wetsuit separates . maybe the Bare Exowear jacket?

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Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
# of dives
None - Not Certified
Thank you in advance. I am looking for opinions on choosing my first wetsuit top for snorkelling.:snorkels: The waters off of Nova Scotia Canada :canada: are not warm and we are very lucky to get a few days at 20c I am looking at becoming a diver but today all I am after is something to make my beach day more fun :callme:.
I thought a jacket could help me stay in the water just few minutes longer. I was hoping I could just bring it along, dump it in the sand beside my towel, yank it on and off as needed but keep it simple.
I understand its gonna be a squeeze to get it on and off and I understand it will flush. My concern is as i walk into the water this jacket is gonna to try to pop off over my head. are separate tops just responding to market demand and not very useful, or for adding layers to full suits; or a simple solution to a simple problem.
stay safe
BARE-Exowear-Mens-Jacket.png

Ken
 
At times I have dived with a similar top only as the water temp. made that desirable-- and less to rinse off afterwords. But that was on the Florida panhandle in winter with maybe 17-18C water temps.--like our mid summer here.
I've done that here a couple of times, even used my "shorty" a time or two when the water was unusually warm in Aug./Sept.
The problem with doing that here for diving (as I once found out at Birchy Head) is the thermocline when diving deep. It can occur maybe at around 25 feet and temps. can go from 16C to like 7C in a heartbeat. Result is legs like ice cubes.
For swimming/snorkeling, a full length body suit is probably best-- like what the surfers wear around here.
Since you plan on doing scuba at some point, your best bet for a wetsuit is a 7 mil farmer john, which is what I use. You can squeeze out a 20 minute dive even in January here, if you have a warm spot arranged before and after the dive. Otherwise, your "2 dive in a day" season may go from May through Oct.
Needless to say, many in NS and for quite a ways South of here opt for the dry suit-- they are costly.
 
Tropics diver here.. I use this jacket as my only source of protection on night dives (I dive shirtless or in a rashguard during day). Water temps are 28c at night on avg.. This "jacket" does hold a lot of water in the sleeves due to the way the cuffs are almost water tight against your skin. However if you pair it with a wetsuit/ longsleeve top, it should help keep you a bit warmer.. without being in a dry suit level protection.

Far as it "coming up over your head".. It won't. I develop a bit of an air bubble along the back of my neck, If I start my dive with it zipped all the way up and do a giant stride entry. However, just unzipping an inch and pulling the collar away releases it. I combat this by just starting with it halfway unzipped before I do a giant stride. Once in the water, can just zip it up, and it is fine. Rolling in from a RHIB doesn't have this issue.
 
Try a full front-zip long sleeve shorty. The most warmth you can get in a super-easy on/off suit. You can get them in 3, 5 or 7mm because they are used to layer over farmer john's for cold water diving.

NSP5WJCSM.jpg


Scuba Diving Wetsuits - Buy at LeisurePro

This is a Farmer John. It goes under the shorty. You can get one later to pair with your top.

NSP3WJMD.jpg
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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