newbie norcal diver... straight to drysuit?

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Menk

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Location
Alameda, California
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I'm looking to get geared up correctly, and facing a bit of a dilemma.

I'm definitely going bp/w, most likely from DSS. I'm just trying to decide which wing I will need, and that opens up several other equipment questions. I will by diving steel singles.

Bottom line, I want a balanced rig and don't want to buy anything I don't need.

My choices:

1) Drysuit Now
The most cost effective and smartest thing longterm would probably be to go straight to drysuit, since that will serve me in both shallow and later deeper dives, and I'll only need to worry about 1 singles wing with the bp/w for the foreseeable future.However, it's a bunch to shell out when I still need pretty much everything else except boots, fins, mask and gloves.
I'm also concerned at the added complexity and maintenance of a drysuit so early on.

2) Wetsuit now
Being so new, really like the simplicity (and price) of a 7mm combo wetsuit, and after doing 5 dives in 2 days in 59 degree water for my OW, I was pretty toasty in my rented farmer john and jacket... I also won't be going deeper than 60' for the time being, so issues of neoprene compression may not be something I need to worry about for now.
However, that would probably require me to get a 2nd bigger singles wing if I do go to drysuit later, and be left with a 30lb wing and 7mm wetsuit I'll have to sell second hand or keep as backup. Additionally, I'll be spending time and money trying to weight myself correctly with the wetsuit, and will have to do it again with the drysuit.

Should I bite the bullet and go dry? Again, I am totally green and at this point just really want to get back in the water to work on trim, control, kick techniques, etc... too soon for a drysuit?
 
Not a bad idea to go dry now, but don't feel your wing will need to be replaced if you go dry later. If you settle for a 30-35 lb. wing, that should be fine for wet or dry.

I would suggest you look to get your plate and wing along with tanks and regulators now.

I now use a steel plate, hogarthian harness and a hog 32 wing. Works great! Put it together for around 300.
 
Get a good mentor for the drysuit and go for it.

In Norway everyone learns to dive in a drysuit, so it is not THAT complex. Maintenance is merely, rinse off, wax zipper, and keep dark, dry and away from tubelights.
Personally, I either dive in boardshorts and a thin rash guard, or bring my drysuit. I hate wetsuits.
 
I'm with Imla, I'd just go straight to a drysuit. 7mm farmer johns will keep you nice and toasty, but not for repetitive dives, or if the surface is cold. Then you have evaporative cooling coming into play which is a b!tch with wetsuits. It's a bit more up front now, but you can get a new nice drysuit for $1500 ish that will last you quite a while. Added complexity isn't all that bad, especially if you have a buddy willing to show you the ropes. A good wetsuit for that kind of diving is going to cost you $400-$500 anyway. The 30lb wing is actually about right for drysuit diving with a single.... Maybe a 35, but you can get away with one wing, most of us only have one singles wing in the 30-40lb range, exception being if we have a little baby 18-20lb for warm water travel.

Your best bet is to call DiveRightinScuba. If you call Mike, he'll be able to help you better than any other person I know for this since he regularly dives the Great Lakes, which is some pretty gnarly conditions. If you're able to scrape up for everything at a go, he'll likely cut you a better deal than he has online, which could save you quite a bit as well. Waiting until Black Friday may be worth it, which is when he goes nuts slashing prices.

For 60* water you can get away with going to REI and getting some of their heavyweight Polartec, and if you are or someone you know is good with a sewing machine you can sew thumb loops and stirrups on it and be just as good as the brand name undergarments so you can save a boat load there.

Check out the Pinnacle Black Ice, you can likely get away with some UnderArmour in that for those temperatures. USIA and the Black Ice are probably the best bang for the buck suits out there, sub $2k, and are well made.
 
I'm in SoCal, and am working through the same issue, though it clearly is not as critical as up in NorCal. If I was up there I'd go right to dry. You should be aware that I love spending other people's money, LOL!

I 2nd calling Mike at Dive Right in Scuba, he will hook you up.
 
Thanks guys, great advice.

I've been talking to Tobin and am leaning very heavily towards a DSS... love the ability to add weights to the plate itself. Actually trying to get my LDS to do a bulk order so I can juice them in too.

Now, say i go with a 35lb wing now, when at the end of the day, after I have all my other gear, it turns out all I needed was a 28 or 30lb wing... will that 5-7 lbs overestimation in wing size present any problems as far as diving safety and enjoyment? Or is it too small to notice?


And will it actually be useful if I plan to bring a camera, etc. with me?
 
I am in NorCal. I started with wetsuit and transition to drysuit short after. If I were to start over again, I will just go straight to drysuit. Wetsuit is OK if you don't dive too often, don't do much boat dive, and don't do much 2nd dives. But if you think diving is what you commit to do in NorCal, then just go dry.

For single tank diving, I will suggest a wing of 30lb-35lb. 40lb is bigger than necessary IMO if you have a balanced rig. If you are going with DSS, also consider their bolt on weight plate.
 
the few extra lbs isn't going to be an issue. Tobin is good people, but for regs and the suit itself, I would seriously suggest you call DRiS, no offense to your LDS, but there are few shops of thir caliber out there.
 
A drysuit is way more complex than a wetsuit, yet I never enjoyed NorCal diving so much as once I switched to dry. Imagine spending a slow-paced hour underwater and not once noticing how cold you are. To really stay toasty, get a custom 12mm hood from Otter Bay in Monterey.
 
You can always check out Semi Dry. In NYC I dive the Hollis NeoTek Semi-Dry July, Aug, Sept. Dry the other months. I'm usually toasty and very, very comfortable as long as bottom temp is above about *48. Colder than that it gets a little chilly (really not too bad). Not sure your depths or bottom temps, but the suit is only $400 retail, has an integrated hood, super comfortable and the neoprene is really compressed so it's not super buoyant.


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https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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