scSCUBA once bubbled...
He SeaJay, I would love to do another dive quickly. Preferably in Salt water. What't the diving like for the next few weeks/months in SC? What about wrecks? Any close by and not too deep? My instructor suggested that I get like 10 dives in before taking the aow class just to get more comfortable. Then I'd be concentrating on the skills.
Yep, there's lots and lots of diving locally. What comes to mind - which would be a perfect dive for you - is the Beaufort 45 dive. Lots of artificial reefs and "wrecks" in 45' of water. You can expect temps in the 75* range (nice in a 3 mil or even 5 mil) and vis around 50'.
We dive offshore all the time... And in the local "blackwater" even more often than that. Blackwater diving is a taste... There's lots of fossils and artifacts all over the place, that would not be there if there was any vis.
I enjoy it, but also love nice, clear water where you feel like you're flying.
Check my website in my signature line for more details.
Oh, btw I was in Orlando today at the outlet store (Divers Direct) the sales guy was pushing a 6mm farmer w/ 6mm top. The 'sale' is then you get one free. He suggested then getting a 3mm top. Then I could mix and match. (Now based on what Sea is telling me, I don't know if I'll go that route or not) but the 3 piece was EVO( I think) for 140ish. Don't know anything about the brand.
Yeah, two-pieces aren't my "thing," but you know how that is... Everyone's got their own preference.
IMHO, the "mix-n-match" thing is way overrated. In warmer water (it never really goes under 55* here, and it's even warmer in FL) you can pretty much dive with anything from a 3 mil on up, depending on temp and what you like. I've found that diving with the john only "scoops" water badly, especially in current (which can leave you REALLY cold, not to mention full of drag) and so I've never seen a situation where I don't want the top... And you'll appreciate the bottoms - at least the coverage - whenever there's jellyfish or barnacles around (any time you're in salt water). So I can't think of a situation where you'd only wear 1/2 of your two-piece.
...Because of this, I find the one-piece wetsuits are simpler and work better. I'd buy a 3 mil first, as that will cover you at least six months out of the year comfortably. They're also inexpensive and plentiful and can get you familiar with what you like and don't like so that you can decide if you want a thicker one-piece, two-piece, or even go dry later on. Most of us here go dry because of the huge buoyancy swings when diving really thick wetsuits. Drysuits also don't "shock" you when you first get in.
I personally like O'Neill and Xcel wetsuits, but it's really all about what fits you best.
Oh, and by the way... You can make any suit about twice as warm simply by including a hood, which is inexpensive and easy to use. Take a tropical 3 mil and add a 3 mil hood and it's good down to about 60* or 65*, at least for short NDL dives.
...And man, that covers you for about 8 or 10 months out of the year here in SC, and pretty much any time in Florida.
...And don't spend too much on a wetsuit... The local blackwater is full of oysters and barnacles and when you dive blind of that stuff, you're pretty much gonna tear up that suit.
