new to diving ? on exposure suits

[emmaisabel]

hi i'm just getting certified and want to get my own gear so i asked the dive shop about dry suits or wet suit. I'm in minnesota and plan to do most of my diving here anyways the guy there told me that a 7mil wet suit would be good enough. now i dont know but i was just assuming i would need a dry suit to be comfortable could i get some opinions on this. thank you aaron

 

[herbdb]

Sounds like he only sells wet suits. In your position, I would contact a local dive club and get opinions from the divers you might dive with. What do they use?

You can certainly rent a wet suit and wait for a dry suit demo days in your area. That way you can try a dry suit and make the decision based on experience. You don't want to invest a bunch in a wet suit and find it won't do the job. A lot depends on your personal tolerence for cold.

 

[fdog]

Here's how to save $1200 on a dry suit.

Normal progression:

• Buy 7mil suit: $450
• Get cold
• Buy custom made 7/8 mil suit: $750
• Get cold
• Buy drysuit: ~$1800
• Stay warm

Now, how to save $1200!

• Buy drysuit: ~$1800
• Stay warm

All the best, James

 

[Elvistheking]

Dosen't it snow quite a lot in Minnesota, we had a teacher at school from Minnesota and I'm sure she told us in snowed a little bit.

Anywhere that it snows, for me, is drysuit territory.

EDIT: and $1800 for a drysuit seems like silly money to me!

 

[Jax]

Here's how to save $1200 on a dry suit.

Normal progression:

• Buy 7mil suit: $450
• Get cold
• Buy custom made 7/8 mil suit: $750
• Get cold
• Buy drysuit: ~$1800
• Stay warm

Now, how to save $1200!

• Buy drysuit: ~$1800
• Stay warm

All the best, James

 

[tbone1004]

$1800 is cheap for a good drysuit over this side of the pond...
That being said, I got my HOG for much cheaper than that, but still. If you know now you're gonna dive up there normally, I'd go for a drysuit. I dive dry almost year round, and am quite happy doing so...