How much diving around Toronto without a dry suit?

[Moerby]

Browsing through the forums it looks like there's a surprising number of decent dive sites within a couple hours' drive from Toronto, which is great! I have just about all the equipment I need now with the notable exception of a wet or dry suit. I'd love to spring for a dry suit of course but given the amount of money I've spent on scuba gear already, that just isn't happening right now.

So let's say I go with a 7mm wetsuit (complete with hoody, gloves, etc.) how much diving can I expect to do within about 2 hours' drive of the GTA between May and say, August?

 

[scubadiver888]

I dive from May until October in a 7mm wetsuit. I do wear a hood, gloves, etc. but I'm fine with diving 50F/10C in a 7mm. Talking with guys diving dry, their hands and feet get just as cold as mine. The difference is that if the winds are blowing in September/October, getting out of a wetsuit is no where as nice as getting out of a drysuit.

 

[shoredivr]

Nah, scubadiver888, they should try diving dry with dry gloves, those are excellent to keep hands warm.

As to the OP, while I dive dry, I also have buddies who dive 7ml, hood and gloves and do ok, even into the winter months. Though they need extra hot water to pour down their suits at the end of the dive to warm up, in January for example. If you go up to Tobermory, (where right now the water temp is 37F), by the summer when the water is in the 60's above the therrmocline, and in the 40's below it, you'll see wetsuits for sure.

*edit* though saving for a drysuit, even a used one, will really make your diving year more enjoyable....

 

[Moerby]

Thanks guys, it sounds like I'll be able to do a fair bit of diving in a 7mm then, especially since I'm unlikely to go deeper than 60 feet in the beginning. Will probably be on the lookout for a lightly used 7mm wetsuit for now, and save up for a good dry suit as I get better at this.

 

[rhwestfall]

I've survived diving the Erie/Ontirio/St. Lawrece for 12+ years with a 7mm Farmer John, but now dive dry. The most benefit I see is after/between dives on the crappy days. Yes, they do really help with the 39 degree thermocline, but it was doable before....

 

[elan]

All depend on what kind of diving you do. You can dive humber, bbp, guliver lake etc.All In a wet suit. The question is how long can you stay warm. In summer 40 mins is doable. To compare with dry suit we usually stay 2 hours in the water in summer months and an hour in winter when the temp is 35f

Your best bet is the river it stays warm top to the bottom but its more than 2 hour away

Toby is doable but not fun below the tcline

If you stay serious about divivg its very good idea to get a dry suit in ontario

 

[ajtoady]

I dive year round in a 6.5 farmer john. I however do use hood, 3mm socks, booties, and dry 5 gloves in 33 degree F water. Went diving last Sat. at the Massena intake 42-43 degree F and tried out a semi dry 7mm Camaro/ hooded vest and with the gloves and boots was very comfortable. However everyone is different and when diving a wetsuit in cold water fit is very important. The better the fit the less cold water exchange.

 

[canadianwingnut]

I see that some people are using core warmers under 7mm. How thick are the core warmers people here in Ontario
are using. 3mm,5mm ??

Wingnut

 

[scubadiver888]

Don't know anyone using a core warmer which fits under a 7mm. I purchased a 7mm full wetsuit then purchased a 7mm core warmer which goes OVER the full wetsuit. This way I can wear the full wetsuit on its own or with the core warmer. If you fit the core warmer UNDER the full wetsuit, the full wetsuit would be too loose to wear by itself.

That said, I purchased the full wetsuit and core warmer as a package deal. I almost never wear the core warmer. Only when I deep dive in Kingston (40F to 45F) have I needed the warmer.

 

[elan]

I see that some people are using core warmers under 7mm. How thick are the core warmers people here in Ontario
are using. 3mm,5mm ??

Wingnut

The core warmers in Ontario usually come not in mm but in ml and the size is usually 330 or 500 ml with partial pressure varying from 0.06 to 0.40. Obviously the higher the pp the better it works.