O'Neill Sector 7mm Wetsuit in the pool?

[Diver Dad]

My son and I are in the 3'd week of are dive course. In the last few class's we were a little on the cold side, I was wearing a shorty 3mm, and Dylan had on a two piece, he was extremely cold in the pool! his wetsuit dint fit, (nothing in rental fits him:shakehead ) but his new suit should be in soon I realy wanted to avoid buying him one hes only 10 years old, Im sure buy next year it wont fit him at all! oh well It needs to be dun I guess. Hes not getting enough time in the pool because hes too cold, so now hes fallen behind a bit, he going to have to take a make-up class or two just to get caught-up. I think a one piece 4mm would be good for him, I hope?

Anyway Dylans wetsuit didn't come in yet, but mine did (Sector 7mm) Id realy like to try it out next class in the pool, but after trying it on at the LDS, and again at home lol! I couldn't believe how HOT I got! do you think a 7mm is to much for a pool dive? Its an olympic size pool at "Brock University" 14 feet deep at the deep end, the air at top side is vary warm but the water is on the cold side. we were both hot and sweaty when we were putting are gear together, I can only imagine what it going to be like with a 7mm. I would realy like to see what its like to dive with my new-suit before i do my O/W dive.

 

[mjatkins]

There is no reason that the 7 mil should be too warm in the pool. While setting up your gear, if you have the suit on, make sure you keep it folded down to the waist to avoid overheating. Also, the difference in bouyancy between the 3 mil shorty and a 7 mil full suit will be fairly dramatic. Let your instructor know about the change you've made so that he can help you weight yourself appropriately.

Matthew

 

[spectrum]

Get used to the hot topside part. It will be the same deal in the sun on a beautiful summer day. If you have a cup or something that lets you pour some pool water into your suit that will dissipate some heat and buy some time while you gear up. I keep 1/2 liter water bottles with my dive dear and pour a few down before getting into my BC. In our classes we floated our rigs and donned in the water. We could get into our rubber, jump in and slip into our rigs.

Be sure to really soak and rinse that new suit when you get home so it does not marinade in chlorine.

Once in the water I think you will find 7mm annoyingly (or decadently) warm but not dangerously hot. The good news is that you will be experiencing real world fresh water weighting.

As for your son. He needs to be in rubber that fits, period, whatever it takes. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Pete

 

[Diver Dad]

There is no reason that the 7 mil should be too warm in the pool. While setting up your gear, if you have the suit on, make sure you keep it folded down to the waist to avoid overheating. Also, the difference in bouyancy between the 3 mil shorty and a 7 mil full suit will be fairly dramatic. Let your instructor know about the change you've made so that he can help you weight yourself appropriately.

Matthew

Thanks for the reply! The LDS sold me a weight belt with 28lb of weights on it, seems like a lot of weight

 

[Diver Dad]

Get used to the hot topside part. It will be the same deal in the sun on a beautiful summer day. If you have a cup or something that lets you pour some pool water into your suit that will dissipate some heat and buy some time while you gear up. I keep 1/2 liter water bottles with my dive dear and pour a few down before getting into my BC. In our classes we floated our rigs and donned in the water. We could get into our rubber, jump in and slip into our rigs.

Be sure to really soak and rinse that new suit when you get home so it does not marinade in chlorine.

Once in the water I think you will find 7mm annoyingly (or decadently) warm but not dangerously hot. The good news is that you will be experiencing real world fresh water weighting.

As for your son. He needs to be in rubber that fits, period, whatever it takes. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Pete

"water bottles" good tip thanks

 

[spectrum]

Thanks for the reply! The LDS sold me a weight belt with 28lb of weights on it, seems like a lot of weight

If the suit is 2X on the core, with an AL80 and you are a significant XL or larger that may be typical but the proof is in the water. He may have guessed a little aggressively to make sure you would get down. Some of that will eventually go away, some perhaps immediately. Part of it may relocate to your BC for trim purposes. Your new suit is also ultra buoyant (and warm) chuck full of buoyant gas bubbles in the neoprene, some of this will diminish with use..

Insist that your instructor do a popper in the water weight check at the start and end of the session. The defining (for now) check will be at the end of the dive but you can estimate for tank depletion up front.

 

[Diver Dad]

Be sure to really soak and rinse that new suit when you get home so it does not marinade in chlorine.



Pete

You know if my wife finds me playing in the bathtub with my new suite on, she'll be on the phone calling 911!!
Not to sure why she dosent think I look like a Ninja when I'm wearing it

 

[mjatkins]

Thanks for the reply! The LDS sold me a weight belt with 28lb of weights on it, seems like a lot of weight

That is a lot of weight, but not necessarily inappropriate depending on your size. You mentioned that you are in week 3 of your course, so (assuming it's a PADI course, and you have not fallen behind) last week you should have practiced the weight check. (Holding a normal breath, release the air from your BC. With that held breath and an empty BC you should float at eye level, then when you breathe out you will slowly sink.) If you ask your instructor to help you get a good "ballpark" weight and then do this skill next to the pool edge where you can leave some extra weights in case you need them, you should have a good beginning weight. You may also need to add a bit extra weight to accommodate the tank becoming lighter as it gets emptied.

Keep in mind that as you become more comfortable in the water you should start to require less weight. What you need in your first ever 10 minutes in a 7mil suit and what you need after 2 hours in it may not be the same (thus I said you may need a bit extra weight). And what you need on your 5th dive and vs. your 50th dive will probably be quite different.



Matthew

 

[mjatkins]

You know if my wife finds me playing in the bathtub with my new suite on, she'll be on the phone calling 911!!
Not to sure why she dosent think I look like a Ninja when I'm wearing it

My wife routinely sits on the couch and watches TV in her suit every time she gets a new one.

 

[JMcD]

Thanks for the reply! The LDS sold me a weight belt with 28lb of weights on it, seems like a lot of weight

Weight is a very individual thing... and lots of things play into it. Different people, body builds, gear etc. I'm about 145Lbs, 5'6" (ish) fairly fit, but not "ripped" , single aluminum 80 tank with BC. It takes 20Lbs for me with my 7mil wetsuit with 7mil hooded vest (Bare Artic). So... depending on your variables, it may be pretty close. As has been said working it through may take a bit of time, but you will "dial it in" farily early.

Also - be prepared to feel your Buoyancy "swing" more in the water with this type of suit - as you go down through the shallow depths the suit compresses more than your light diverwear as you descend, so you may find you have to add more air than before once you initially get under water, and let more out as you ascend to avoid shooting out of the pool like a cork - you'll get used to it.

If it is warm in the pool, don't worry, you will appreciate the suit in our cold water! (I'm in Guelph)