Getting ready for cold water diving again, eek!

[aqua_mom]

I've put a stake in the ground. I've given myself until Aug. 16th to fit back into my Drysuit so I can brave the chilly waters of Monterey, CA. Summertime temps are usually between 52F and 60F but b/c we are so close to the deep water canyon it's not unheard of it to drop below 49F.

It's been over 3 years since I've dove cold water - I used to love it and I'm hoping to rekindle the flame. Wish me luck!

[MommaFish1030]

OOOH, cold water diving!!  I've done my fair share.  Done most of my diving in local lakes and of course, for the  best viz you have to go DEEP.........deep = cold, especially at certain times of the year.  Once in  the water  it's fine, but man I hate putting on all that gear - that heavy neoprene is a b**** to get on (only used a drysuit once) and all that extra weight, uggh.  But, I guess it's kind of like the saying 'nothing good in life is easy'.   Hope you have a great time.

[christinaliu]

Oh, you are a brave one!  I think I'm too wimpy for cold water diving!  Of course I've never dove using a drysuit before.  All the diving I've ever done (other than our Nitrox cert that was done in the quarry) has been off the Florida coast or in the Caribbean.  I've only ever used a 3 mil neoprene wetsuit for diving.

I remember something that made me laugh, though--while thumbing through a dive magazine a few years ago, I saw that someone had developed a CARIBBEAN WEIGHT DRY SUIT!  Seriously!  I mean, if the 80 degree plus Caribbean water isn't warm enough...but a DRY SUIT? 

I understand using the Dry Suit in the Great Lakes or off the Pacific Coast--that water is COLD!  I just can't see why one would use it in the Carribean.  Besides the fact that I'm pretty sure all the local divemasters (who typically only wear bathing suits to dive in) would be laughing their heads off if someone showed up in a DRY SUIT! 

[aqua_mom]

Wow a Caribbean dry suit?! That's wild! I know some people run cold but come on! LOL

It's going to be tough to get back in that cold murky water but I do love it. I've never dove Monterey in a wetsuit and don't ever plan to. I had a very savvy instructor who told us that we were more likely to continue diving in Monterey if we were certified in a dry suit over a wet suit. At least for me he was probably right.

Yes - the extra weight is a pain. At least I've got it distributed amongst my equipment so it's not all around my waist. Steel tanks, SS backplate all of it helps!

I'll report back after the dive ;)

[christinaliu]

I can't wait to hear the report!!!

When we dove in the quarry, I wore a 7-mil Farmer John.  I had so much extra weight on it was hard to move!  LOL

Talk about COLD water diving, though...I talked to a guy who dove off the coast of MAINE!!!  I asked him what he wore, assuming he wore a dry suit.  Nope.  He wore a wetsuit...a 9 mil wetsuit! 

First of all, I didn't even know they MADE 9-mil wetsuits!

Second of all, I had a hard enough time moving while wearing a 7 mil Farmer John.  I can't imagine what it's like to move wearing a 9-mil wetsuit!  Probably walking on land looking a little like Frankenstein, I'd imagine!

Then again, the ultimate cold water diving (totally NOT for me) is Ice Diving.  I've read about special ice diving regulators you need and stuff...yikes!  I'm the first to admit that I'm WAY too wimpy for that!  LOL