting drysuit is much easier to dive and will be warmer.

This conversation has been had many times, especially regarding seaskin due to their low price. But no one has ever been able to show how a seaskin drysuit is deficient compare to other, 3-4x more expensive drysuits, as far as I’m aware.

Fits well, easy to put on and off, keeps me dry, ease of the seals to replace I.E. kneck and wrist. also the ease of finding someone to do repairs to it

 

[Jay Adams]

Yup we start the season and then end it at the end of the year.

My season starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st

I have dived january 1st in a semidry. it was cold but I did it.