Winter diving vs. Summer diving

[Lexy]

Question for you fellow So Cal divers.... Do you change wetsuits between winter diving and summer diving? (Focusing only on diving in So Cal)

I'm curious because I bought a Xcel 9-7-6 polar tri-density suit, which is awesome for right now. But come Summer, will it be way too warm or just right?

-- Lexy

 

[scottfiji]

In that wetsuit, you might feel toasty from July-Oct; you have a few choices if you feel toasty:

- if you are wealthy, buy a 7mm wetsuit
- stop wearing a hood
- dive deeper where it is colder
- dive further north where it is colder
- do several dives in a row; you'll cool down eventually

Not trying to be sexist, but since you are female, the likelihood that you will feel warm at any point in California water is unlikely.

Scott

 

[ShakaZulu]

I think that is too much wetsuit for winter. You have to wear the hood, the way it's designed. Buy a cheapy 7mm for summer.

 

[Robert Phillips]

It may be a little warm topside in the summer but the water temp does not vary that much from winter to summer. You may see high 60's in the summer, but we have that right now. IF we get good Santa Ana winds the temp drops due to upwellings, so you should be taosty warm it that suit all year.
In the summer, if you have a long wait before hitting the water, leave it down until you are ready and just get a rash guard to wear (you can get a ticket for exposing yourself ) underneath. You can also dump water down the back to0 stay cool while you wait for buddies who may be slower to suit up.

I used to wear the same suit year round, but now I dive dry unless it is blazing hot out.

 

[Lexy]

In that wetsuit, you might feel toasty from July-Oct; you have a few choices if you feel toasty:

- if you are wealthy, buy a 7mm wetsuit
- stop wearing a hood
- dive deeper where it is colder
- dive further north where it is colder
- do several dives in a row; you'll cool down eventually

Not trying to be sexist, but since you are female, the likelihood that you will feel warm at any point in California water is unlikely.

Scott

No worries. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look at the 7mm's for summer. I'm actually typically cold when out of the water, to the point I wear a heavy jacket around the office. But I'm the exact opposite diving -> I stayed super warm in a rental 5/7 that was way too big for me. I'm toasty warm in the xcel 9-7-6. Guess I'm just an odd-ball kinda gal.

 

[sb_diver]

I own a 2 piece 6 mm farmer john/vest and wear a 3 mm hooded vest year round. I wish I could afford a few suits to change around. Up here in Santa Barbara I'm never really hot but I do get a little hot down in Laguna in the end of summer.

Now some people are always cold and others are always hot. I think you'll probably be really toasty in that suit on the surface and probably won't be too cold underwater when the water temps are in the high 60s.

Thomas

 

[Warren_L]

I would think a 7mm wetsuit should do fine in the winter. I've only ever dove SoCal once before and that was last December and the water temps were around 57F at the dive park at Catalina. The 7mm I had on was plenty warm, but a 7mm in the summer if the temps get up in the high 60s might be a little warm I would suspect.

 

[scottfiji]

I would think a 7mm wetsuit should do fine in the winter. I've only ever dove SoCal once before and that was last December and the water temps were around 57F at the dive park at Catalina. The 7mm I had on was plenty warm, but a 7mm in the summer if the temps get up in the high 60s might be a little warm I would suspect.

I assume, since Canada is quite a liberal country, that you were smoking crack when you wrote that paragraph? I have not yet met this fictional person who would be fine in a 7mm suit in the winter. Cold in the middle of the dive, yes. Cold at the end of the dive when also wearing a hooded vest, yes. Fine? only when running a fever...

 

[Warren_L]

I assume, since Canada is quite a liberal country, that you were smoking crack when you wrote that paragraph? I have not yet met this fictional person who would be fine in a 7mm suit in the winter. Cold in the middle of the dive, yes. Cold at the end of the dive when also wearing a hooded vest, yes. Fine? only when running a fever...

Can't say that I am much of a crack smoker, but yes, I dove Catalina around new years last year in a 7mm and water was 57F. It was quite comfortable, if I recall correctly. And if you wish to meet this "fictional person", come to Catalina just after new years. I will be there. Probably in a 7mm. Heck, I've even dove an ice dive in a 7mm here in Canada with water temps at 32F and have been fine on a 20 minute dive. It does start to get cold towards the end, but really, very tolerable. It's the air temperature you have to worry about around here in the winter.

 

[MyDiveLog]

In the summer I dive in a 5 mil wetsuit with a hooded vest ... that's fine for beach diving in Laguna. Water temps are in the 60s - low 70's, and you build up some body heat trudging up and down the hill to the beach.

Went on a boat dive last weekend in a 7 mil with an integrated hood and an additional vest underneath. Water was 57 degrees and I was FFFFFRRRRREEEEEZZZZING. Admittedly there was a bit of a current running but, after about 50 minutes into the dives I had to end it, despite having plenty of air and no deco time left....felt like I was enduring, rather than enjoying, the dives. I think part of the problem is that, unlike when beach diving, you don't really every recover your core body temperature between dives.

A dry suit is on order and will be ALL that I use for future winter boat dives!