Equipment for starting out in Monterey

Hi All,

I am a newbie diver in San Francisco, CA and I want to begin diving on a regular basis in the Monterey area. Until now my diving experiences have been in warm water while on vacation.

I want to start putting together my own personal gear, but I want to make sure that I am purchasing the right items.

Would I be OK in a 7mm wetsuit (don't have the funds to go dry)? Should my hood and gloves be 7mm as well?

Do I need to keep anything special in mind for the regulator, such as environmental sealing?

Thank you,

Aug

I am fairly new to the area, and have only done 2 dives in Monterey Bay. I am no stranger to cold water diving or equipment issues though being that I am originally from the Great Lakes.
It was 54 degrees in the bay at 60 ft down a few weeks ago. You will definately need a 7 mm suit as a minimum. A good dry suit would make you more comfortable though. But I have seen people make ice dives in wetsuits before. I personally am not comfortable in a wet suit below 54 degrees. The big thing is to watch out for signs of hypothermia, and end a dive if you start to get real cold or shiver. If you dive deeper anywhere in the area it will probally get colder yet. The guide book I bought says 45 degrees. At those temps the wetsuit may not be so toasty.
As for the regulator issue most good quality regs are good at least to 50 degrees with no problem. Colder than that, and you will want a reg that is enviornmentally sealed or other similar anti-freeze methods. The last thing you want is frostbite in your mouth from a free-flowing reg. I have heard second hand accounts of such things but have not seen them first hand.
For this area I would recommend enviornmentally sealed just to be on the safe side. Free flows you can deal with. Diaphram regs tend to be better for the cold but I have seen even diaphram regs lock up due to ice forming on the exposed spring. The diver didn't have the available enviornmental kit for the brand of regulator he was using installed on his regulator. Mind you, that was in 32 degree water though. Few regs opperate well in those temperatures without proper preperation and technique. Many do fine in the range above 32 degrees (i.e. here) with enviornmental sealing.
I won't recommend any brand over the other here. But I am sure everyone on the board has some opinions on that to share with you.
I hope the info is useful though.

Yep, 7mil everything or more, like a farmer john wet suit. Almost any reg will work for recreational diving in your area but a few may be more prone to free flow in the coldest months. You will also likely be using more weight so I do reccomend considering a BP/W or a BC used with something like a DUI weight harness to make life easier on both you and your BC. You may also consider eventually buying a steel tank as that will take another 10 or so pounds off your back, 5 for the tank weight itself(lighter than aluminum) and about 5 more pounds from your weight belt because steel tanks remain somewhere around nuetral ay the end of the dive depending on the exact size of the tank. Add a BP/W and that may be another 5 pounds off your weight belt as some jacket style BC's are very buoyant. Just some thoughts.

I do suggest you rent for a season if you don't have gear yet. This will help you see more cold water gear and try it too. Cold water gear preferences vary drastically and if you rush to buy too quickly you will likely end up buying more gear soon after. Trust me on this!! Also, buy what you want the first time after research even if you have to wait and save. If you don't, and get addicted to this sport, again, you will just end up buying more gear (what you originally wanted) anyway. Have fun and welcome to the board!!!

Some people use gloves that are 5mm or even 3mm. If your core is warm your extremeties will tend to stay warm. That said I've been diving a 7mm wetsuit for all my dives in Monterey but i'm a generally pretty warm guy. Even though i'm pretty warm i find once it dips into the high 40's i really start to feel it. Luckily it usually stays in the low 50's which i've found very doable in a 7mm. Also a hood with a core warmer to get more like 10+mm over your chest is probably a good idea. I've never heard of anyone freezing a reg around here so i'd say any regs will work.

Chris

Edit: Getting your warmth back on surface intervals is crucial to doing multiple dive days. I tend to strip the top of my suit off and pile on a fleece and at least a couple of sweatshirts. Warm hat is also very useful. This is less of an issue in the summer.

I'll vouch for what Chris says, as I dive with him. You'll really feel the cold on subsequent dives if you don't do something to warm back up. Yes, you NEED a 7mm suit and a hooded vest. Going from 55 degrees to 50 degrees doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it is, and 50 degrees is just about the limit for wetsuit diving if you're doing more than one dive per day. Get sweatshirts and/or a big comfy jacket for your surface interval, and get out of that wetsuit between dives.

Thanks for the great info all.

Aug

I did two dives in Monterey on Memorial Day. 7mm FJ, 5mm Bare gauntlet gloves, 5 mm Henderson hood, 6mm Bare Ice Boots with 2 mm Bare Neosocks. I was toasty ... literally. The temps were 56-57. But then I also wetsuit dive in midwest quarries in 42-48 degree water without any problems. Definitely keep warm in between dives. Remove your suit, put on something to break the wind but yet is breathable. I like to wear my Gortex running suit. Be sure and wear something under the wetsuit that is quick to dry. Not a baggy swimsuit. I wear under armour knock-offs from Wal-Mart. Both shorts and a top. They were like $10 each.


I'd definitely vote for a sealed 1st stage. I use an AL Legend LX, but there are many, many very good regulators with a sealed 1st stage.