Miserable Westsuit Experience

[Steve_C]

Have dove all from 1mm to 10/14. Never noticed any big issue with different wetsuits.

 

[dmaziuk]

Pfft. Cold water drysuit divers are wussies. Real divers dive wetsuits.

There's this lady in Russia...

Spoiler

Naked female scientist tries to tame beluga whales in the arctic | Daily Mail Online

 

[Dogbowl]

There's this lady in Russia...

Spoiler

Naked female scientist tries to tame beluga whales in the arctic | Daily Mail Online

That'll solve the buoyancy issue!

 

[TMHeimer]

Exactly - once you have done 8C (45F) in a 7mm, you can call yourself a real diver (or stupid!).

How about 35F for 20 minutes (with lobster mitt gloves)?

 

[Kharon]

The OP is a prime example of those who have learnt to dive in the tropics struggle with diving in cooler climates, see this a lot where I come from, and is good example of why it is best to do your course in the area you come from, particularly if it is a cooler climate, rather than jetting off to the tropics where diving is so much easier. Diving in cold water is much more challenging and will make you a much better diver.

+1. It's not only harder buoyancy wise, but visibility makes nav skills much more critical and buoyancy just that much harder without clear visual clues. And add in towing a dive flag ...

I certified and dove in cold water in central NY before I ever got to dive warm. My first trip to Bonaire was like diving in heaven. Now I dive local to practice and clean the bottom. My diving for fun is always warm/hot water - When you're used to water with the thermocline at 42-53°F, water that is 78-80°F is hot - shorts and a thin nylon t-shirt. Love it.

 

[gcarter]

I certed in the Philippines, but do a large portion of my diving here, in cold water. It took awhile for me to get over the exposure protection induced claustrophobia and dial in my buoyancy as well.

 

[msinc]

I must be lucky, but I am generally not known for it...my last four dives were in a 7mm and while I did have to add some weight I had zero problems with anything else. Now I am worried that I did something right by accident and will have problems on the next one because I don't know what it is I was doing!!!
I will say this though, I had to buy my 7mm hood a size up because the same size 7mm as my 3mm was too tight around my regulator and really hurt my jaw/mouth area. Felt good until I started diving and put the reg in my mouth.

 

[Neilwood]

@msinc so long as you follow your training, which generally means adding air bit by bit as you descend and then venting it bit by bit on the way back up, you will be good. The trick is not to over inflate or over vent.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Did that this summer (mid July). Dove a quarry for the first time. Dropped to 60' and temp dropped to 43F. I only stayed at 60' for about 5 minutes. Then spent the rest of the dive at 30' and 60F. I'll be getting a dry suit before I try the quarry again.

The silver lining to that is when you ascend from 43F to 60F, 60F starts feeling like diving in the tropics. At least, it does for me whenever that happens.

 

[cburgert]

Soak the wetsuit prior to putting it on

Lol.