Some Hawaii diving

[Gombessa]

Man, I leave town for a few days and what happens? 40+ft visibility throughout Monterey! Maybe we should start a fund to ship me off to more tropical locations when everyone wants stellar local conditions. Could be a win-win situation

Anyways, I had some great dives on Oahu and thought I'd share the vids with my Norcal buds!

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/332178-my-oahu-dives-videos.html#post5194357

The funniest thing I've discovered - diving 50 degree water in Monterey with a drysuit is WAY warmer than diving 77 degree water with doubled-up 3mm wetsuits. I ended a number of these dives a lot colder than I've ever been back at home!

 

[mikeguerrero]

The funniest thing I've discovered - diving 50 degree water in Monterey with a drysuit is WAY warmer than diving 77 degree water with doubled-up 3mm wetsuits. I ended a number of these dives a lot colder than I've ever been back at home!

Wow,

You were cold, I can relate because I dove 77 degrees in Florida last April, but I wore a 7mm with a 3mm hooded vest... I stayed nice and toasty, while other divers in 3mm doubled suits, came out shaking...

Your videos show so much viz, it's nice to see the clarity, and it was great to see Greg diving in his home town with you...

 

[ligersandtions]

I went to Hawaii last summer and most of the dives were ~79F. I was wearing a 7mm wetsuit and was freezing by the end of a number of dives (the second, third, and fourth of the day typically). I couldn't wait to get back to the cool waters of socal so I could wear my drysuit!

Since then, I've picked up a lighter drysuit that I will definitely be using for tropical diving....can't help it, I don't like to be wet/cold when I dive

Can't watch the video at work, but I'll check it out at home? Were you able to meet up with some of the GUE divers in Oahu (iirc, there are a number of them over there)?

 

[Gombessa]

You were cold, I can relate because I dove 77 degrees in Florida last April, but I wore a 7mm with a 3mm hooded vest... I stayed nice and toasty, while other divers in 3mm doubled suits, came out shaking...

Your videos show so much viz, it's nice to see the clarity, and it was great to see Greg diving in his home town with you...

I think a real 7mm would have made a world of difference, but I'm fully willing to accept that I'm a total wimp when it comes to cold. No idea how I dove wet in Monterey (seemingly) so long ago! Btw, Greg says hi!

Can't watch the video at work, but I'll check it out at home? Were you able to meet up with some of the GUE divers in Oahu (iirc, there are a number of them over there)?

I did get to meet up with a couple for great local DIR divers, but my dives were more along the lines of sneaking-out-for-a-few-hours-in-the-morning type affairs, so it was easier logistically to get on some of the charter boats. I'm definitely going to try to meet up with more next time, and possibly check out the north shore if it's diveable when I'm in town again.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Ken,

I hate the cold too, I'm much a wimp. I just happened to own the Pinnacle's 7mm Merino linning suit with hooded vest that is also Merino. So had in the core 10mm with my extremities at 7mm.

I took my drysuit just in case when I flew down to Florida, I purchased a DUI 150gram fleece undergarment designed for 65+, but ended up diving wet and being super toasty I did 4 dives.

Greg is super cool, I dove with him for Essentials when Kathy fell in love with Don's doubles, go figure huh Ken?

I was there to take pics and when Kathy refused to let go of those doubles, Don volunteered me to some Essentials training. It was love at first hate again, deploying that 7 ft hose while trying to stay in Trim. I had an awesome time training in Essentials once more, but it wasn't planned.

Kathy has a way with getting me into trouble, love ya Kathy...

p.s
glad to have you back, I was asking about your whereabouts? Especially when I saw the bunnies running all over Point Lobos, as I suited up... I miss the Ken videos of Monterey...

 

[fisheater]

You folks have me worried. I've just gone dry and, based upon this discussion so far, I fear that I'll turn into a temperature wuss.

I just double checked my log and I was warm and comfortable with multiple dives on the Big Island with 77F water and a 1/2 mm skin under an ancient 3 mm shortie.

Am I doomed?

 

[Hinalo]

maybe, but you'll have plenty of company. FWIW, I still dive a 5mm in Hawaii from Oct to May and 3mm in the warmer months.

 

[kathydee]

The funniest thing I've discovered - diving 50 degree water in Monterey with a drysuit is WAY warmer than diving 77 degree water with doubled-up 3mm wetsuits. I ended a number of these dives a lot colder than I've ever been back at home!

77F? That's artic! I probably would still be snug in my drysuit. At 85F I'm still curled up in my 5mm and 3/5mm hooded vest .

Beautiful clips of Hawaii. I love watching the turtles hover by the cleaning station and it was good to see Greg.

 

[Gombessa]

Am I doomed?

Probably not--from everything I've heard, you north coast divers are a tougher breed

 

[House Gecko]

I was getting cold using my 3mm shorty in the tropics during my second and third dives. Then I switched to just a rash gard (Nylon T-Shirt) and I no longer get cold. I think that when I was using the 3mm I never dried off completely and got a chance to warmed up on the SI. I think in the tropics when you are wearing a wetsuit on your SI you get cooled down from evaporative cooling. This is just my theory and I have not read or heard anything to back it up.

The two things that for sure make it worth ditching the wetsuit in the tropics is you can also ditch a few pounds of lead and most importantly you can pee when ever you want.