What do you wear diving Monterey Bay?

[Chuck Tribolet]

If you think you need thicker gloves, you need more suit. My old
scoutmaster Bill Wood used to say "if your feet are cold, put on a hat". To
keep your hands warm, keep your head and trunk warm.

Standalone hoods suck -- they get water down the back of your neck.
Either get a jacket with attached hood, or a hooded vest UNDER your
jacket.

Most regular Monterey divers dive dry.


Chuck

 

[bbianchi]

Most regular Monterey divers dive dry.

I would have to agree with chuck on this one. I started out with my Hendersons Hyperstretch 7mm with 7mm hooded vest, 7mm booties, and 5/3mm gloves. For my first few months that setup was no problem. However, then my dives started getting longer, then they started getting deeper, and finally long deep dives weren't uncommon. I found that aside from my boat jacket on some days I would still be cold and take a while to defrost for the second dive. No joke, one day my buddy and I after a deep lobos dive went and sun'd on the rocks by the boat ramp. We looked just like harbor seals! The second dive wasn't nearly as deep and was fairly short because we just got cold fast because we never really warmed up.

Since I have been a regular diver for the majority of this year finally enough was enough and I went dry. Couldn't be happier or warmer. That's my story

 

[mikeguerrero]

I will agree with Brandon about how cold the 2nd and 3rd dive can get in Monterey. I never get cold on the first dive since I'm completely dry, energized and in great spirits about diving. Then comes the second dive with only 1 hour surface interval and you feel cold after 20 minutes, depth even kills it sooner.

If you dive on the 3rd dive you are cold as soon as you hit the water and as you descend that cold feeling becomes more evident as you drop in depth.

I dive many layers 7mm full suit, 7mm hooded vest, 3mm heated torso and yes I get cold; we are also talking about a wetsuit that has Merino wool all throughout the suit.

The 3rd dive is always the dive that haunts me... First and Second dive are fun and exciting...

MG

 

[zen_man]

The 3rd dive is always the dive that haunts me... First and Second dive are fun and exciting...

MG

This is so true for me too. Plus in the winter, getting out of the water can suck and chill me worse than the water itself.

 

[JT851]

Get the 12mm hood from Otter Bay Wetsuits.... I love mine.... There is nothing better then a drysuit... I will never ever dive MB again in a wetsuit....Im getting old...

 

[bbianchi]

You and I still gotta take these dry suit's out one of these days.

 

[coreypenrose]

Get the 12mm hood from Otter Bay Wetsuits.... I love mine.... There is nothing better then a drysuit... I will never ever dive MB again in a wetsuit....Im getting old...

Yeah, what he said.

 

[saf1]

I still use a wetsuit - Aqualung's 7mm with the 3 or 4 mil chest/hood combo. Gloves and boots are 6mm. I find it keeps me warm just as well as did the farmer John's I've used before which provide a bit more warmth around the chest. A bit more flexible too...

I think think if it has not already been said but the question you have to ask is how often will she be diving. Frequency of dives would be my choice for wet vs dry. As a casual diver in the area a wetsuit makes sense since I'm mostly diving off the shores are making only 2 dives. The occasional boat dive say off the Cypress Sea I've not had any issues so far. However, the second or 3rd dives are typically the coldest for me.

Only other thing I could probably say is you get what you pay for - or at least that is my opinion. I used rentals for a while and I must say once I picked up a good wetsuit that fit me it made a world of difference. I'm guessing when I buy a drysuit it will pretty much take it up to that next level both in comfort and fit.

YMMV of course.

 

[mikeguerrero]

I dove Monterey yesterday the first dive was for 62 minutes at about an average of 32 feet and temps averaged 54 degrees. I didn't get cold one bit and it was a fun dive.

Then came the second dive which was 54 minutes a little deeper and the same temp. I really started to get cold during the middle of the dive and literally my arms shivered about three times. My hands were cold and it wasn't until we headed back in that I started to warm up.

I believe it's the longer you stay down and the fact that your core body has lost heat from the first dive and is trying to make up for it that you begin to feel the cold.

Our SI was about 1 hour 30 minutes and it was very sunny and nice but it wasn't like the first time dive that you have all that energy.

I'm wondering what it will be like when I start using my drysuit which is just in the closet waiting to be worn; I'm signed up for classes but won't dive until Dec.

MG

 

[Shunorlax]

If money is not much of an issue, I recommend Heat wave custom suits located here in Santa Cruz right by campus. They make custom fit 10mm farmer johns with 20mm core and attached hood. Cost roughly around 700 but all of my friends own one and they have no problem getting cold and definitely worth it. I want one myself eventually. I also attend UCSC and I use a 7mm Oneill J-type for all my monterey dives. Awesome!