Chile wetsuit advice

[alfie227]

Hey guys

I'm living in Santiago and I'm keen to do some diving here, I done about 25 dives so I'm fairly new to the sport. I was hoping someone could give me some advice regarding water temp in quintay?

Do you think it would be worth starting to look into dry suit diving or stick to wetsuits?

Thanks,
Alfie

 

[paula paz]

Hi Alfie!!
The water temp in all Chilean central coast is around 11ºC to 14ºC, so you should dive at least with 7mm wetsuit. In almost every Dive Centre in Chile you'll find wetsuits for rental in good conditions.
However if you're going to stay living in Chile and dive often, I'll strongly recommend to get a dry suit and take the dry suit specialty, for the moment you could dive with rental wetsuits.

I'm a Dive Instructor en Chile and usually work in Pichidangui, however I sometimes give some help in Quintay, Las Tacas and Zapallar, So if you need any kind of advice or help, please feel free to contact me.

Some pages of diving centers in good standing you can browse are:

Buceo Pichidangui
BuceaMar
Austral Divers
Las Tacas Home
Tiempo de Fondo
Tienda y Centro de Buceo ::VECEKA:: Aqualung Chile | Tienda y Centro de Buceo | Tienda y Centro de Buceo ::VECEKA:: Aqualung Chile

As long as I know only in Las Tacas and Pichidangui you can find guides who can speak in english.

Regards, Hope to see you under the water

Paula

 

[alfie227]

Hey Paula,
Thanks for the info. I'm only planning on staying here in Chile for another year so I'm slightly hesitant to invest in a drysuit. This might be an odd question but does anywhere rent drysuits? I don't think I've ever seen them for rent.
I imagine there is very little chance of finding a used suit for sale here in Chile?
Thanks
Alfie

 

[paula paz]

The Chance to find a used dry suit is not that much little. In Chile the use of dry suit is becoming very popular since a few years ago, So there is some people who is changing his suites for new ones and putting for sale the old ones. Although this dry suit probably will need a neck or wrist check or repair, especially if they are of latex. I could help you to find one if you're really interested

Also in Pichidangui, there is an instructor who have some dry suits available for the specialty course or Dive adventures. You can make an arrange with him if you want to rent a Dry Suit or at least try a dive with dry suit and test the difference before any investment

Anyway, there is a lot of people who still dive with wetsuit every weekend, and enjoy their dives and have a lot of fun, the suit should not be an issue for enjoy.

My recommendation: go dive with wetsuit and check. If you find it too much could, try a dry suit. After that, take your decision.
I also recommend you to take a Scuba Review if you had never dive in cold water and pacific conditions. It's a lot different. You will have to adjust yourself for different gear and weights. Your boyancy will be different in a 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit.

PM me if you want to make a dry suit experience or take a Scuba Review. I could help you and guide you with that. Also if you want to go to Pichidangui with me you are more than welcome.

Cheers!!

Paula

 

[alfie227]

Thanks again for your help, I'm going to be diving and travelling around central America between the start of January and the end of december.

When i get back I'll be sure to contact you about heading up to pichidangui and some drysuit experience. Do you know a good dive shop here in Chile, my girlfriend is looking for a few things.
ta, Alfie

 

[paula paz]

Some Dive shops:

Buceamar BuceaMar - Mares gear : Gerónimo de Alderete 1570, Vitacura
Esell- ESELL :: Un Mundo Deportivo - Cabosub gear: Av. Padre Hurtado Norte 1549 Vitacura
Veceka - Tienda y Centro de Buceo ::VECEKA:: Aqualung Chile | Tienda y Centro de Buceo | Tienda y Centro de Buceo ::VECEKA:: Aqualung Chile - Av. Padre Hurtado 627, Las Condes
Scubapro shop is in en Av. Cristobal Colon 5328, but I don't know if they have any web page.

Good luck!!

Paula

 

[randini]

Paula pretty much nailed the temps in Quintay. Looking at my temperature records, average water temp in Quintay ranges from 12.8 to 14.6 degC in summer (Dec-Mar) and is coldest in late winter through spring (Aug-Nov) averaging 11.4 to 12 degC. Max and Min in all of 2010-2011 were 18 and 10 degC.

I don't know what your thermal tolerance is like, but IMHO a drysuit is overkill for central Chile. I dive here all the time in an old 7mm farmer john & jacket and I'm fine year round, as are all of my colleagues at the marine lab I work from (located about 40km south of Quintay). We usually get in about 3-4 dives a day to 20m and I'm occasionally a bit cool in the winter and more often a bit warm in summer (did I mention that my wetsuit is old, very old). Plus out of the 100's if not 1000's of fishermen in central Chile, I've yet to see one in a drysuit and these guys live in the water year-round.

I'd suggest you start out in a wetsuit and then if you're cold (assuming the wetsuit fit properly) consider a drysuit.

Paula gave a very good list of dive ops in the area, the only one I can add off the top of my head is Narval (::: Narval :::) working out of Algarrobo. I know this op well as I'm doing my DM with them and recommend them hands down.