Is it fair to bring all new gear to my AOW class?

[Moby Dickins]

Yep, I've been doing that. No hood or gloves though. Just 7mm suit and boots. I remember from my surfing days that fall is pretty good temp wise for socal water, spring is the coldest due to upwelling.

 

[Marie13]

Yep, I've been doing that. No hood or gloves though. Just 7mm suit and boots. I remember from my surfing days that fall is pretty good temp wise for socal water, spring is the coldest due to upwelling.

What water temps are you looking at? You’d be surprised at the difference even a thin hood can make.

 

[Moby Dickins]

Currently 65 at the surface.

 

[Marie13]

Currently 65 at the surface.

If you have a thin hood or hooded vest from warm water diving, bring it along just in case.

 

[ChuckP]

Not a bad idea to let the instructor know it's a new suit and you've never dove a 7mm - your buoyancy characteristics will be different on ascent then you are used to. It's not a big deal, just something to be aware of and the instructor will talk you thru the differences.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Agree that If you've never dove California waters before, the buoyancy swings with a thick wetsuit will be the biggest difference. Thick, less dexterous gloves will also be new. Also, less viz than tropical waters.

However, my main view is that you are WAAY more considerate and conscientious than most students. The mere fact that you've considered this issue puts you ahead of most folks. (so my response to your question is yes, quite "fair"

I doubt your instructor will mind youre getting accustomed to new gear.

 

[Heka]

If you have a thin hood or hooded vest from warm water diving, bring it along just in case.

I agree 100%
I've dived once without a hood in a lake with 25C / 77F surface temp, It was nice until the first thermocline.

 

[wnissen]

Personally, I feel like I'm in a position to get far more out of instruction and/or dives when I've taken the stuff to the pool first. Especially in "Advanced" where it's really more about increasing your range and comfort in diving, rather than teaching you new skills per se.

Living in California, I have dived with people who have not done cold-water diving, and it's definitely a mixed bag. In my open water class, for instance, I found that my hood was much more constricting than it felt when I tried it on dry. Had to leave it off; thank goodness it was a short dive! A weight check is fine, probably inevitable. But you're talking about a wholesale change. I would work out any trim weighting in the pool if it's at all an option.

 

[garyh]

I want to get my AOW, but all of my diving has been in warm water. Now I live in a place that has cold water. So I bought a new wetsuit, boots, and on top of that bought new reg octo and backplate.

Is it fair to bring all this new stuff to my AOW class? Certainly not being familiar with the equipment (or even the proper weight) is going to slow things down a bit for me. On the other hand, these AOW classes are expensive and I wonder if a bit of flexibility from the instructor might be expected.

Chat with your instructor prior to the class.
Best case would be to do some shake down dives b4 the course.
You spent the coin learn on your own gear.
What are the other options, rental gear?

 

[Esprise Me]

I live in LA and dive at least weekly. I'm happy to chat about shops/instructors, and you're welcome to come dive with me and my friends. PM me if you're interested.

ETA: As to your main question, I think it would be a good idea to sign up for a private course. Most shops are offering that now (some are only doing private classes due to COVID). Assuming you're staying with PADI, you may want to choose Peak Performance Buoyancy as one of your specialties, and do that first before moving on to deep, navigation, and whatever others you chose. If you do that, and let your instructor know about the new gear and transition from warm water in advance, I see no reason to do a dive before your course.