Newly certified headed home to Oregon

[Adam Wright]

Was just certified OW PADI this month in Maui. I have 8 logged dives. I purchased a complete second hand kit and excited to dive back home.

I’ve got my eye on AOW and deep dive when I get home but need wetsuit for the colder Pacific Northwest waters. Also looking for dive buddies for spear fishing and crabbing.

 

[RyanT]

Welcome, this is a great forum and there's lots to learn here.

 

[Jeffrey F. Worthington]

Welcome. I am doing my aow next weekend at hood canal.

 

[Adam Wright]

what shops in the Portland area do you prefere? I’ve been in Maui for 4 months for work and never really had an opportunity to get certified until now.

 

[BikerBecca]

Welcome to SB and the awesome world of diving.

If you're looking for a wetsuit consider getting a semi-dry. I'm in Monterey Bay every weekend with mine and it's worked out fine for me. I only got cold just recently but that was 70minutes into the dive and I wasn't moving around much.

Have fun doing your deep dives, they are lots of fun. When I did mine the instructor brought a raw egg to demonstrate the effects of pressure. It was pretty cool and I got it on video.

 

[Jeffrey F. Worthington]

I'm in eugene, so not familiar with Portland shops.

 

[Adam Wright]

I need to rent one to figure out what thickness I need. We did two night dives and down to 78’ in just swim trunks and a T-shirt and never got cold.

 

[BikerBecca]

I need to rent one to figure out what thickness I need. We did two night dives and down to 78’ in just swim trunks and a T-shirt and never got cold.

Yeah, you'll die from hypothermia if you try that in the Pacific Ocean off Oregon. My semi-dry is 7/8mm. If your local dive shop rents semi-dry suits I would totally try it.

Have fun!

 

[Adam Wright]

I wouldn’t try it in the pacific but I don’t want to buy a 7/8 mm and overheat and not be able to use it. I have a naturally well regulated body temperature.

 

[TMHeimer]

Welcome. I too bought almost all my stuff used when taking OW and most of it lasted a long time, a couple of things still in use after 14 years. I use a 7 mil farmer john wetsuit. Our summer water temps. here usually hit around 65, winter 40F or lower, so winter dives are limited to once daily. I know your temps. are in a much narrower range. Obviously a drysuit is best--I never got one because we usually snowbird to Florida. Not this year, yikes.