cold water wet suits

[mrbubbles 0]

I live in Los angeles. Because of the cold water i haven't dived here since the last el nino. I'm planning to do the channel islands this summer on an optiquatics trip. I don't want to go through a dry suit learning curve. I just want to have fun. Any suggestions on the warmest cold water neoprene suits, and where the best place to get them here would be appreciated.

[fdog 3]

Drive to Torrence and get a custom semi-dry from JMJ Wetsuits. Great fit, workmanship, and you deal direct with the people that make the suit.

 

Although I have and use a 7mm semi-dry, my "floor" is about 65 degrees. Trust me, a dry suit is worth every penny and it's not that tough to learn.

 

All the best, James

[jarhed 0]

I lived in San Diego for several years and dove Catalina and Anacapa often. I was quite confortable in an Excel 6.5 mm semi-dry. However I now live in Monterey and am very happy in a dry suit. It's really quite easy and the surface interval is much nicer in fleece underwear! although a new quality cold water wet suit cost only half as much as a good used dry suit on e-bay, if cost isn't the major factor, diving dry is well worth the effort. Otherwise, I would highly reccomed the excel 6.5 - 7mm.

[davephdv 0]

Well I second the dry suit idea. I recently went back to a regular neoprene back zip dry suit and it is the best suit I've ever had.

 

I do dive a wetsuit on beach and kayak dives weekly. I use the 9 mm Xcel. If I was to get a new suit I would get the Pinnacle 7 mm Polar. Their dry zipper on their semi dry I don't like.

[IMSushi 0]

Bubbles,

I dive all over S. Cali. (beaches, Catalina, Anacapa, S. Cruz, Yukon, Ruby E., etc.) in a Scubapro Everflex 7mm, 5mm hood, gloves, & boots. Talk about a challenge working the buttons on a camera! Now, don't get me wrong, every time I get into water less than 55 degF, I wish I had a dry suit. Every time the wind is blowing during the surface interval, I wish I had a dry suit. In fact it will be my next major diving related purchase. Yes, even before a new camera. I think, if you were to buy a new 7mm wet suit made with "hyperflex" or superstretch or whatever with some secret layer of invisible metal like Mg, Ti, etc. from any of the major manufacturers, you'll be happy. Some of my favorites would be Scubapro, Henderson, Pinacle, Oceanic, O'Neil.

[davephdv 0]

IMsushi; I tried to reply to a PM from you several times. Your spam filter kept kicking the message back.

[IMSushi 0]

Dave, I'll turn it off for a couple of days so you can try. Usually, I get the messages in the Spam Filter and then allow the good messages through. Then there is usually no problem. Give it a try now. OK.

[curtisleo 0]

I was tired of getting cold and wet, so I got a Apollo crush neoprene drysuit. It's a rear zip. It has auto dump valves in both legs and chest. It's one of the cheaper drysuit. I think I paid around $450 for it a few years back. Some wetsuits cost more than that!

 

Monterey is my local dive spot with the water being around 50F. I just use some cheap REI fleece jackets and sweat pants for insulation when needed. I've taken it around the world in waters as warm as 80F. Yes I'm a sissy but I hate that cold water chill feeling. I get cold easily.

 

 

Curtis

[segal3 0]

I've taken it around the world in waters as warm as 80F. Yes I'm a sissy but I hate that cold water chill feeling. I get cold easily.

 

Hey Curtis -

 

I'm right there with you...I've been considering taking my Bare drysuit to Maui (and other semi-tropical locations) with me the next time I'm out there, and diving in shorts and a t-shirt...sure beats the full 7mm (w/ hood)+7mm vest outfit I deal with now when diving there...probably gets a lot of laughs, no?

 

~Matt Segal

[mrbubbles 0]

Thanks for the great info. whats the learning curve for drysuits, and where do you get them in la?

[RogerC 4]

The Peace Dive Shop in ventura has a lot of DUI suits, and they are having a sale this weekend for their anniversary. Trip tip sandwiches and half price nitrox fills, too.

 

http://www.peacescubacenter.com/

 

Definitely get a drysuit. The only local long-term divers that dive wet by choice are hunters, they like the streamlining of a wetsuit (and they swim a lot to stay warm) but even the serious hunters go with stuff thicker than 7mm that you can only get from good shops, and custom fits. I think JMJ has it, I know Aquaflite used to and probably still does. Plus, these serious hunters make the investment in new suits every year or two. So they are spending as much or more than you would on a drysuit.

 

Learning curve depends on your number of dives. For me, many hundreds of dives when I got mine, there was none.

[curtisleo 0]

When I went to Puerto Galera, Philippines, they all laughed at me! All the deckhands said they never seen a drysuit there before. Since we were all doing multi dives, it got cold. Well by the 3rd dive, I was the only one that was warm still.

 

Diving in a drysuit is pretty easy. Someone told me to remember, just add enough air in the drysuit so it doesn't hurt. that's basically it. Oh and to let air out as you ascend if you don't have auto dump valves.

 

 

Curtis

[mrbubbles 0]

sounds like dry suit is the way to go. I may try to get to ventura this weekend. how about recomendations on brand, features, etc

[jarhed 0]

I decided on a DUI CF200. I couldn't afford it new, and I found a used one advertised on craigslist for around $800. They are very expensive new, but are very high quality. They are very durable and will last forever if properly maintaind, so it's less risky to buy used.

 

my wife dives with a DUI flex 50/50 that she is very happy with too.

 

I am very happy with the DUI and would reccomend them to anyone in the market.

 

Take care,

john

[RogerC 4]

DUI is as well made as any and is very popular here is SoCal, their service is also great.

 

They have 4 materials. Neoprene is not worth considering, it's warm but fragile. Crushed neoprene is bulletproof, will last forever, insulates well, stretches and fits well, but is heavy and dries slowly. Then they have a light nylon trilam and a cordura nylon trilam. Many like the trilams as lighter and faster to dry, but I prefer the crushed neoprene, it's durable, warm, and stretchy. They also make a 50/50, crushed neoprene bottom, trilam top.

 

They also have 2 or three models of each suit: an entry level with a back zip, a better model with a front zip, and a custom/signature line.

[Kelpfish 15]

The last really good El Nino was awhile ago. So if you are only diving relative to that frequency, forget a drysuit and forget a custom suit, it's not worth the money. Get a box suit.