Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7mm wet suit question

[Noemi]

Being a newbie with some experience diving California, I think drysuits and p-valves are an unnecessary complication.

You will have a lot of things to worry about in the beginning - buoyancy, being comfortable in the water, following your dive profile etc. You don't want to add more to this mix. Drysuit will add a lot of task loading.

I would recommend renting a wetsuit first, with gloves, booties, etc. and doing a discovery dive if you're not certified yet to see if you will be warm enough. Chances are you will be fine.

Also, initially you are limited by air consumption quite a lot, so think 30-40 minute dives max. If you go before the dive, do you really have to pee within next 30 min and won't be able to wait a few minutes until you are out of the water?

Don't add more than the minimum. I made a mistake of taking a camera with me on my second cold water dive and the task loading cost me quite a lot of anxiety. If I also had to take care of the drysuit squeeze and added buoyancy and worry about more things it could've been worse.

Learn to have fun diving first and then do whatever can extend/enhance this fun.

 

[tbeck3579]

Being a newbie with some experience diving California, I think drysuits and p-valves are an unnecessary complication.

You will have a lot of things to worry about in the beginning - buoyancy, being comfortable in the water, following your dive profile etc. You don't want to add more to this mix. Drysuit will add a lot of task loading.

I would recommend renting a wetsuit first, with gloves, booties, etc. and doing a discovery dive if you're not certified yet to see if you will be warm enough. Chances are you will be fine.

Also, initially you are limited by air consumption quite a lot, so think 30-40 minute dives max. If you go before the dive, do you really have to pee within next 30 min and won't be able to wait a few minutes until you are out of the water?

Don't add more than the minimum. I made a mistake of taking a camera with me on my second cold water dive and the task loading cost me quite a lot of anxiety. If I also had to take care of the drysuit squeeze and added buoyancy and worry about more things it could've been worse.

Learn to have fun diving first and then do whatever can extend/enhance this fun.

I think you may be right -- I do have a lot to worry about in the beginning. Thanks so much for your advice and help.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Being a newbie with some experience diving California, I think drysuits and p-valves are an unnecessary complication.

Drysuit will add a lot of task loading.

Precisely. Drysuits are not a necessity.

 

[stuartv]

Precisely. Drysuits are not a necessity.

So, you have some direct, personal knowledge of the OP's personal cold tolerance?

 

[muzikbiz22]

So, you have some direct, personal knowledge of the OP's personal cold tolerance?

I do not, and not implying that I in fact do. It's more about adding task loading to a new diver, buoyancy, etc. Yes, there are new divers that learn "right out of the gate" in a drysuit. It's not for me, or would not have been an option when I first got certified. Also, if geographics dictate learning in a drysuit, then sure, yeah. I can relate.

 

[stuartv]

I do not, and not implying that I in fact do. It's more about adding task loading to a new diver, buoyancy, etc. Yes, there are new divers that learn "right out of the gate" in a drysuit. It's not for me, or would not have been an option when I first got certified. Also, if geographics dictate learning in a drysuit, then sure, yeah. I can relate.

You said a drysuit is not a necessity. That directly implies that you know the OP can do her desired dives safely without a drysuit.

Diving safely requires the diver to not be TOO cold. Without knowing the OP's personal cold tolerance, how can you conclude that she can be warm enough to do her intended dives safely without a drysuit? I believe it is the case that some people really just do not have the cold tolerance to dive California waters safely without a drysuit.

It has already been noted that a lot of divers do their OW courses in a drysuit right from the beginning. It is a perfectly feasible option. A drysuit that fits well and some good basic instruction make it really not much extra task loading at all. It's just not THAT hard. And if you're warm and comfy, it could actually be easier than attempting the same tasks in a poor-fitting rental wetsuit and freezing your buns off.

I don't have a lot of experience so far, but from what I have seen, poor-fitting gear and being cold are frequently major impediments to new divers being successful with what they are trying to do. At least, around here where OW checkout dives are done in water that runs 55F to the low 60s.