Greetings from Niagara Falls Canada

[Ned Land 1866]

I hope everyone is doing well here, I did not even know this forum existed but here i am , Thank you to all the people who make it happen as well as the contributors i think its fantastic.

I am in niagara falls ontario. After a conversation with my wife about how clean and clear the water is this time of there I went searching for gear to keep me warm since I would like to go out and observe the nature here in the great lakes but do not really know where to start looking. Someone mentioned dry suits but it says they start at 64f and I would need something to keep me warm in the 20s and 30s F since the water temperature does not get warm here till late june, jully.

Right now the water sits at -1 c in both lake ontario and lake erie.

Help would be much appreciated.

p.s. If there is such gear can it be obtained on a budget? ( 100-300)

 

[AdamSa]

Dry suit is the only option. You can make a dry suit progressively warmer by adding more under garments and battery powered heating.

This is not really an option with your budget (100-300). A good drysuit will be around 2k and a budget drysuit will be around 1k. You will also need to add undergarments, dry gloves and possibly heating. It quickly adds up.

 

[Ned Land 1866]

Dry suit is the only option. You can make a dry suit progressively warmer by adding more under garments and battery powered heating.

This is not really an option with your budget (100-300). A good drysuit will be around 2k and a budget drysuit will be around 1k. You will also need to add undergarments, dry gloves and possibly heating. It quickly adds up.

I found this one for 200.00 will this work? (st.cathrines area just up the road from me) Aquion Pro Large Dry Suit with hood | Water Sports | St. Catharines | Kijiji

 

[davecampbell]

you likely won't get anything good for under $1K...and that's used market. drysuits are really expensive, and really worth it for diving around here. You're lucky though, you've got a stellar local dive shop in the area. See Matt Mandziuk at Dan's dive shop for anything you might need. He's got great pricing, and lots of really nice stuff.

 

[OTF]

First of all, you live near some GREAT diving!

You CAN get good used drysuits for cheap but it takes time and knowing what to look for. You'll have to try them on because fit matters a lot. The one you linked might kinda work but it's old, baggy, and will likely need new seals installed.

Are you planning to scuba dive or just snorkel?

On a 300 dollar budget a heavy semidry wetsuit like the solafx is the next best thing, but even with that thick a wetsuit you'll be cold in winter temps.

 

[Musicgirl]

Hey hey from another Ontarian (though currently living in Switzerland). Welcome to the underwater world . LOL. I'm assuming you will get some scuba lessons? I'd actually recommend talking it through with your instructor. They will have the best advice for you. You can figure out what to look for in the fit of your dry suit. Then you'll be more able to decide if a used one will work for you or not.

Hope to see you and your wife underwater soon.

 

[TMHeimer]

Of course with a thick wetsuit (7 mil farmer john that I have always used), you can probably get a fairly long summer season.
I dive once in a day during winter here, with temps. that can go as low as maybe 3C. Check out what the lakes' water temps. are beginning in May and through Oct.-- do an online search. Lakes tend to warm up and cool off quicker than the ocean, but I'm not familiar with those as large as Ontario & Erie as far as wetsuit diving goes. I have seen them frozen in areas, such as around Toronto.