rent/own conundrum for wetsuit(s)

[Harshal]

I would not rent out the wet suit, if you are really interested in diving,I think thats the minimal investment you need to make. Like any other sports you have to buy some equipment and also like some one mentioned both are extreme condition and one wet suit would not work. You would need a dry and wet suit.

 

[Rainer]

You need two suits. It's that simple. If you want to wear something that someone else pissed in, go for it. Otherwise, you're looking at two suits. Great Lakes are cold. That's either 7mm or dry suit. I personally wear a 3mm in tropical waters. I hate being cold. I also tend to spend a lot of time in the water, which also means usually a slightly thicker suit. Good luck.

 

[RonFrank]

Suit cost is directly in proportion to the amount of exposure protection it provides.

A 3mm wetsuit is cheap. A 3mm shorty, even less expensive. At $10 a day for renting a suit, you can pay for one very quickly. You get the comfort of a suit that fits, and one that you can take care of so it does not stink!

THIS is the wetsuit I have, and at $120, it's superstreach, comfortable, and hard to beat the price.

Drysuits are expensive. You can spend $3000 on a high end drysuit. Most don't as there are good trilams available for under $1500. That still is a lot of $$$. If you decide to dive dry, you may need a whole flock of threads to research that decision!

You can do the Lakes in a 7mm as some have commented. However diving wet is not as much about time in the water as time out of the water. I did not often get cold diving a 7mm wet while diving, but I froze during SI's. Standing around in a wet 7mm suit in 35F degree weather is not fun. Once you get cold, then when you get in again, you get really cold.

You can remove the suit between dives, but after you climb into and out of a 7mm than you may begin to understand why a lot of folks just leave them on.

 

[paradicio]

You can remove the suit between dives, but after you climb into and out of a 7mm than you may begin to understand why a lot of folks just leave them on.

HAH! So true...

I use a Henderson Hyperstretch 7/5 here in the CA waters (the coldest I've seen it get is 54F - I'm sure it gets colder, that's just the coldest I've seen it) and it's fine. But in reference to what the previous poster said, it's the SI you need to worry about. Here in CA I can get by with a boat coat over my wetsuit and be ok. In the great lakes areas I'd go dry suit for sure.

 

[saltydawg]

I believe in the layering effect, I like the farmer johns/shorty combos that I can layer up if needed and peel down if so.....

 

[spectrum]

As a practical matter buy both. The cost of a decent 3mm suit for your tropical diving is small money. The bigger $$ will come into play on the 7mm cold water set.

I have seen cases where tropical locations rented only shorty's which may or may not be enough to keep you comfortable. Contrasted against the cost of diving and dive travel skipping a few appetizers and deserts on the trip will pay for a warm water suit.

Pete

 

[ekewaka]

I have this suit:
http://www.divers-supply.com/EDGE-SPORT-FJ-6MM-WETSUIT-MEN-p/atl10285.htm

And this one:
http://www.divers-supply.com/EDGE-BACKZIP-FULL-3-2MM-MNS-p/atl561.htm

You can buy both for the price of a 3mm henderson.

 

[Scott T]

I went the used route. I wanted to get as much "personal" equipment as I could for the price. I just happened to walk into a local Big Box Retailer where I was taking my certs and they had about 30 7mil rentals for $20 each. I bought one and should have bought more. Good news is like listed, it's mine and it's clean every time I use it.

Flash forward to about a month ago, I'm in my LDS talking to the owner about my upcoming Cancun trip. He mentions he might be able to help me with a 3/2 full. It's almost new, with only a torn knee pad wrong with it. $25.

I was lucky, but with Craig's list, eBay and the like, considering the different places you will be going, I would think used would be a great way to start.

Scott T

 

[suddha]

Wow, thank you all for the replies. I think some smart shopping for both is the way to go. I'll be doing some Great Lakes dives this summer and then Sri Lanka in December, so I have time to look around.

One question -- what does it mean when you call a suit a "3/2mm"? Does it have different thicknesses at different parts of the suit?

Thanks again.

 

[Rainer]

One question -- what does it mean when you call a suit a "3/2mm"? Does it have different thicknesses at different parts of the suit?

Yup, usually with the core areas having more insulation.