...relatively new... help me out, friends!

[acoons]

Hello All!
I've been checking out this site for a little while (and I love it), but it took me a bit to sign up. Similarly, I got certified about a decade ago and it took me years to start diving on a more regular basis. This is what happens when teenagers get certified - it is the best thing I had ever done, but I couldn't pay for it :confused4:. So a while ago I got myself into a course to brush up on my skills and I can't wait to keep on getting in the water. I went on a couple of dives in September; wreck dives on the St. Lawrence river, which was awesome.
At the moment, I am struggling with acquiring a new exposure suit. Wet? Dry? Semi?
There are so many different varieties and prices and stores. I'm a bit sensitive to the cold, so warmer is better. I just moved to the Northwest (Idaho), and I'd like to dive as many local spots in CA/OR/WA/ID as possible... I'm guessing that a 7mm long + short combo will work well. But I have heard people say "Dry Suit" for Puget sound. I can only afford 1 investment at the moment, so I'm trying to figure out which option gives me the most flexibility to dive the most different types of places. So help me out, SCUBAbuds! How warm is too warm? Is diving dry "going overboard" for temperate conditions? Throw your honest opinion/experience in my general direction. Even better, make me an offer on something you'd like to sell that is quality. (Women's medium-ish; I'm about 5'6"/130lbs/size 8 pants).
Thanks!
Feel free to look me up if you need a buddy in this region.

 

[Rhone Man]

Welcome to SB!

 

[k ellis]

Id say probably your best bet would be get a 5 mil wetsuit as it is a little warm to wear but not overly hot in warm weather yet suitable to wear down to around 55 degrees. Its cost is usually right at the $200 dollar mark depending on brand and shop prices. Then you can later get a 3 mil shorty to wear in warmer water which runs the 70 dollar to 90 dollar range again depending on the shop and name and so forth.

 

[floridanewbe]

welcome aboard

 

[bigken462]

Welcome to scuba board.

Ken

 

[schweer]

Welcome!

 

[TSandM]

Welcome to SB!

I'd buy a dry suit. I've dived temperatures between 43 and 74 in a drysuit, and been comfortable everywhere. You just change the undergarments for the varying conditions. There may be water where you can be too hot in a drysuit, but I haven't been in that water yet

The above advice is based on the idea that you are going to do a fair amount of local and PNW diving. If most of your diving will be on trips to the tropics, the recommendation would change, simply because 1) most dry suits are harder to pack than wetsuits and 2) dry suits have dive-ending or dive-precluding failure modes. If you rip your neck seal, you are OUT of the water until it's fixed, whereas a tear in a wetsuit can be patched up any number of ways.

 

[Captain Walt]

Welcome to the board...

 

[acoons]

Thanks for welcomes and advice, everyone!

 

[Noboundaries]

Welcome to the board. You say above you want to dive as many spots as you can in CA/OR/WA/ID. You say you're a bit sensitive to the cold. Not sure what you're labeling as "temperate," but unless you're diving a hot spring, the temps are going to be in the 45-55 degree F range on average for the locations you listed. I'm sure there are those who will label that as temperate, but it is cold in my logbook.

In the summer in SoCal there are places that can get up to the mid to high 60's in the shallows, but you'll find a thermocline within recreational dive limits where the temperature will drop into the 50's.

My family dives wet in 7mm and our cold tolerance varies widely. We all wear hoods, gloves, and booties. My cold temp tolerance is high and I'm good to 50 degrees with 7mm and a heavy polyolefin skin before I have to add another neoprene layer. My wife adds a layer (hooded vest and skin) anytime she dives in NorCal. Our daughter, built like you and an open water competitive swimmer, surprised us because she has absolutely no cold tolerance whatsoever. She needs a hooded vest/skin plus another neoprene layer (shortie) on the same dives. In reality she should have bought a 7mm Farmer John since she didn't want to dive dry. Her swimming keeps her warm when she's competing and scuba is just too low effort for her. She has no body fat what-so-ever.

Dry may be the way to go for you. If you do dive wet, don't buy less than a 7mm and definitely be prepared to layer. Your neoprene ensemble will be good for about 5 years on average. Then you can upgrade to dry or stay the same. Remember, whether wet or dry, it is basically a garment. All garments wear out at some point. Exposure suits are no exception, but the lifespan does vary widely depending upon quality and materials.