What kind of gear do Canadians dive with?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

CAPTAIN SINBAD

Contributor
Messages
2,997
Reaction score
1,153
Location
Woodbridge VA
# of dives
200 - 499
Just curious. Since its a cold water environment, what kind of gear is everyone diving with? Particularly regulators and drysuit / thermals etc. :eyebrow:
 
It depends upon the area and whether people dive all season.
The river is very warm in summer and you can dive any kind of warm water gear. The lakes are always cold at depth. Regs - mk17,25 with g250 s600, apeks, aqualung, poseidons. Tanks singles with ponies and doubles. Undergarment usually 400g torso in the lakes. 200 in the river
 
Sinbad...Water temp in the St Lawrence River south of Ottawa will range from mid thirties in the winter to 75F at the end of summer. Accordingly I will start the season in Drysuit (Fusion) with MK2 underwear and polypro base layer then migrate to a full length 7mm (one piece) to a 3mm full length when diving singles.

Lakes/Ocean...Drysuit with same thermals I mentionned previously and, ideally, dry gloves. In Sept, I dove the St Lawrence estuary (Les Escoumins...close to the Saguenay Fjord entrance) and water temp range from 39 to 43F. 50 min dives with Whites thermal wet glove or XS Scuba wet/dry glove system was about the max I could endure.

Regs...I use Zeagle Flathead VI on my doubles and Hog D2 on my stage bottles. This past summer, I rigged my D2s for single tank set-up and used it as such for all my single tank diving (local, Key Largo and Les Escoumins) without any problem whatsoever.
 
My regs are Apexs ATX40/DS4. Water down to 6C in a Henderson 7MM john / jacket, Aqualung Titanium 5MM gloves, Blue Reef 5MM boots and 5MM hood. Above 12C - 13C I switch to my Pinnacle 7MM merino fullsuit, and when we reach 17C - 18C I'll ditch the hood and switch to a 2MM glove.

I have been below 6C - did 20 minutes @ 3.5C in April but called it after 20 minutes due to chilly fingers. No interest in going below 6C again without investing in a drysuit. No interest in ice diving.
 
Custom neoprene Drysuit by SeaTux in Nanaimo, BC. I wear this suit all year. In the winter with Under Armour 3.0, in the summer and rash guard and Under Armour 2.0 for thermal protection.

Aqualung Legend primary regs and Hollis DC1 first stages
 
Regs: Sherwood SR1
Drysuit: Whites Catalyst 360
Thermal: Fourth Element Artic
Bay of Fundy, Cold water all year round, highest tides in the world.
 
Great! I had a feeling you guys would be fond of neoprene drysuits and sealed diaphram regs. Do you folks see a lot of people diving with Atomic regulators?
 
DUI FLX Extreme, XM450 undergarment
Hog D1 first D2 seconds

Lake Ontario, Georgian Bay, 360 days a year!
 
Apeks and Hogs sealed diaphragm regs
Whites Fusion Tech
Fourth Element Arctic
Summer in the river 3mm wetsuit
 
Sherwood Blizzard
Mares Isotherm Semi-dry with 7mm three finger gloves when cold and 5mm five finger gloves as it warms up. And I have been in the ocean in it starting in April at around 34F. Had to call the dive after 15 minutes or so when I couldn't use my fingers very well at that point, but I was only wearing the 5mm glove at the time. But I get cold easily and now need to invest in a drysuit to try April diving again.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom