Greetings and Introduction

[pelagos]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and great responses!!

Honestly I would much prefer to dive a drysuit but, I'm just not sure my bank account can shoulder the expense... gotta crunch the numbers again...

...anyway my gear has just arrived and my family and I are only just moving into a house this week after living in a hotel for a month. I'm living in Oxnard so diving the Ventura/Oxnard area would be best, but I'm open to driving a little now and then. I'll keep any eye out here while I get unpacked and settled in, and I'll look forward to meeting and diving with some of you soon!!

Thanks again, and happy diving!
Tim

 

[ligersandtions]

Check out the used market for a drysuit. I've managed to get one for myself and one for my husband (both for far less than MSRP for practically brand new suits). If you fit stock sizes, you can probably find a good deal. Classifieds forum, craiglist, ebay....even better if you can find one locally and try it on and check it out.

Either way, the diving will be awesome and I hope to see you underwater sometime!

Nicole

 

[CompuDude]

You can definitely dive a 7mm around here, but yes, you'll ultimately be happier (probably) in a drysuit. I agree that a used drysuit is a great way to get a taste for it, then sell for what you bought it for after a year or so, and buy the one you really want. (unless you get really lucky right off the bat)

In the winter (read: now), it's cold topside so hard to warm up between dives, so yes, when diving wet, multiple dives can be challenging, from a warmth perspective. One dive is generally not an issue, though, sometimes two.

Welcome to SoCal... hope to see you out there sometime!

 

[pelagos]

Thanks Nicole and CompuDude! I started poking around eBay and will look here and on Craigslist also... I'd rather go dry if I can!

 

[diverrex]

Welcome Tim,

I consider myself a warm water diver at heart. When I first started diving in California I wasn't even sure I'd want to dive in the winter. Turns out I've now made at least one dive each month for the past 26 months. I use a 2 piece farmer john suit over a hooded vest - lots of neoprene! Even in winter doing 3 dives off a boat it's warm enough. What does really help is a nice dive coat for between dives.

I've never yet dove the Spectre that John DM's but I know some people really like it. I have dived off the Peace out of Ventura and that's a nice boat. We have some nice boats down in LA/Long Beach - Great Escape, Magician, Sea Bass & others, but if I lived where you do I'd mostly dive off the Ventura boats - they're nice boats and the ride to the islands is shorter.

I keep wanting to do a Spectre trip some time when John is DM'ing, if you see one of his posts and need a buddy let me know. I take photos also.


Rex

 

[pelagos]

Thanks for the input Rex, it's much appreciated having never dived in cold water before! Hope to meet you on the boat sometime soon!

Tim

 

[Sideways]

Welcome Tim!!

I think there are a few of us photog folks, me, Rex, Erica..... always good to find folks with your interests

As far as the wetsuit, I guess it depends on how cold you get. I grew up here, then lived in Hawaii for 2 years. When I came back I couldn't handle the cold...LOL. I dive a semi-dry 9/7/6mm Excel Polar. Very NICE wetsuit for around $500.

Great looking Pics!!!!


Greg

 

[pelagos]

Hello again everyone,

After a few months getting settled here, with two young children in tow, I finally got a cold-water exposure suit. No matter how I sliced and diced it, I just couldn't afford a drysuit... I ended up getting a 7mm semi-dry with attached hood and integrated 5mm core warmer, plus a 3/4 length boat coat for in-between dives.

That said, I'm really hoping to get out diving in the next couple of weeks - the Saturday after next (6/20) would be ideal. Would love to try and hook up with some of you for a dive soon...

Let me know. Cheers, and happy diving!
Tim

 

[FishNut]

Do lots of beach diving give a holler this way if ya wanna dive!

 

[JMdiver]

Hi Tim,

That suit will be just fine, I dive a 7mil year round. You have to come out on the Spectre sometime when I'm DM'ing. I won't be on it again till July so maybe I'll see you in the water some time.

John