What kind of gear do Canadians dive with?

[DCBC]

Most of my recreational diving in Canada is in the North Atlantic off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Water temperature varies, but can be as low as 30 degrees F (salt water usually will freeze around -2 Celsius / 28 degrees F unless the salinity level is very high). Currents are often bad and wave heights are usually 3 to 6 feet. Needless to say, shore entry can be complicated with surf/waves. As I like to dive deep wrecks, a boat is usually used.

As far as equipment is concerned, I usually use Apeks regs (ATX/TX100/200) and a Viking Dry Suit. Other gear is from Hollis, OMS and Poseidon.

 

[Nosnhoj]

7mm Bare Elastek, and an Aqualung Titan LX Supreme. Going to have to get a drysuit myself to extend the diving season!

 

[Doppler]

Contrary to assumptions, Canadians dive all over the world. Even in warm water.



If you mean what gear is recommended to dive in cold water, different story.


O'Three (Ri neoprene... look them up) or Santi trilaminate drysuit (Enduro), Fourth Element undies under Santi one-piece 200 gram thermals, O'Three hood (5mm) and if I cannot avoid it, dry gloves with polypro liners.

And a CCR... much warmer than OC.

 

[Pinkank]

Theres only a couple of shops in Canada that sell Atomic regs and many places wont service them. I have an M1 that I really like, Ive dove it in 39F water under the ice and it performed flawlessly. Ive set my doubles up with Apeks XTX50 DS4s. As for exposure suits, Whites Drysuits with the whites fusion undergarmet, drygloves, and for the really cold ice dives double up the underwear and sometimes wear an AGA FFM with a dryhood and a nice warm touque

 

[rhwestfall]

Okay, I'm not Canadian, but if I get into the water beyond waist deep, I'm in Canada. Deep on Erie and in Tobermory is a DUI CF200 w/ Bare CT200 as a minimum. I dive wet gloves (Fourth Element "Spidermans"). Regs are SP MK-17 w/ G250V or 156BA. Rock solid for cold water. Summer in the St. Lawrence is warm, and it is then a 5/7 WS. Regs are the same, but I still have my MK-10 & 109/156 any time as an option. Pony is a SP MK-2 & 109/156. I now sit quietly on my side of the border......

 

[marcbeaudry]

i dive both a neoprene dry suit (pinnacle dry ice ) and a trilam (old Andy's) drysuit with lots of warm things beneath
for ice - 'lectric socks are a great invention!!
i cant say one is warmer than the other - i wear more under the trilam thant the neoprene. my regs - dive rite hurricanes.
in the ice though - no brand can garantee against free flow - yes even that brand that garantees against doing it - IF you're not careful,
judicious use of your inflator timed accordingly with your breathing is the best assurance to avoid a freeflow. (that said my dive rites have never ice up on me )

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Don't worry so much about what we wear rather what you plan to wear. I dove 5 winters in a 1/4 wet suit with a 1/8 inch hooded vest. Yes it was cold and one dive a day was all you could do unless you had some serious thick skin. and forget the 5 finger gloves, 1/4 inch (6mm) 3 finger mitts are essential.

You don't need a 1500 dollar reg., or sealed diaphragms, although I have them on most my regs. I would dive a 40 year old USD Aquarius reg. and in fact that's what is on my pony right now and I use it all winter long. The key to not having a freeze up is to have very dry air in your tank (check the air test cert at the dive shop, if it is 3 months old you may not be getting really dry air), make sure you dry the heck out of your first and second stage reg after you rinse it. ( I take my plug out of the first stage and bring it inside the house and put it by the fire, not too close though) and finally Don't test or breath from your reg until you are in the water and your head is under it. When you enter the water hold your second stage in your hand and hold your breath. Make sure your BC or suit has air in it.
ZDD

---------- Post added December 15th, 2012 at 05:02 PM ----------

One more thing I forgot to mention about preventing freeze ups in cold water winter environments is to hook up your reg to your BC valve and or dry suit valve and purge air through it to ensure there is no water trapped in the valve or fittings after the rinse. Everything in your system must be absolutely dry internally.
ZDD

 

[Stoo]

What do we wear? Everything we can. I was in last week in Tobermory... 65 minutes in 38F water and delightful. Apeks XTX50s and DS4s on doubles for redundancy. I'm currently in an ancient Viking Pro, but about to change to a DUI FLX Extreme I think. Drygloves of course... And an Aquatica AD7000 system... Big knobs.

Dave's advice about regs and inflators is spot on. Keep everything warm and dry and don't start breathing your reg until it's in the water.

We only did a 50' shore dive, but had a great time!

Hot chocolate with a spot of rum afterwords doesn't hurt either...

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

As Doppler mentioned, we do dive all over the world. I dive Aeris regs, Aeris T3 computer, Zeagle Brigade BCD, and a lycra skin, all in warm Caribbean or S Pacific waters. Though in Canada for about 10 years now I have not put as much as a toe in water less than 20 C (72 F). I admit to being a warm water wuss. ; >)

 

[TMHeimer]

Mainly 7 mil farmer john wetsuit, though at warmer times in NS I don't wear the bottoms and on rare occasions use the shortie. Hood always for either warmth, keeping water from going far into ears, or both. Standard used Mares reg. Split fins, lots of weight. Old genesis BC. Console. I have dived all winter wet (1 dive- 20 mins. at 35F, etc.). But most Jan.-Marchs am on the N. Gulf of Mexico, so drysuit not really practical to own. If diving mid winter in NS I use my 3 fingered mitts, which usually keep my hands well warm enough.