Brewone0to
Contributor
Come to Florida.........A BCD,tank,reg,fins ,mask,and favorite T-shirt and your good to go!!!!!!!!
BREWONE0TO
Just Another Florida Diver
BREWONE0TO
Just Another Florida Diver
BC or Wetsuit First
- Thread starter Ca_Ghost
- Start date
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Squalus
The Good Humor Guy
Working in an LDS and have witnessed what happens to divers when they bring a soiled suit in. You are given a couple choices, 1)Take it home and wash it with the wet suit soap you just had to purchased, 2)You can be charged extra for turning in a "dirty suit", that goes for the unfortunate one in the shop who has to wash it. 3)You just purchased your first wet suit!
I do not know about other LDS but, we tell you to bring it back dry. That is how we tell if you did the naughty in the suit.
Get the BC
I do not know about other LDS but, we tell you to bring it back dry. That is how we tell if you did the naughty in the suit.
Get the BC
NYHippo
Registered
I am in the same position, and I went with the wetsuit. I am a wimp about being cold and I bought a better, thicker suit then the LDS rents.
Tod
Contributor
As another northern California diver who once pondered this same question, I would say that being comfortable in the cold ocean waters is by far the most important thing for me when it comes down to whether or not I am enjoying my dive. As a new OW diver, you probably have yet to get really comfortable with any particular BC. I will agree that this will be something you'll soon want to do, but if you're cold you will not be concentrating on getting used to your BC.
Find a nice fitting 7mm wetsuit. Try several on before you buy one. DON'T just go for the cheapest price - 2 months down the road when you're cold in the ocean, that $50 you may have "saved" isn't going to amount to much. Especially if you find yourself buying a new wetsuit within the year.
Ultimately, you will want to go with a dry suit. That could likely be your biggest single investment (don't forget there's undergarments you'll need to get, too). If you do dive a dry suit, there is always the chance that you could blow a seal on a dive weekend. Having a wetsuit as a backup is a good idea to save a trip... so having that nice 7mm suit is not a wasted investment.
After you buy your wetsuit, then you can pee in it and call it your own!
Find a nice fitting 7mm wetsuit. Try several on before you buy one. DON'T just go for the cheapest price - 2 months down the road when you're cold in the ocean, that $50 you may have "saved" isn't going to amount to much. Especially if you find yourself buying a new wetsuit within the year.
Ultimately, you will want to go with a dry suit. That could likely be your biggest single investment (don't forget there's undergarments you'll need to get, too). If you do dive a dry suit, there is always the chance that you could blow a seal on a dive weekend. Having a wetsuit as a backup is a good idea to save a trip... so having that nice 7mm suit is not a wasted investment.
After you buy your wetsuit, then you can pee in it and call it your own!
If you travel a lot to dive, it might make more sense to get the BC first as you are likely to need different wetsuits in different climates.
JT
JT
OP
Ca_Ghost
Contributor
jtoorish:
If I go withthe wetsuit. Anyone have any comments on the differences of the suits I listed?
Brewone0to:
First question is what can you get good rentals of?
Do available suits fit right? Are you truly an off the rack person? Are you able to rent BCDs that you like?
From a technical standpoint I'd say the BCD comes first since it's the foundation of your bouyancy control and all of your muscle memory learing that's critical to develop. Diving gets much easier and better when you instinctively know whare you dump valves and accesories are.
From a personal standpoint I''d say get the wetsuit for the hygiene and assurance of a good fit for every dive. There is also much less to test or research regarding your wetsuit so it's a safer purchase out of the shute. This leaces time to test dive BCDs before you buy. FWIW I have a 2005 Bare arctic and I like it. The 5/3 chicken vest and the 7mm step-in are great layering items. Dollar for dollar the suit first will be only a slight delay for the BCD.
IMO Air delivery is a definite third.
Next would be cylinder(s)
Lastly, if you ever need it would be a computer. If you have big dive trips in the forseable future I'd probably let the computer get ahead of the cylinders. If you don't need a computer for your dives it has no payback.
Pete
OP
Ca_Ghost
Contributor
spectrum:
I'd say I was an off therack framed person. I've rented 7mm Farmer Johns that fit great and I never got cold. I'd like to switch to a jump suit instead of a farmer john and don't know if there is a big difference in the suits I listed.
I'd like to get the BCD first also as I'd love to get a dry suit but it doesn't look like I'll be able to afford a dry suit for length of time in the future.
The BCD is going to be a stretch but managable in a few months.
Down the road I want to get everything from Regs, Computer, tanks, etc etc etc
Right now I'm going to be renting a lot of my equipment and unfortunately my LDSs rent low end gear. I have yet to find a shop that will demo any of their high end gear. As one LDS manager told me, "You pretty much have to buy gear off of word of mouth recommendations."
Its fustrating to say the least!
tangfish
Contributor
Ca_Ghost:
I vote for BC first. It is pretty gross to rent wetsuits (based on the whole pee factor, but then again even if its yours you probably wash it in pee along with the others), but the BC is an integral piece of gear. I just wrote a review on my new BC, so far its pretty darn good, and great for travel.
FS
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