UK Diving Wetsuit

[BorderCollieSam]

Hi Guys,

Relatively new to diving, did my PADI last Summer in Greece, and been diving throughout the winter here in the UK in swimming pools.

Doing the Advanced Open Water next month and my instructor said i need to get some lake diving experience prior to the course, hadn't dived open water in the UK up to that point.

Had my first dive open water in the UK on Friday (Good Friday), had been really looking forward to seeing what its like in UK lakes, however i read a lot of reports that you NEED a dry suit to dive in the UK.

I only had a 2 piece 5mm Scuba Pro Everflex wetsuit that i was lucky to get off Ebay, only worn 3 times and is like brand new, unfaded, and in perfect condition and fits me well, really happy with it.

I went to the lakes on Friday at around 10am, a group of around 10 guys had just got out in drysuits, and were saying there hands were freezing, water temperature 4 degrees, looked at me and said you seriously aren't going into that lake in a wetsuit are you?

I explained that for one, i don't have a drysuit (can't afford one yet), and for two i haven't done a drysuit course yet.

They were laughing at me and having bets how long i would last, 1 min, 10 mins max etc.,

My experienced buddy said that if he sees any sign of me shivering he will call the dive off.

Well, lets just say that i did the whole dive as planned, 25 mins, went to all the sites we planned to visit, and returned not due to the cold, but due to my lack of lake experience and my experienced buddy not wanting to push me to far.

We then did a repeat dive about 1 hour afterwards.

I didn't feel the cold at all, was really comfortable.

The only bit of cold i felt was when a water trickle went down my back due to me not tucking my hood into my wetsuit (put the hood on last!!), but that soon warmed up in no time at all.

So, for those new divers like me, wondering whether you NEED a dry suit, my advice would be to try it first and see.

I certainly won't be going to buy a drysuit anytime soon after Fridays dive thats for sure, as i doubt i will be diving in water any colder than that unless i go into the arctic then maybe i will consider a drysuit!

 

[Mustard Dave]

Try doing an hour in a wetsuit at this time of year. Also try diving on a RIB and getting blasted by the wind between dives. My local dive school teaches every student in a drysuit.

When you realise you need a drysuit, have a look at Dry Suits from Seaskin Custom Drysuits home page

Where were you diving?

 

[scuba andy]

Hey Sam.
Im from the north east and did my ow dives in Capernwray a few weeks ago in 4^C water.

Same experience as you. Some friends gave me the same advice, buy a drysuit, but it was too much cost too soon for me. The shop supplied a 7mm semi dry wet suit, + 4mm torso and it was great apart from the rental stink . On the same dive, others wearing dry suits came out with numb hands and at least one diver quit early. I was toasty warm in the semidry after the initial trickle down the back.

I think if I continue with diving Ill buy a drysuit later on because then I wont need much weight to compensate for the neoprene, but semi dry purchase comes first.

I found on one of the dives wearing a tshirt underneath made it even warmer.


andy

 

[Mustard Dave]

I think if I continue with diving Ill buy a drysuit later on because then I wont need much weight to compensate for the neoprene, but semi dry purchase comes first.

Most people need more weight in a drysuit as the undersuit will make you more buoyant.

 

[Searcaigh]

I wore a 7mm semi dry with hooded vest yesterday to cope with 22C at 30M for 30 minutes .... wasn't cold either

Seriously though I think after a while you might want to up grade to a dry suit

As Mustard Dave says the wind chill factor on moving boat can soon take away whatever little warmth you have after a dive .... works great for cooling cans of refreshment though (wet cloth around the can)

 

[Dam0]

Good lord! Sorry, I'm firmly in the dry suit camp.

I was at Gildenburg (peterbrough, today's video below if you're interested) today, two dives. Each was cold for all of us, a wet suited diver in our group would be just alien to us. Each to their own of course, however longer dives may see you change your mind maybe ?

http://youtu.be/1briPDdv670

 

[Bopper]

So, for those new divers like me, wondering whether you NEED a dry suit, my advice would be to try it first and see.

I think the key words here are *new* and *diver*. After I bought my $400 wetsuit, I convinced myself it was keeping me warm. After about 5 dive excursions I came to realize it wasn't keeping me much warmer than my old $125 wetsuit. Believe me, all the more power to you if you can continue to dive in a 5mm. I don't think there's a drysuit diver who wouldn't switch places with you. Wetsuits are cheaper, simpler, easier to dive, and make you feel like you're 'closer' to the water, if that makes sense. *But* if you're ever on a dive and you feel like you want to cut it short because you're getting a little cold, just know that a drysuit diver would probably not have this problem. In fact, it may be that you were cold for much of that dive and weren't enjoying it as much as you might otherwise have even before you decided to cut it short.

 

[dbulmer]

New divers have a tendency to fin rather quickly when they first start diving and that can help offset the cold. I prefer to move slowly and I suspect those in a wetsuit might find it slightly more difficult to offset the cold when diving with slow divers.

Bottom line: You're kidding yourself as a new diver if you think a wetsuit is ok in the winter.

 

[Hickdive]

Nothing keeps you warmer than a nice inland dive centre with changing rooms and an indoor cafe.

Can you be adequately warm in a wetsuit for one or two dives? Yes. But a big part of needing a drysuit is spending a day in one, in the open, in the winter, possibly on a boat. It isn't just about the dive, it's about the surface time too.

Put bluntly, if I organise a boat charter then wetsuit divers don't get on - it's just too much hassle trying to keep them warm and no-one wants their day cut short because the person in the wetsuit is hypothermic and needs to be brought ashore.

 

[rivers]

New divers have a tendency to fin rather quickly when they first start diving and that can help offset the cold. I prefer to move slowly and I suspect those in a wetsuit might find it slightly more difficult to offset the cold when diving with slow divers.

Bottom line: You're kidding yourself as a new diver if you think a wetsuit is ok in the winter.

This.