Giant Dendronotus Video

[dwashbur]

Hi Pidge,
I can't speak for anybody else, but the Pacific is the only place we've ever been, at least salt-water-wise (we've done some freshwater stuff in Idaho where we actually live). Most of ours has been in Puget Sound, the rest around the Monterey area where we are at the moment. We would love to get down to places like Cozumel and various spots in the Caribbean, because as of right now we have no idea what warm water feels like

 

[pidgiepoo]

Dave- those breakwater pics are great. I haven't seen some of those critters, so it looks like I need to dive the Pacific someday soon.....but is it always cold??? I've been reading that thread with the horror stories about getting in and out of those 7mm and dry suits. I don't think I can hold my breath for 5 minutes !! LOL
Pidge

 

[dwashbur]

Dave- those breakwater pics are great. I haven't seen some of those critters, so it looks like I need to dive the Pacific someday soon.....but is it always cold??? I've been reading that thread with the horror stories about getting in and out of those 7mm and dry suits. I don't think I can hold my breath for 5 minutes !! LOL
Pidge

If your definition of "cold" is "mid 50's in summer" then yeah, it's always cold A lot of folks around here dive dry. I have a dry suit, but I haven't used it at all this summer in Monterey. I use a 7mm Henderson hyperstretch suit, actually that's what my whole family uses. My youngest daughter used to come away from regular neoprene suits with skinned knuckles because she had such an awful time trying to put one on. We got her the hyperstretch and she lived happily ever after. For wetsuit, I wouldn't use anything else even though I myself never had any trouble with the traditional material. The first time I put my Henderson on, I looked at my shop guy and said "No way it's that easy!" He just smiled. The nice thing about hyperstretch material is, it flexes so you don't have to. As you get to depth, it compresses a little differently than other materials; in particular, mine undergoes a fairly sharp change at around 20 feet. But I've gotten used to that, and making the buoyancy adjustments is second nature now.

Dry suits vary according to material. I've only used the one, a D6 neoprene, but I haven't had to hold my breath to get in or out of it. Definitely come on over to the Pacific. We'll be in this area until the first of September, and some time soon after that we'll be back up north in Puget Sound. You're welcome to join us either place!