So, we scheduled our spring dive trip down to our favorite camping/diving beach in Mexico for the weekend of May 21st. At the trip meeting that week, we learn that the warm water we're used to in this location, hasn't happened yet this year. Water temps in the Sea of Cortez just a short ways north of San Carlos were measured at mid 60s the previous weekend, and our LDS is advising wet suits (and more than a 3 mil).
I picked up a 6/5/4 from the shop, and was glad of it when we got to the beach last weekend. Water temperatures ranged from 64 - 66 F on our dives, and while that may not seem that cold to some of you who routinely dive in 40 - 50 F water, it would have been much too cold for my thin skin and sparse subcutaneous insulation. The 6/5/4 was a good fit for the conditions. I felt comfortable on the dives, though getting used to the dex loss of the thicker suit took a little time, and finding the right weighting was an ongoing experiment all weekend.
On the plus sides, I enjoyed some interesting dives, and gained some experience with the thicker wetsuit. A 6/5/4 is probably not enough for anything beyond a relatively shallow shore dive in California, but it's a good progression in experience towards a thicker wetsuit or layers (I'll get that Kelp Forest dive yet!). The cooler water hosted some different species of sea life that we hadn't seen on our previous dives, when the water was warmer, including a species of free-swimming flatworm.
On the minus side, I learned that you shouldn't forget the Moisture Munchers in the camera case when the water temps drop. Fogging isn't much of an issue when the water is in the mid 80s, but when it's in the 60s, it's a different story. I will have dessicant for the U/W case from now on!
I picked up a 6/5/4 from the shop, and was glad of it when we got to the beach last weekend. Water temperatures ranged from 64 - 66 F on our dives, and while that may not seem that cold to some of you who routinely dive in 40 - 50 F water, it would have been much too cold for my thin skin and sparse subcutaneous insulation. The 6/5/4 was a good fit for the conditions. I felt comfortable on the dives, though getting used to the dex loss of the thicker suit took a little time, and finding the right weighting was an ongoing experiment all weekend.
On the plus sides, I enjoyed some interesting dives, and gained some experience with the thicker wetsuit. A 6/5/4 is probably not enough for anything beyond a relatively shallow shore dive in California, but it's a good progression in experience towards a thicker wetsuit or layers (I'll get that Kelp Forest dive yet!). The cooler water hosted some different species of sea life that we hadn't seen on our previous dives, when the water was warmer, including a species of free-swimming flatworm.
On the minus side, I learned that you shouldn't forget the Moisture Munchers in the camera case when the water temps drop. Fogging isn't much of an issue when the water is in the mid 80s, but when it's in the 60s, it's a different story. I will have dessicant for the U/W case from now on!
