warm wetsuits

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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??

That is most definately not true. You put some air in with a quick button press when you feel a bit of squeeze. Its no different to putting some air in a BC on descent. Once squeeze is off and you're comfortable it requires no more maintenance at all unless you change depth by 20-30ft or so.

Taking photos you arent likely to move much and as a result will get even colder than a normal diver which if anything makes a drysuit even more essential in cold water.

 

[diveprn]

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.

You seem to miss the point of my wanting to be warm as did Boogie. I am mearly repeating what several photographers told me about drysuits. All I want to do is stay warm. I dive mostly warm water & want to dive in colder water and do some photography. Steven Frink for one, mentioned the difficulty with doing photography in a drysuit. I have excellent bouyancy control thank you.
Valerie

 

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A dry suit is NOT a complicated piece of kit. Anyone saying a drysuit makes photography difficult is either a liar or cant actually dive properly. You do 2 things with a dry suit, add air, remove air. You dont do this very often and not at all when stabilised in depth. Its no different to a BC. In fact its simpler than a BC.

Once squeeze is off, forget you have the suit. We're talking about a simple piece of kit here with a very simple method of operation.

 

[dlndavid]

If you go for what is said in Scuba Diving Magazine, they give Akona's 7 mil suit a bang for the buck.

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=CatDisplay&CategoryID=982&Context=980

I'm thinking about getting one for diving Monterey.

 

[dbg40]

Dry suiters will beat you to death over this, but I dive in the north which equals cold water. I have owned and used dry, but much prefer wet suits. Personal pref. cold dosn't really bother me much. I like the experience of being in a water environment instead of being isolated from it. That said, if you go wet you'll need to try on suits,nothing else will work. You must find one that fits YOU. But hyper stretch suits made me a lot happier to be a wet diver, so I will recommend that in one form or another. I use a scubapro 7MM suit because it fit me better in the chest than others I tried. Its a personal preferance, a friend I dive with uses dry even when temps are in the + 50 range? I don't really get it but...Who do you believe? Im as bad as dry suiters when it comes to arguing in favor of wet. as long as it fits, I don't think you can go wrong with a good quality 7MM wet suit. and as far as bouyancy control?? wet/ dry/ or naked, its a basic skill im sure you know well enough, dive what YOU like. Me? love being wet!

 

[Bowtie22]

I recently purchased a new Mare Isotherm semi-dry suit. I must say I was skeptical at first after hearing a Mares rep. tell me that his t-shirt stayed dry after his dives with the Isotherm. I tried it out for the first time over the weekend in a quarry. At 52 feet down I had temperatures at 45 degrees F and I was comfortable for my entire dive 38mins. When I got out of the water and got unzipped my t-shirt was still dry and my shorts were still dry.

The Isotherm worked for me, give it a try.

 

[Boogie711]

I recently purchased a new Mare Isotherm semi-dry suit. I must say I was skeptical at first after hearing a Mares rep. tell me that his t-shirt stayed dry after his dives with the Isotherm. I tried it out for the first time over the weekend in a quarry. At 52 feet down I had temperatures at 45 degrees F and I was comfortable for my entire dive 38mins. When I got out of the water and got unzipped my t-shirt was still dry and my shorts were still dry.

The Isotherm worked for me, give it a try.

I would be pleased to show off old pictures of me in my Mares Isotherm. It's a great suit. But it's still a wetsuit... and in cold water, it's really not an option. ESPECIALLY for a repetitive dive. You WILL get wet, especially after the suit 'wears in.'

Once I went dry, I eventually sold my Isotherm.

 

[stoiclown]

I dive in Monterey & Bodega Bay were the water lately has been in the 50's. I purchased an Oneill J-Type from my LDS, & have been very happry w/ it. It is a 1- peice suit w/ the chest is a total of 10mils, the arms & legs 5 or 6mils, w/ some special flex material built into the shoulders. Also the hood is attached to the chest, its nice because you never forget it, & when you want to take it off you just roll it forward or back.

 

[phillybob]

the bare arctic supra one piece is a very good cold water semi dry.i've been in 38 degree water off new jersey and stayed relatively warm.(i don't do that too often)this suit can be had at l.p. and other places for a song. check it out.