Sea of Cortez trip in October 2014!

[humanFish]

Hey everyone. I am doing a live-aboard trip Oct 5-11 out of La Paz with Amigos Del Mar(CSL).

Anybody ever been diving on the "Adventure" live-aboard? Any advice on thermal protection for October would be great. I tend to get cold in 3mm full suit in Cozumel. Probably should add another layer, but thinking 5mm full might be overkill. Any thoughts?

Also, first time on a live-aboard for me, so any advice on packing and liveaboard essentials would be great!

thanks!

 

[Steelyeyes]

My GF wore her 5 mil minus a hood in August and got chilled a couple of times. Contrast that to me in a skin and a chill guard on the deeper dives. A 5 mil might not be overkill. You can always flood it to cool off if need be. The only time I wore my 3 mil farmer john bottoms in Cozumel was on the night dive. I should have to dive the C 53 for the skin protection but that cut healed up just fine and chicks dig scars.

Have fun down there. It's a great place to dive.

 

[AZTinman]

Early October water temps in the Sea of Cortez tend to be quite warm. While others may chime-in with different perspectives from their experience, I've found Sea of Cortez water temps in the mid-80's in early October for the past four years. I find a 3 mil to be very warm (actually find myself sweating). Many of the folks I dive with regularly dive in skins or simply wear shorts & T-shirts. Water temps usually start dropping in November as seasonal upwelling from deep underwater canyons begin.

I'll be diving La Paz October 1-5. I'm not planning to pack anything heavier than a 3 mil. This said, others may require a heavier suit to be comfortable in 80+ degree water.

Of course, it would make a lot of sense to simply contact the live-aboard operator you'll be diving with and ask for recommendations.

-AZTinman

 

[humanFish]

Thanks AZTinman. I did speak with the operator prior to posting, and they suggested 3mm or a skin. Then again, I've been lead astray before by ops opinions on things which is why I'm reaching out to others to get multiple data points I once asked for Nitrox on a dive, and when I asked to check the mix with an analyzer, the deckhand became frustrated and in his french-english accent began telling me, "You don't need to check it, we are professionals!" I told him "Buddy, if you were professional, then you'd know I need to see what I'm breathing before I strap that thing to my back." He then got me the analyzer...

Thanks for the insights! Keep em' coming!

 

[AZTinman]

I've never done any diving at Cozumel so I've no experience with water temps there that I could compare to my experience in the Sea of Cortez.

During Sea of Cortez trips in June & July, 2014, water temps ranged between 83-89 degrees. My son and daughter-in-law experienced colder temps on one dive during the July trip. They hit a thermocline below 60 feet on our last dive of the trip. Both were wearing dive skins and got a little chilled; a 3 mil would've probably been adequate to keep them warm. The weather wasn't very good and I believe they hit some colder water due to an upwelling related to an approaching storm.

Many of the divers on the June trip wore skins or simply did the board shorts & T-shirt thing and they did just fine.

I've never needed more than a 3 mil in September and October. I've never seen divers wearing anything heavier than a 3 mil during those months on Sea of Cortez trips. Other divers often ask me why I'm bothering with a wet suit during fall trips. Due to a traumatic brain injury I received back in 2009, I don't tolerate cold very well.

Trusting an operator's advice about wet suit stuff is lots different than simply taking someone's word about a Nitrox mix.

-AZTinman

 

[drbill]

I used to work as the marine biologist/underwater videographer on an eco-cruise ship based out of La Paz and on most of our trips we dove the offshore islands between La Paz and Loreto. Much of the time I was in a 3mm shortie and this was in Dec/Jan/Feb.

 

[AZTinman]

My 7/8 mil semi-dry works very nicely for winter diving in the Sea of Cortez, but unlike Dr. Bill, I'm a wimp. His tolerance for cold water diving in his famous 3 mil shorty is legendary.

-AZTinman

 

[humanFish]

LOL. Thanks guys. Sounds like a 3mm will probably do it then.

Have fun in La Paz AZTinman! Dr. Bill, I hear Dos Equis is looking for a new spokesman _