A Newbie to the boards - just moved back to NZ

[AndyNZ]

I just went to Kapiti two weeks ago and thought it was not enough wearing a 2-piece 7mm wetsuit....it was about 13 degrees. "Warm" for my fellow divers but WAY TOO COLD for me!!

Welcome to Wellington!!

There's a good reason for moving north!

 

[Josh2934]

Hi, i'm from Canada, so i'm used to diving chilly waters in a wetsuit. I'm going to aus in sept/oct. i was thinking i'll get a 3mm suit for that. I'm going to visit auckland during that time. Will the 3mm cut the mustard? I don't really wanna lug around a 7mm just for that.
Also, what kind of marine life can i expect around there?
ps. on my advanced course, we dove to 30m, it was 4 degrees C! lost my boys for a while after that!
Thanks a lot

 

[Mykl]

What a bunch of softies... you all need to take a hard pill. Just wait until the opening day of the scallop season in the Marlborough Sounds (15 Jul). The water temp is between 9 and 11 degrees and a 7mm two piece is fine for a couple of dives.

 

[AndyNZ]

Hi, i'm from Canada, so i'm used to diving chilly waters in a wetsuit. I'm going to aus in sept/oct. i was thinking i'll get a 3mm suit for that. I'm going to visit auckland during that time. Will the 3mm cut the mustard?

Sorry, I missed your post and just saw it today.

September is the coldest month of the year when it comes to water temps. Even in the north, it will probably be around 12-14 degC. I wouldn't dive in a 3mm at those temps, personally.

Depending on where you go in Aus, you may also find that a 3mm would be a tad on the chilly side.

What a bunch of softies... you all need to take a hard pill. Just wait until the opening day of the scallop season in the Marlborough Sounds (15 Jul). The water temp is between 9 and 11 degrees and a 7mm two piece is fine for a couple of dives.

Funny, I used to say the same thing. I distinctly remember waxing lyrical about wetsuits and being at one with the ocean and all that stuff.

Then I bought a drysuit, and realised that being warm really makes diving more enjoyable. I really do regret all those years of shivering between dives and never enjoying the second dive of the day.

Sure, a 7mm two piece might be warm enough for two short dives to fill your bag with kai. But I'd much rather have a drysuit - for many reasons. It's warmer for a start, and I use way less weight in my drysuit than I would in a two piece 7mm and it's way more comfortable. Why "harden up" when there's a much better alternative?

 

[Sas]

What a bunch of softies... you all need to take a hard pill. Just wait until the opening day of the scallop season in the Marlborough Sounds (15 Jul). The water temp is between 9 and 11 degrees and a 7mm two piece is fine for a couple of dives.

I used to say the same myself before I got one.

100mins later when I am still in the water in my drysuit, and the wetsuit divers are already home, I realise how wrong I was

 

[AndyNZ]

100mins later when I am still in the water in my drysuit, and the wetsuit divers are already home, I realise how wrong I was

I think all drysuit divers have much the same experience! I only know one person who prefers their wetsuit after having bought a drysuit - and I suspect it is because the drysuit is not quite the right size.