Gilboa and White Star Quarrys

[HamTrainChickenLaser]

5mm's are just so much more versatile than 7mm. Without knowing your body dimensions and sizing, a well fitting 5mm is probably good enough. You can always add an exoware undeath it for some added warmth.

That being said, even in the summer, the quarry is going to be cold from about 45 feet on down. So if you really believe that you are going to stay shallow you should be fine.

So 7mm plus exowear under it is going to be a lot warmer than 7mm and just a pair of technical shorts and a rash guard? Brand new to diving and not even certified. I have my Try Scuba in two weeks. Next month is open water down in Mexico. Trying to plan ahead a bit for the quarries!!

 

[Comm]

So 7mm plus exowear under it is going to be a lot warmer than 7mm and just a pair of technical shorts and a rash guard? Brand new to diving and not even certified. I have my Try Scuba in two weeks. Next month is open water down in Mexico. Trying to plan ahead a bit for the quarries!!

That is correct. Exoware is built to have a thermal benefit where as technical shorts and rashguards do not. the shorts and rashguard will add a bit of warmth, but not to the same extent as exoware.

I generally consider that exoware adds the equivalent of 1-2mm of benefit. Meaning, a 5mm wetsuit plus exoware should be roughly equivalent to a 7mm without

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Believe it or not, I really miss diving Gilboa and White Star. From 2006-2016 I did MANY, MANY dives between those two quarries. The majority at Gilboa as it was closer, but I did a few at White Star as well. They are awesome places to train, explore, and keep the skills up. Being in South Florida now all of my dives are salty, but once I'm retired and start to do some extended trips back to the upper Midwest, I'd gladly dive in both once again. Less gear rinsing is always a nice bonus!! Plus I still have my drysuits!

 

[cookiefactory]

Newly certified OW (in Bahamas) trying to gear up appropriately to dive in Gilboa. From what I gather we *should* get 7mm wetsuits but if feeling frisky we could potentially get away with 5mm + farmer johns and/or exoware. To complicate things my son is 11 years old so not sure if Gilboa will have appropriate rental exposure gear for him.

 

[Outbound]

Newly certified OW (in Bahamas) trying to gear up appropriately to dive in Gilboa. From what I gather we *should* get 7mm wetsuits but if feeling frisky we could potentially get away with 5mm + farmer johns and/or exoware. To complicate things my son is 11 years old so not sure if Gilboa will have appropriate rental exposure gear for him.

This time of year the water is nearing its warmest, and most people will feel comfortable in a sing-piece 7mm throughout the shallow side of Gilboa. A 5mm suit might suffice if you run warm or if you do most of your diving in the shallowest part of the shallow side. I know I couldn't do it, but I tend to get cold easily and dive dry at the quarry. But I recently saw a guy in a rashguard and boardshorts by the school busses!

If you intend on heading down to the tubes a lot (60'), then you might start to get a bit chilly in just a single-piece 7mm. But it depends on how much time you spend down there.

Give the quarry a call and ask if they have rental suits in your son's size.

 

[USdiver1]

This time of year I dive a 5mm farmer john with jacket down to 60' [the tubes]. Cold but doable. Remember to use an environmentally sealed regulator to avoid cold water free-flow [freeze] if diving below about 40'.