What to wear, what to wear...

[RiverRat]

Not necessarily true. I dive dry and i wear a 3mm stretch glove. i hate a 5mm glove. too hard to deal with my gear. my hands get a little chilly at the end of a 40 min dive, but i only mean a little chilly.

Me too, can't deal with the thick fingers. I divemastered last weekend in Dutch Springs with my reef gloves. I have no problems but I'm not deep for more than 10-20 minutes at 50 degrees. I can feel the cold a bit but it's not that big of a deal. Heck, even Cave divers cut the fingers off their gloves so they can maintain dexterity. I would not want to deal with a regulator problem or tank valve emergency in a thick glove. Now if I was diving a deep, cold wreck for an extended amount of time I would have to re-think the reef gloves. If someone could invent a glove with a thicker hand area and thinner fingers I would buy it. Hummmm maybe I'll cut up my 5mm Scubapros and experiment. Unless someone wants to buy them

 

[AquaHump]

I would not want to deal with a regulator problem or tank valve emergency in a thick glove.

The same goes for diveing in a 7 mill wet suit. There ars some points on my old wet suit that I was 21 mil thick. trying to reach my valves was a joke. I love diving dry

 

[RiverRat]

The same goes for diveing in a 7 mill wet suit. There are some points on my old wet suit that was 21 mil thick. trying to reach my valves was a joke. I love diving dry

Hell yeah, my 7mm has been in the closet for 2 years now. I just hated feeling like a marshmellow in that damn thing. I hated the suit compression issue too. Gone with my Bare trilam.

 

[SteveFass]

Having been on my first northeast boat dive yesterday, I have learned the answer to my original question.

The reason why everyone has a different opinion about what to wear for a summer boat dive here in the northeast is because....everyone wears something different! On a boat of ten, I saw all different types of dry suits with different under clothes, a 7mil one-piece, farmer johns, hooded vests, new stuff, lots of old stuff, some real old stuff, and frankly some pretty bizzare stuff.

It's a matter of what's in your closet and how long you plan on being in the water (whether you are diving doubles or singles, one dive or two). Which means, dumb thread, dumb question. Me personally? I'm going to find an inexpensive 7 mil one piece and hope for the best.

Happy diving,
Steve

 

[AquaHump]

Having been on my first northeast boat dive yesterday, I have learned the answer to my original question.

The reason why everyone has a different opinion about what to wear for a summer boat dive here in the northeast is because....everyone wears something different! On a boat of ten, I saw all different types of dry suits with different under clothes, a 7mil one-piece, farmer johns, hooded vests, new stuff, lots of old stuff, some real old stuff, and frankly some pretty bizzare stuff.

It's a matter of what's in your closet and how long you plan on being in the water (whether you are diving doubles or singles, one dive or two). Which means, dumb thread, dumb question. Me personally? I'm going to find an inexpensive 7 mil one piece and hope for the best.

Happy diving,
Steve

Steve,

Really it is not dumb, but it is confusing. Depending on what you are going to grow into as you dive. I wish I had not wasted the money on my wet suit and had just used the money for my Dive Rite 905. On the other hand the wet suit did come in handy for warm water becouse I could just wear the top.

 

[SteveFass]

Hey Rat - I"m sure I saw gloves on the L-P site that did what you said - thicker gloves with much thinner fingers. Real expensive though - well over $50 - sorry I don't recall the brand

 

[Homunculus]

i'm also looking for a wetsuit to dive around Boston. I believe it's considered cold water area. 7 mm full suit + 6/4 or 5/3 hooded vest is fine as well as 7 mm jacket + 7 mm long johns (gives you 14 mm core). Temperature sensitivity is very subjective factor that should be taken into account. I am fine in 50 F in wetsuit but I know some people who will dive only in drysuits if it's north or south of equator (i'm exaggerating a bit but i hope you get the point). Henderson hyperstretch gets a very good reputation especially for the ease of getting in and out of it.