First OW class, lots of gear questions!

[tbone1004]

@Aloha Joe missing key info. Were you in the 7mm in the pool or no?
If naked, then you'll need lead with a 7mm, and you'll need more going from fresh to salt. The 20lbs total is about right, just have to subtract from your rig ballast. I'd put it all on a weight belt for the class and sort it out afterwards

 

[Aloha Joe]

No wetsuit in the pool, just board shorts. Sorry, I edited my post and don't know why I took that out Also I don't know if we're diving aluminum or steel - I have to pick my tanks up from the shop on Friday, and we've been using steel in the pool. That sounds like we may be using steel on the boat as well, but I don't know for sure.

My rig is probably ~7-8lbs (bare plate/STA is 5lbs). We did weight checks in the pool and I was heavy, but I can't remember if I had the weights or not.

 

[tbone1004]

if you are using steel, subtract about 6lbs from the numbers I gave. You are likely to only need about 4-6lbs of lead total

 

[Aloha Joe]

Oh My Dear Lord...

I went to try on the rental wetsuit. I honestly don't know if I can do that again

 

[tbone1004]

Oh My Dear Lord...

I went to try on the rental wetsuit. I honestly don't know if I can do that again

that would be why whenever I am asked what piece of gear should be bought first, I tell people to buy their own exposure protection first. Most rental wetsuits are old and less stretchy, almost all often smell bad because they aren't disinfected when they come back, and they may or may not fit you properly. Sad but true...

 

[Aloha Joe]

I think it actually smelled like sh17.
I felt so gross afterward. And the fit was HORRIBLE.

The wetsuit feels like a $480 gamble (for the one that fit best so far) since it's temperature/tolerance dependent, and will be the hardest to sell used. I didn't want to buy a 7mm then find out I'd have been happier with less (SoCal / Hawaii diving, but I lived in Vermont and havent worn a real jacket since I moved to OH or CA).

Is it that big of a difference in flexibility? I've been focused on finding the right fit so haven't tried different thicknesses yet.

I'll visit the shop today w/ a decent selection and see what I can come up with... maybe I'll find a cheap suit that fits, or maybe they'll have a better rental selection...

 

[Aloha Joe]

...or maybe I can find a decent rental and clean/disinfect it myself?

 

[tbone1004]

@Aloha Joe you can probably find a better rental somewhere else. If you have a front load washer or a top load without an agitator you can put it in there with enzyme cleaner and it'll wash out just fine.
The flexibility can be massive between suits, however the flexibility is inversely proportional to the warmth. The more flexible the suit is, the higher the air:rubber ratio is so it will compress more at depth. If you're diving shallow all the time, say shallower than 50ft, then the flexibility may be worth it. If you are going deeper, the somewhat stiffer suits will compress less and be warmer at depth for you. I use super flexy suits while teaching, and have a pretty dense suit from O'Three that I use when diving deeper. The O3 at 6mm is far warmer at 100ft than my 5mm Oceanic is at the surface, the difference is night and day, but I do have to commit to getting into the O3. Once in it is super comfy though.
As the suits age, the rubber gets less stretchy though and that is usually when suits start to rip

 

[dmaziuk]

that would be why whenever I am asked what piece of gear should be bought first, I tell people to buy their own exposure protection first. Most rental wetsuits are old and less stretchy, almost all often smell bad because they aren't disinfected when they come back, and they may or may not fit you properly. Sad but true...

I got a brand new (-ish) one for my last cold water dive -- frankly, I would prefer an old and stretched one. L, I couldn't even push my forearms through the sleeves, and I don't have thick forearms. I managed to squeeze into an XL and when I splashed I had an air bubble bigger than my wing around the midsection... I don't remember having that problem during my OW dives: the other time I wore a 7-mil suit. But that one was old and stretched, and not fully dry from the previous use.

 

[tbone1004]

I got a brand new (-ish) one for my last cold water dive -- frankly, I would prefer an old and stretched one. L, I couldn't even push my forearms through the sleeves, and I don't have thick forearms. I managed to squeeze into an XL and when I splashed I had an air bubble bigger than my wing around the midsection... I don't remember having that problem during my OW dives: the other time I wore a 7-mil suit. But that one was old and stretched, and not fully dry from the previous use.

sounds like it either didn't fit or you had some incompatible materials going on. Unfortunately with wetsuits and skin it is either dry+dry or wet+wet to get them on. If either the suit or your skin is damp and the other is dry it doesn't work at all.
Most of my suits get "mostly" on at the surface and it isn't until I actually get in the water and can flush the legs and arms out that I can get them all the way on and comfortable.
My O3 is the only one that fits properly, but it was also rather expensive and was adjusted to fit me quite well. You can see here though that there is still a bit of a seam at my elbow and at my knees and those won't smooth themselves out until the suit is fully flooded.