cephalopod2
Contributor
- Messages
- 409
- Reaction score
- 146
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
I'm an avid warm water diver who did my first cold water dives in South Africa last spring and loved them. I want to buy a drysuit to take more cold water diving vacations. I'm too cold in my 14mm.
Since I have zero drysuit experience, I want to try diving in a rental drysuit first so I don't make a bad decision and end up buying something that doesn't work well for me. Obviously it's a significant investment and it seems lots of dive shops don't rent drysuits. I am female, so a couple people suggested that will leave me with fewer drysuit rental options as well.
Ocean diving is what I love but there's none where I live in Ontario, so I'm trying to find places where I could rent a drysuit or two, do some ocean dives, and get some great drysuit training. I think this would be possible in California - I'm looking for suggestions for good locations and ops. Other PNW locations might work (Washington, BC...?), but I'm looking for easyish conditions for a drysuit beginner including preferably largely boat dives (though I am happy to do early training dives in a pool or easy shore site). The purpose of this trip would be to work on drysuit diving and figure out the best design/options to buy, so it would be ideal to have weekday boat diving options. I could take up to 14 days including travel. No geographic restrictions other than reasonable flights and accommodation.
Per Biggest thing killing dive shops?, I don't want an op where I will be under intense sales pressure from the moment I open the door. If I could find someone great with lots of experience helping divers chose, fit and learn drysuits I would be thrilled. I'm Rescue certified, 1200+ dives.
Does anyone have suggestions for good locations for drysuit rentals and ocean drysuit training?
CA and PNW divers are there specific shops or instructors you would recommend for a project like this?
Anyone who has tried to do something like this, I would be grateful for your suggestions or advice.
Since I have zero drysuit experience, I want to try diving in a rental drysuit first so I don't make a bad decision and end up buying something that doesn't work well for me. Obviously it's a significant investment and it seems lots of dive shops don't rent drysuits. I am female, so a couple people suggested that will leave me with fewer drysuit rental options as well.
Ocean diving is what I love but there's none where I live in Ontario, so I'm trying to find places where I could rent a drysuit or two, do some ocean dives, and get some great drysuit training. I think this would be possible in California - I'm looking for suggestions for good locations and ops. Other PNW locations might work (Washington, BC...?), but I'm looking for easyish conditions for a drysuit beginner including preferably largely boat dives (though I am happy to do early training dives in a pool or easy shore site). The purpose of this trip would be to work on drysuit diving and figure out the best design/options to buy, so it would be ideal to have weekday boat diving options. I could take up to 14 days including travel. No geographic restrictions other than reasonable flights and accommodation.
Per Biggest thing killing dive shops?, I don't want an op where I will be under intense sales pressure from the moment I open the door. If I could find someone great with lots of experience helping divers chose, fit and learn drysuits I would be thrilled. I'm Rescue certified, 1200+ dives.
Does anyone have suggestions for good locations for drysuit rentals and ocean drysuit training?
CA and PNW divers are there specific shops or instructors you would recommend for a project like this?
Anyone who has tried to do something like this, I would be grateful for your suggestions or advice.
