The Dusty Wetsuit

[Aquabella]

So, now that I see all of my buds are going DRY on me, I have a question...

From the perspective of a suitless wonder(wet or dry)...is a quality wetsuit even needed around here? How much do you guys with the drysuits even use you wetsuits? Unless you go down south.

Just thinkin ahead a little. I hope to pick up my first wetsuit this summer.:sunnyday:

[Butch103]

........although I am looking at a drysuit. I prefer the wetsuit except for the really cold water (less than 40F). I would also like the srysuit for some winter diving......

All in all I do like the wetsuit diving. And for my southern journeys (only 2 so far) I have just warn a skin or a 1 mil suit.

[sparky30]

Well.. I own 2 wetsuits.. a BARE 5/3mm and a BARE 3mm.... The 3mm gets used in the summer for drift dives, Brockville, etc.. anyplace with warm water and normal dive durations.. When I am planing a long or deep dive I usually go dry... Its pretty cold at the bottom even in the summer.. :)
The 3mm was bought for down south.. I went on my first live aboard this year and it served me very well.. It also get a lot of use in the pool for training and assisting other folks..
My drysuit is a DUI TLS350. I love it.. Its warm, flexible, comfy.. but unfortunatly getting way too big 'cause I lost 60lbs recently.. So I'm thinking of eventually replacing it with a DUI CF200. DUI is expensive, but the fit, and quality is excellent.. You get what you pay for...
So to answer your question.. yes.. I dive wet and dry in Ontario..
THe benefir of the drysuit is that there really isn't a 'dive season'.. it becomes a year round event.. :)
BTW... BARE makes some really nice, reasonably priced drysuits...

[vlada]

Haven't used my 7mm wetsuit since went dry - need to sell the 7mm actually

I have CF200 and it is a great drysuit and i dive it year around - just change the underwear depending on the water temps

Vlada

[taz22]

I agree with Butch!

I like to dive wet as much as I can for two reasons. One, I find a drysuit just to bulky for my liking. Second, I need to wear more weight with a drysuit than a westuit, using a wetsuit reduces the amount of weight that I need to pack onto my bc which is weight integrated since I can't stand wearing a weight belt. Hopefully not have as much weigth on it, it will extend the life of my bc. Considering the bc that I have is a poseidon, I want to get as much bang for my buck as I paid a pretty decent price for it.

Cheers, Taz!

[Marvintpa]

I kept my wetsuit for two years after getting a drysuit and the only time it came off the shelf was to sell it.
No regrets whatsoever, it was just taking up space.
Not changing back and forth from a wetsuit to a drysuit configuration is just one of the many benefits involved - all the gear is set up in a consistent manner and works the same way every time.

[Doppler]

Aquabella once bubbled...
So, now that I see all of my buds are going DRY on me, I have a question...

From the perspective of a suitless wonder(wet or dry)...is a quality wetsuit even needed around here? How much do you guys with the drysuits even use you wetsuits? Unless you go down south.

Just thinkin ahead a little. I hope to pick up my first wetsuit this summer.:sunnyday:


Aquabella: as nice as it would be to dive in a 3mm all year, and as much as I like to see women in wetsuits :) the only practical solution for diving in the Great Lakes and really being able to do so comfortably and consistantly is to dive dry.

Do three things. 1/ Save your money and buy the very best you can afford. Have it custom-made if possible. 2/Get good drysuit underwear and also invest in two or three sets of polypro ski underwear. 3/ Learn how to use and care for your suit. If possible try rentals first.

I wear a drysuit even in warm water... and all caves... even down south... like mexico and brasil!

Doppler

[seahunter]

It's already clear that this is a very personal question. Every respondent will have a differet answer and for different reasons. The point? You will not get a consensus and you shouldn't. Some divers are happy and warm with a dry sut only; some with a wet suit only (all year); some feel the need for both.
Only once you have both and use both will you know what's best for you.

I personally advise my customers and store leadership to keep their wetsuit when they get a dry suit. I like to wear a wetsuit in the summer. There's no question a wet suit is easier off and on, easier to use, easier to care for but I also like the feeling of being in the water - closer to the environment. Dry suits are so ... well, insulating. They keep you dry and warm but also I feel detached from the water environment.

Besides you can't do a 'rock-off' in a dry suit and they are a hoot!!

[taz22]

seahunter once bubbled...
It's already clear that this is a very personal question. Every respondent will have a differet answer and for different reasons. The point? You will not get a consensus and you shouldn't. Some divers are happy and warm with a dry sut only; some with a wet suit only (all year); some feel the need for both.
Only once you have both and use both will you know what's best for you.

I personally advise my customers and store leadership to keep their wetsuit when they get a dry suit. I like to wear a wetsuit in the summer. There's no question a wet suit is easier off and on, easier to use, easier to care for but I also like the feeling of being in the water - closer to the environment. Dry suits are so ... well, insulating. They keep you dry and warm but also I feel detached from the water environment.

Besides you can't do a 'rock-off' in a dry suit and they are a hoot!!


Very well said Seahunter! It's a personal thing.....

Personally, I enjoy divng pretty much the whole year ( including New Year's Day with my 7mm with a 3mm hood vest. I also feel insulted from the water when diving in a Drysuit and not having the extra 1lbs of weight is nice too!

[on my way wanda]

Hi Aquabella

I hear you can dive only in a 3mm in brockville but I couldn't tell you for I have never dive there yet. As for choosing between a wet and dry suit I would choose a dry suit for I get cold swimming in the quarries in mid july at 70degrees
I really do not like being cold and wet at the same time only when I am down south(wet) not cold!!
It is not cheap to buy a dry suit that is if you what it to last a few years. You can at time buy a cheap wet suit I got mine for 45us dollars 2-3 years old only made by scubapro. Ebay has some good buys at times. You need to shop around.:D

[Dundas]

Seahunter, or anyone else, what's a "rock off"????

I just got my dry suit, and i'm loving it.

However, I dove my 7 mm wetsuit in the great lakes and also loved it. My main reason for diving dry was to extend the diving season. It wasn't really the water temperature, it's more the temperature of the air. I dove wet in the winter, and changing into and out of it, well it's a bit cold. The water temp didn't both me that much.

I also have a 3 mm which i love to dive up here, like in Niagara river, St Clair River, Chippewa creek and looking forward to using it in Brockville.



Jeff

[Aquabella]

Thanks for the responses guys. I actually didn't expect to hear that some people still dive wet even after getting a drysuit. It seems that most people around here dive dry all the time. At this point I have no idea which way I'll go. I'm still in the newbie...getwetanywayyoucan...mode. It's all fun.

Thanks for the advice on the drysuit purchase Doppler...I totally agree. I'd rather wait and get a good one.

Anyway...I'm going to go ahead and order that wetsuit. I got a job offer friday!:banana:

um, yeah...what is a 'rockoff' Seahunter?

[seahunter]

Never heard of a 'rockoff'?!!

Here we go again.. in the old days when sex was safe and scuba was dangerous, we used to dive hard and play hard. We were pretty imaginative and devised all sorts of interesting games for after or between dives.

It was a common game to dive headfirst from a high point into the lake wearing your wetsuit. The thrill of the dive was matched by the thrill of the cold water shooting through the suit.
Soon it was a contest to see who could dive the deepest although I forget how we measured the winning dive.

Some wise guy decided to up his odds by holding the largest rock he could find as he dove into the lake and that soon led to a whole new game called a 'rockoff'.

Pick the largest rock you can carry and jump from a common high point into the water. The winner is the one who goes the deepest. Obviously some common sense must prevail and that is usually provided in the form of a wife or girlfriend (no insult intended) who decides the craziest guy has had enough fun and so gives everyone an excuse to stop before any injuries occur.

This started at Flowerpot Island but has now been seen in action at Kirkfield Quarry, Fenelon Falls and anywhere else with a high wall and rocks.
It is restricted to wet suits only! Dry suits don't like 'rockoffs'!

What the hell!! We didn't have gameboys! OK?