Should I buy a drysuit or is a 8/7 a good choice as well?

[carolynaznv]

Hi I would like to do some more diving in southern California and maybe northern California. Should I buy a drysuit or the aqua lung 8/7 wetsuit? Some reviews I have read say that the aqua lung is great and it keeps them warm so.. I dont know. What do you think?

 

[gcarter]

A few (not all) factors to consider:

* tolerance for cold
* average water temperatures where you plan on diving
* frequency of diving (in part related to...)
* cost vs budget
* whether you think this is in fact long term for you

Rent a similar wetsuit and see how you like it. I have >100 dives in cold water in either a 7mm full suit or a 7mm john + shorty in - 43 of them below 50*, another 25 < 60*, as cold as 38* and my overall average 57*. Many people dive cold water in wetsuits.

Take the dry suit course and rent one a few times.

A dry suit is a significant investment, so trying it first might be a good move.

Probably fair to say that everything else aside a dry suit will keep you warmest ESPECIALLY during your SI.

You'll get lots of opinions but the best one is the one you form yourself after trying both.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

I have been diving CA wet and dry for 25 years from Mendocino County to the Mexican Border. I have been plenty comfortable in thick wetsuits, but not nearly so much as in a drysuit. The longer your diving day, or the colder the water, the more you'll appreciate dry. A drysuit is very much worth the investment in CA, you will enjoy using it all year round.

It doesn't have to be an outrageous investment either. Check CraigsList in LA, OC or San Diego: you're bound to find plenty for sale, especially if you fit a relatively normal sized suit. Generally you can find very nice suits with undergarments for well under $1000.

 

[carolynaznv]

Yes what a great idea to rent one! Thank you, I hadn't even thought of that. Im going to start looking for some drysuit classes and see what all of the buzz is about. Layering a 5mm over a 3mm isn't the greatest idea I've ever had its way too tight, but who likes being cold? Thank you for your feedback gcarter and sandiegosidemount.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Individual tolerance to cold makes a huge difference, as does the depths/bottom times you have in mind. For recreational diving, the majority of people I see are in wetsuits even up north. Heck, there's an instructor in Monterey who wears a 7mm wetsuit without hood or gloves and does fine. I hear San Diego is colder, but if you're primarily looking to dive in the Channel Islands, where the temps are high 50s to mid 60s, then a semidry should be fine. If you plan on diving even colder waters in the future, maybe it would be best to just invest in a drysuit now, but otherwise spending $400 on a good semidry makes more sense to me than going for a drysuit+undergarments. Aqualung Solafx and the Hollis Neotek are both great choices. Fourth Element's Proteus is the warmest semidry I've tried, but it runs $500 which is getting closer to a cheap drysuit.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Another thing to consider, if you are not the sort of person who takes pretty good care of your gear, then a drysuit is probably a bad idea. Drysuits are not forgiving of bad maintenance.

 

[eelnoraa]

For California coast, I would say drysuit if you plan to dive often. The comfort level is different.

"For recreational diving, the majority of people I see are in wetsuits". Most if not everyone started diving (OW cert) in CA with a wetsuit. A lot of them actually dive here for a short time afterward and stop. Those who continue to dive and dive often eventually move to drysuit, altought this group is usually a small percentage of the original OW divers.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

"For recreational diving, the majority of people I see are in wetsuits". Most if not everyone started diving (OW cert) in CA with a wetsuit. A lot of them actually dive here for a short time afterward and stop. Those who continue to dive and dive often eventually move to drysuit, altought this group is usually a small percentage of the original OW divers.

+1. Just because most newly trained divers in SoCal use wetsuits, doesn't mean they are happy in them.

Further north in WA and BC, Canada, some instructors start their OW students in rental drysuits right off the bat. Down here in CA, you can get away with a 7mm wetsuit, but most people who are serious about the sport end up diving dry pretty quickly.

 

[Spg01]

If you dive enough and can justify the cost, get a dry suit. I remember trips to Anacapa and by the 3rd dive not really wanting to get back in and ending up doing a shorter dive. But with a dry suit on those same trips I have had no reason to cut a dive short because of being cold. So it is a yes if you are doing multiple dives in a day. But I also try to dive at least 2 days a week.

 

[al248005]

In the water with an 8/7 and drysuit you probably won't be able to tell that much of a difference. The noticeable difference is the time out of the water in between dives or after dives. With a wetsuit you will be cold and wet out of the water in between dives. With a drysuit on the other hand you will be most likely dry and a lot warmer. Also take into account with a wetsuit it will eventually wear out and lose warmth (4 or so years). With a drysuit they could last upwards of 20 years if you take care of them. Yes a zipper replacement and seals will need to be swapped out but if your looking to get the biggest bang for your buck, I really couldn't see how getting multiple $600 wetsuits were cheaper in the long run. What ever you decide on if you go the drysuit route try some out to see which ones you like and don't. I know DUI which is in CA has a demo tour where you could try them out and other manufacturers do the same also.