Have the Wetsuit for pool classes, or not?

[Damselfish]

We never wore 7mm suits in the pool but did wear full hoods and gloves for some of it, which is a very good idea and I would hope is done anyplace you will shortly be using them for OW in cold water. Trying a 7mm in the pool wouldn't have been a bad idea, but we didn't until OW and it wasn't a huge deal either. I think getting a 3mm to use in the pool if you will use it later for travel is not a bad place to start. It's a compromise between nothing and dealing with a heavy suit immediately. But I think it's best to use full thickness hood and gloves in the pool after the first session or so and get used to them. I think that is the hardest part to get used to.

 

[TMHeimer]

We use shorties in the pool. After hours I tend to get chilly, and I'm VERY cold tolerant. Guess it depends on pool temp. and length of time you're in there. Wearing say a 7 mil wetsuit seems like overkill, plus you have to rinse it every time after (if it's yours...).

 

[koozemani]

I didn't use one when i got certified but have since started wearing one in the pool for alot of the reasons previously mentioned. I tolerate cold well, while I've seen others diving in heated indoor pools shivering in a full 7mm.

My $0.02 would be to rent a suit to find what fits you and what you like before purchasing. I'm an impulse buyer and went through three makes and a couple of different sizes (lotsa return shipping charges) before finding the right ones. A little pee never hurt anyone.

 

[kaerius]

I'll second training in what you will use. As for overheating... unless the pool is actually warmer than bodytemperature, don't worry about it. I've done pool training in drysuit as well as wetsuit without overheating issues(now out of the water, in the indoor swimming hall in the drysuit was a different matter...)

 

[lsorenson]

I am not sure why anyone would recommend a 7mm in a pool for training unless that pool is dropping down into the low 60's...! Folks up north, those diving quarry's with the thermoclines, and winter diving would use 7mm or go dry but even if I was learning to dive with the Great Lakes in mind; I would still start off with nothing or rent/borrow/steal a shorty or 3mm (max) until I knew this sport is something I want to do and can afford to do...

This sport is already expensive enough... Trust me when I say you will buy more stuff that you will only use once or twice and then wish you never did buy it... e.g. those gloves; 1mm, 3mm, 5mm, 7mm, wet, dry, semi-dry, yellow so your partner knows its you, blue ones cause they are cool, this size is just a bit small and this one is a bit to large, this one has ribs and this one is smooth...! Over exaggerated a bit (I know) but not by a hole lot!!!

If you have to go above a skin then the pool is to cold... (edited because I missed where you would be doing your pool work in two days/16 hours) I used a 3/2 shorty because I already had one while my wife used a 3mm because we already had them from snorkeling the Galapagos.

This is JMO; You or anybody else for that matter should have more than enough time to train in your gear before you hit the outdoors... You should also have time after your classes are completed to train and work on things such as buoyancy, trim, and other skills. If I was going to need a full 7mm for my OW, fine, but I don't need to practice OOG or clearing my mask the first week or two of training...! Heck, I would have never started diving if I had to do my training in a 7mm, its uncomfortable, expensive (for a "just because" expense), hard to get on and takes a very long time to dry.

Use of the pool is great following your training for working on weighting that new wet suit you just bought. I know I went back to the pool after I got a steel 100 so I could figure out my weights and buoyancy characteristics... Gone back to the pool for a few things...

lee

PS Its sounds like some of the boys at your dive shop kind of goated you into buying the 3mm for training... If that the case, I would already be looking for a new shop! Would not surprise me if they have already mentioned buying that "Must have" dry suit!!!

Good luck and I hope you truly enjoy it as much as we do...!

 

[lsorenson]

Rented suits are just gross, in my opinion. Some places are better about cleaning them than others, but I don't rent wetsuits.

I'm not sure how any of us survived eating boogers as kids!!! Yea you did; you know you did!!!

 

[D_B]

We did all our training in 7mm suits in an outdoor but heated pool, right around 80f , just no hoods, and most times no gloves.
7mm because that's what we were going to need in our waters here
... Remember, most of the time your not expending a lot of energy in class

If your going to be somewhere that a 3mm suit is appropriate, then training in it would be a good idea

 

[lsorenson]

We did all our training in 7mm suits in an outdoor but heated pool, right around 80f , just no hoods, and most times no gloves.
7mm because that's what we were going to need in our waters here
... Remember, most of the time your not expending a lot of energy in class

If your going to be somewhere that a 3mm suit is appropriate, then training in it would be a good idea

So, I hope to dive quarry's since I have one just down the street... Are you saying I should begin my lessons in a dry suit?

I am not sure I fully understand the logic some are using... Are we/I confusing scuba lessons/training with practicing? Maybe part of my misunderstand comes from how my lessons were held. We did one hour of classroom followed by one hour of pool. I know the OP is doing the weekend cram session so I can see where some protection is needed... but to say that a new student needs to buy a 7mm on day one because he/she is living in Ohio is a bit much don't you think...?

Lets see the math...

350.00 - 450.00 for lessons
150.00 for a decent mask, fin, and snorkel
50.00 - 250.00+ for a wet suit 3mm shorty up to 7mm
$$$ for ow dives (at least ours was since we traveled to FL)

So for about 550.00 +/- you get your lessons and basic snorkeling kit... Twice that if your spouse is along for the trip. Do you really need to invest in the wet suit yet? I guess this is where I would disagree with anyone that says you must or should.

I agree that you should practice in what you plan to be diving in BUT, I believe you can do your lessons butt naked if they would let you!!!

With all due respect, lee

PS Would you not agree that a 7mm in a 80* pool is a little excessive?

Per Websters;

Definition of LESSON
1: I think we can leave #1 out for this purpose.
2: a piece of instruction b : a reading or exercise to be studied by a pupil c : a division of a course of instruction
3: something learned by study or experience <his years of travel had taught him valuable lessons>

Definition of TRAINING
1: the act, process, or method of one that trains b: the skill, knowledge, or experience acquired by one that trains
2: the state of being trained

Definition of PRACTICE
transitive verb
1: carry out, apply <practice what you preach> b : to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually <practice politeness> c : to be professionally engaged in <practice medicine>
2: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient <practice the act> b : to train by repeated exercises <practice pupils in penmanship>

intransitive verb
1: to do repeated exercises for proficiency
2: to pursue a profession actively

 

[Thalassamania]

No I do not think that 7 mm is a little excessive, if that's what's worn locally in O/W. You are not wearing the rubber in the pool for warmth, you are wearing it to learn to handle the buoyancy.

 

[D_B]

We did not have to buy any wetsuit, only mask, snorkel, fins, ... all else was provided
Pool sessions were 3 and 4 hours long
Nobody overheated (remember, you can let in water into your suit as needed)

If your going to be diving in the drysuit, then yes, train in it from the beginning, or if your going to be in a thick wetsuit, then train in that

As for the amount of cost .. that varries ... you probably do not want to know what is charged here by my LDS for training, some places give you a much better deal than your figures



the OP is going to be buying a 3mm suit because that's what's needed for where he will be diving