warm wetsuits

[diveprn]

Hi all you cold water divers that don't use dry suits.
I am looking at a couple of semi-dry & other wetsuits for cold water. I do photography most of the time so I don't want to be bothered with a dry suit.
I would like you input on which one's you use.
I want a warm. flexible suit. I am looking at Hyperstretch Henderson 7/5 & Pinnacle Aquatic Polar 7. I am 5' 1' 130 & hope to be 115 by summer.
All your help apprieciated.
Thanks, Valerie

 

[ChillyWaters]

Hi all you cold water divers that don't use dry suits.
I am looking at a couple of semi-dry & other wetsuits for cold water. I do photography most of the time so I don't want to be bothered with a dry suit.
I would like you input on which one's you use.

First off, how cold is cold? And two, how cold do you normally get underwater?


Me, I bought a cheap second-hand Bare wetsuit and am fine underwater. My girlfriend has a newish White's one, but gets cold at times (especially during the winter). Some people can handle the cold, others can't, and I bet the fit has more to do with anything than the brand.

- ChillyWaters

 

[MissyP]

Hi all you cold water divers that don't use dry suits.
I am looking at a couple of semi-dry & other wetsuits for cold water.
All your help apprieciated.
Thanks, Valerie

Hi Valerie, I dive with Body Glove's Excursion (7mm) & I've been pretty happy with it, even when I hit a thermocline. I'm really cold natured, but have been comfortable temperature-wise with the Body Glove.

 

[triton94949]

A warm wetsuit is a 3mm in 85^F waters. Any other wetsuit is a cold wetsuit.

 

[Ayisha]

Like someone else said, the fit is really important in keeping you warm.
Whatever you do, don't get the wetsuit until your weight is stable and where you want to keep it. A 15 lb difference in a wetsuit, especially for a petite woman, can mean the difference between warm and frozen! When your suit gets looser, there will be too much cold water transfer and your body will not be able to retain its warmth.
If your suit fits you snugly everywhere, it will keep you warm.

Also, a 2-piece 7 mm will keep you warmer than a one-piece since it's 14 mms on your torso.

 

[raya]

I said recently in another thread, about the MARES Antartica..its a 7mm wetsuit, I was using that in march here in the med, it was 9 degrees, that kept me warm enough for about 40 mins, on the days I was doing multiple dives, in the afternoon i wore a shorty on top, and I was snug as a bug!

 

[SubMariner]

Hi all you cold water divers that don't use dry suits.
I am looking at a couple of semi-dry & other wetsuits for cold water. I do photography most of the time so I don't want to be bothered with a dry suit.

Both my husband & I do u/w photography & we BOTH have drysuits. Why do you think the two are incompatible?

Pax,

 

[holdingmybreath]

I'd check into the professional freediving suits, custom fit.. you can drop a couple of mil thicknesses campared to most scuba wetsuits, get one that's closed cell/smooth outside and as soon as you're topside it's dry... and you're warm.

 

[diveprn]

Both my husband & I do u/w photography & we BOTH have drysuits. Why do you think the two are incompatible?

Pax,

Hi,
I am going by what I have been told that it takes away from working with your camera because you have to work on the inflation devices on the drysuit?? In essence it is a lot easier to do photography in a wetsuit?? Not imcompatable, but more difficult. Also cost is a factor.I welcome comments on both.
I am about to take a drysuit course on my son's insistance and perhaps I'll find out.
Meantime again because of cost, I will look for a semidry. I dive 40-60 degrees.
Valerie

 

[Boogie711]

Hi,
I am going by what I have been told that it takes away from working with your camera because you have to work on the inflation devices on the drysuit?? In essence it is a lot easier to do photography in a wetsuit?? Not imcompatable, but more difficult. Also cost is a factor.I welcome comments on both.
I am about to take a drysuit course on my son's insistance and perhaps I'll find out.
Meantime again because of cost, I will look for a semidry. I dive 40-60 degrees.
Valerie

Valerie - be warned, this is going to come off as harsher than I intend for it to sound, but...

...with tons of respect, if you're so focused on your camera work that you can't perform basic dive skills like attending to bouyancy and exposure gear, you should put away the camera until you're more comfortable in the water.

Don't let your gear substitute for skill.

I know some world class underwater photographers who will swear up and down that it's good diving skills which lead to good pictures. There really is no substitute.