Suit for SoCal diving?

[blue steal]

If you are diving OML aka Terrenea, and doing a shore dive then you will probably be doing entries out at Long Point.
Launching off the rocks can do quite a bit of damage to a dry suit. I had a kevlar butt pad installed on my wetsuit to reduce the scrapes/tears that can happen.
I have been using a 7mm wetsuit with a 5mm hooded vest at OML year round. for a single tank dive it has been fine.

 

[Hatul]

Most of the people who shore dive here use wetsuits. A 7 mm wetsuit with rear vertical zipper and hooded vest work fine. For boat diving the drysuit works better. It also depends on the depth and most shore diving requires some walking to the beach and is shallow. A wetsuit requires less weight and is more streamlined for swimming. I have both and prefer the wetsuit for shore diving most of the year.

 

[cmrangel]

I agree with the wetsuit. Many people do use dry suits but most seem to be in a 7mm wetsuit with hood and boots. That is the setup I use and I rarely get cold during most of the year. When winter comes (mostly late Jan, Feb, Mar) and the water temps at depth reach below 53 degrees or so, it can be uncomfortable but my schedule is such that I don't dive much during that time of the year anyway. I do know some friends that get cold easily and want to be in a dry suit if it drops below 60. If that is you, I would recommend a dry suit. So, kinda depends on your cold tolerance.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Most of my dives are around Palos Verdes where it is in the low 50s most of the year. I had dives in June that were in the high 40s. I made over 800 dives in wetsuits before I couldn't take it any longer. The majority of my dives are over an hour long and I don't move much during those dives. My hands get numb if I'm not diving dry.

 

[undrwater]

Do you already have a wetsuit, or have you been renting?

Come out to Veterans Park on a Wednesday night. Large group of divers congregate. Come look and ask questions. As you can see, opinions vary based on many factors.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

God, I would love to dive in water as warm as you guys have it in Socal.
Come up to Norcal and I'll show you some cold water!
And most people up here wear wetsuits.
Your body will get used to whatever you put it through.

 

[undrwater]

God, I would love to dive in water as warm as you guys have it in Socal.
Come up to Norcal and I'll show you some cold water!
And most people up here wear wetsuits.
Your body will get used to whatever you put it through.

Yeah, we're wimps...except me. Cause I dive a Freedom Plate!

 

[sigxbill]

If you are only going to shore dive, and are on a budget, then a wetsuit can be ok - because you don't go very deep. If you have any aspirations of venturing much deeper than 40' or 50', then a drysuit is the only way to fly!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

God, I would love to dive in water as warm as you guys have it in Socal.
Come up to Norcal and I'll show you some cold water!
And most people up here wear wetsuits.
Your body will get used to whatever you put it through.

Says the guy with the custom 12mm wetsuit.

 

[matt shanks]

I wear the same bunny suit under my drysuit year round. I make an annual trip to God's Pocket where the water temps are always 46-51°. Most of my dives at home are the same during the winter and in the mid to upper 50s in summer.
I've used different drysuits from a thick rubber Poseidon suit, DUI trilam, USIA, Diving Concepts cordura and currently a Waterproof D7. There are a couple of tricks to reach your valves. You can use your other hand to lift the tank from the bottom. Also, when you reach as far as you can, use the other hand to push your elbow. You can get another 6-8" that way.

You’ve used a lot of different suits. Which one do you prefer and why?