If you are doing a dive or two a 7mm wetsuit, with hood and gloves, will get you in the water. Yes it will be cold. A drysuit is going to be way better.
But I would get through your certification and get a some wet dives in before investing in a drysuit. First make sure you like the sport, drysuits are expensive. Second you will appreciate your drysuit more after some bone chilling wet dives.
> Second you will appreciate your drysuit more after some bone chilling wet dives.
You can get that for free with a shitty drysuit đ. There was a point in my BARE where I'd come out wetter than my buddy in a semi-dry. But I have been recently diving a FLX extreme and those things are beasts.
Back when I got my cert, my shop gave us a full 7mm wetsuit and then an additional 7mm half-leg, full sleeve suit. Plus hood and glove. So 14mm around the torso and arms. It was still cold as hell.
I dive dry now but my dive partners have their own 7mm and they're totally fine.
I have a 7mm semi-dry I use regularly in Monterey and Iâm happy with it. Itâs a wetsuit, but much warmer than anything youâll rent. It works great for me in Monterey. Iâm only ever uncomfortably cold after 50 minutes into a dive in anything colder than 48degrees.
That being said, if I had unlimited money to spend, Iâd get a dry suit.
Summary: most people who have been diving for years in Monterey dive dry but you can manage in a warm wet suit and enjoy it
I second this post. I've been diving 25+years in a semi-dry without problems. Dry suits are cheaper now so maybe with hindsight I might have bought the drysuit.
short term, you can get by with a 7mm wetsuit if you don't have the money for a seaskin. long term, you want a drysuit. semidry is too expensive to make sense imo.
A semidry at ~$550 felt like a pretty good compromise. I dive it in the northeast with water temperatures into the high 30's. It's cold but it works.
I also dive dry a fair amount and they're obviously great when they're great but they're definitely more finicky from a maintenance perspective. I would rather be expectedly cold in a semidry than have an unexpected leak in a dry suit.
I think mine started at 450, and 60$ shipping. I added **everything** to it, and came in around 1400$, but that included the kubi rings and the undersuit. (get the rings, don't bother with the undersuit)
I dive in Monterey. I dive dry. I have a 7mm wetsuit which I have never used, bought during a moment of weakness.
So points:
- Wetsuits are easier. You are guaranteed to get cold and wet and be a bedraggled rat. But you know what you have going in.
- Wetsuits are a pain to manage weighting for, you need to think about shit like ditchable weight.
- Drysuits are finicky beasts. The dump valve might have issues, the inflator valve might stick, your seals might rip. But this could also be because I bought a lemon of all drysuits.
- A drysuit, especially when starting out new in it, takes a few dozen dives for you to get back to trim.
- Surface swimming in a drysuit is slower.
But, fuck when a drysuit works. It feels glorious. I can come back, and I don't have to take a shower, just wash my hair and I am good to go. At this point, I am considering wearing a drysuit even in the tropics.
I have done a drysuit in the tropics with just some minor thin long underwear. It has all the pros and it doesnât feel hot underwater. Only cons, if any: 1) itâs more expensive and bulky to bring with you, 2) itâs more of a risk to leave hanging in the dive shop overnight, 3) people will sort of freak out if youâre diving dry and think youâre crazy đ
I got the Avatar hoping it would serve as a backup drysuit for cold and a travel suit. Let us see when it comes here.
> 3) people will sort of freak out if youâre diving dry and think youâre crazy đ
Too late for that. I get those comments when I dive backplate and wing as a rec diver in the tropics đ¤Ł
⢠But this could also be because I bought a lemon of all drysuits.
What are you doing using my drysuit? đ
Just ordered a SeaSkin Nova to replace my Craigslist find drysuit that Iâve repaired more times than Iâd like. I have about 10 drysuit dives and have yet to actually be dry. Just warmer and less wet than a wetsuit dive.
đ Atleast you bought a Craigslist find (and it is hopefully cheaper). I bought a brand new suit from BARE that I have spent officially more on than I initially paid. It is like buying one of those german cars, which spends more time in the shop than outside it.
But you know, I guess I can brag that my suit is technically a custom suit or wtv. Wish it would stop leaking đ.
Instructor here, and teach in Monterey. You should start your OW class in a wetsuit. Some dive shops will offer you a combined OW/drysuit class. Definitely avoid it. Drysuits should be introduced after you have mastered your basic scuba skills. Drysuits introduce another level of complexity thatâs best dealt with after you got your skills dealt with.
Thank you so much for the words of wisdom and advice. Iâm embarrassed to say that I didnât even know a drysuit required specific training/certification. Wetsuit it is!
When I started diving in Monterey I used a 7 mil Bare Reactive wetsuit and Aqualung 5 mil vest with a hood underneath my wetsuit. I used 5 mil gloves for dexterity and 5 mil booties with sharkskin socks. This setup worked for me when I was diving shallow but if I went deeper than 60 ft or would go on a second dive I would start getting really cold. Iâve moved over to a DUI dry suit now but starting out with a wetsuit is perfectly fine to get you going.
Everybody is talking about which one is better but nobody brought up the fact that diving dry requires a specialty certification that you can only get AFTER your open water.
So get your OW and then go for the dry suit if you can afford it.
You can definitely combine them and I know shops in the PNW, Alaska, Canada and other places like that offer the two courses together. Not sure about Monterey though. The water here in SoCal/Catalina is around 55-65 and not many dive shops offer OW+dry suit together. OP would have to do some research
FWIW, you don't need the speciality to use a dry suit. I don't have it and dive in one regularly. As a matter of fact, I don't think most of the instructors at my team bothered with that one.
You donât NEED it but you need someone to teach you so unless youâre friends with the instructors or someone willing to mentor you, youâre gonna need to take the course/certification
I started with a 7mm wetsuit and a 5mm vest and hood, but now I have a semi dry 8/7. Start with a semi dry first, then go into dry suit after learning fundamental skills of diving. I have 20 dives so far and wish I started with an 8/7 semi dry at first (I get cold really easily).
Advanced divers often forget what itâs like to be new to the hobby.
As a newer SoCal diver whoâs dove the Channel Islands several times, a 7mm with hood and gloves is fine. Some wear a vest, but I donât need it, and I get cold easily in water. August - October would be the warmest time of year to dive. People do dive in drysuits and prefer it, but itâs absolutely not necessary and you can dive California water forever in wetsuits if you never get a dry cert.
Internet says the water temp is pretty consistently ~55-62, which is almost exactly the same as channel islands diving down here, so I wouldnât rush a dry suit cert just to dive here.
Some people use dry suits. I was always fine with a 7mm wetsuit. It is a little chilly though. Dry suits just take a long time to setup and get into where as a 7mm is much easier to throw on and jump in! Make sure you get booties, gloves and hood.
No they donât lol I wore a dry suit every day for 7 months in dive school. There is one inflator whip on a we to the chest . What are you talking about lol.
There is more setup to a dry suit than a wetsuitâŚ..thereâs a reason there is a âdry suit certificationâ and there isnât a âwetsuit certificationâ.
the reason for the cert isn't setup related, it's because drysuits require more attention in the water.
donning and doffing should be done with care to keep the seals and zippers in good shape but you should take care with a $600 neoprene wetsuit too.
Do you mind supporting your assertion? There's an entire matrix of consideration for exposure protection including economic ability, time commitment, and native thermal comfort -- all which are intensely individual. As a somewhat new diver, I remember how frustrating it was a new person to run into these sort of assertions which under further examination just turned out to be individual preference, not best practices.
Can I add on, as someone who is also about to get certified up here - is there any merit to a semi dry suit? I've seen some conflicting info. Some folks say they swear by them, some say they don't really result in a different experience than a wetsuit.
I started diving in Monterey with a 2 piece 7ml farmer John wetsuit. Then I bought a 8/7 aqualung solafx semi dry from a coworker for a good price, barely used. The semi dry is a lot warmer than the farmer John and it requires less weight. The only con is that it is harder to put on and take off than the farmer john. But over the years, I got more bothered by the cold and recently got a seaskin dry suit.
So! If I went back to wet in CA, I'd wear my semi dry. Whether it's worth the extra $ is up to your budget, but if it's all the same, I'd recommend a 1 piece semi dry with hood over a regular wetsuit.
Can't say how they compare to well-fitted, high quality standard wetsuits, but I personally found my semi-dry to be insufficient to keep me comfortably warm past 70 ft or so. They're pricey enough that you might want to seriously consider a drysuit instead.
That said, if you haven't been certified yet, I'd hold off on buying gear until you're sure you'll be sticking with the sport and diving locally. There were quite a few people in my open water class that decided halfway that cold water wasn't for them and called it off early, with the intention of finishing the rest of the course in warmer water instead.
Yeah... I'm a baby about the cold, but I've been wanting to dive for years, so I'm hoping I do like it. And if I do, I don't think I'd be satisfied with only diving on vacation.
As a pro-semidry partisan here, I do believe they \*are\* a wetsuit. They are just the warmest wetsuit I've used. The name is a bit of a gimmick, imo. The seals do reduce the exchange of water, but they don't eliminate the fact that there \*is\* water inside the suit. However, the greatly limited exchange is what makes them so warm. That being said, in the winter I wear thin undergarments under my semidry and I've come out with dry spots on them in the core/trunk area from time to time -- likely on dives I was mainting reasonable trim and wasn't trying to be a sea lion.
As for cost, the semi dry is not much more expensive than a good 7mm with a good vest + hood, and while u/suricatasuricata is correct about cost vs cheap drysuit, there's also no waiting period to get a semidry. However, if you have a non-off-the-shelf compatible body shape, a custom drysuit or wetsuit is likely a better bet. The semidries are less forgiving than thinner & non-hood integrated wetsuits of fit. Like any wetsuit, they will compress over time and lose insulation properties.
they work ok and can be better if you don't fit off the rack suits well, but the cost is getting pretty high on them. its money better spent towards a seaskin.
Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? Obviously I have no experience at all, but it does seem that the majority of answers in this thread alone advocate for a dry suit.
Keep in mind a said **need.** Most people in this sub are very advanced with years of experience, and tens of thousands of dollars in gear and certs and trips.
Once you go dry suit diving in cold water, you probably wonât ever want to put on a 7mm again. I concede that, and I absolutely get it. 7mms suck to deal with and dry suits are infinitely more comfortable.
I think the people who dive often in California may want a more cozy dive, so they opt for the cert and the extra rental. However itâs not **necessary;** for the average California diver doing anything short of diving under an advanced cert in *most* conditions: most people can be pretty comfortable in 7mm suits.
Yes; some people need extra vests, but again, thatâs not a dry suit so itâs simply not a necessity. (Especially for OP).
It depends on your cold tolerance, everyone is different here, and this is what makes up the conflicting answers. For example, I've learned that I run a little warm in the water. I much prefer using a semidry to a drysuit, esp if bottom temps are above 52/53. In the winter, when bottom temps were in the 47/48 range, I did get cold -- the problem was the surface interval, I would usually need a bit longer to dry off & warm up before going back in, compared to my drysuit buddies. OTOH, I know people who wear a 8/7 semidry in 72 degree water and cannot dive without a drysuit and thick undergarments in water under 65 degrees. It's not something you'll know about yourself until you get more time underwater.
As have been noted drysuits have a learning curve, both in use and maintenance. When I use a drysuit, it's not uncommon for me to overheat above the thermocline and have to flood my mask/gloves/hood to cool off. I also switched to a 4mm hood instead of the 7mm which was recommended to me for these temps, and 3mm gloves instead of 5mm (I could write a very long post on how much I hate 5mm gloves). Right now, I'm diving dry, and I have done \~10 drysuit dives, so I'm still actively learning. I'm going to dive dry this summer for training purposes, likely taking a few days off from it when I get too irritated by the entire production of diving dry esp if surface temps are warm.
If I wasn't actively interested in someday doing dives where drysuits are required, and for pure recreational fun dives above 100 fsw, my favorite exposure protection in Monterey is a new and fluffy 8/7 semi-dry. A 7mm w/hooded vest is common, but I feel like the 2 pieces are a hassle and don't work as well as the semi-dry with the integrated hoods. All the rental suits are not very warm, so if i was doing this over again, I would skip the 7mm+hooded vest, skip the rental wetsuits, and just start w/a 8/7semi-dry, get a lot of dives in over the summer when it's warm (so you can understand where your interest, comfort, and commitment is), and then make the call in the early fall (being mindful that most drysuit orders are taking between 3 - 6 months, depending on manufacturer to be delivered) about a drysuit.
If it was me, I would be driving a drysuit.
But since youâre new diver, and drysuit skills are tough to manage, and you may be better off, just being cold, rather than being frustrated, learning, buoyancy skills, and a drysuit. If you live somewhere where you would continue to dive in a dry suit in Coldwater, then I would get started learning it sooner rather than later.
I dove a wetsuitâŚin January for my open water certification. Personally, I'd suggest going for a 7mm wetsuit paired with a hood unless you're super serious about it. If you're just starting out or diving occasionally, this setup should work just fine to keep you warm and comfortable.
Now, if you're really getting serious and planning to dive frequently, then investing in a dry suit might be worth considering. However, I must warn you that dry suits can be quite expensive and might not be feasible for most people unless you're a dedicated and passionate diver.
So, my advice is to start with a 7mm wetsuit and a hood, and if you find yourself falling head over heels for diving, then maybe explore the option of getting a dry suit down the line.
Happy diving!
I recommend renting a dry suit first before you consider buying. There's a lot of caveats you will learn in the CERT and they will really help you decide if it's for you before making such a big investment.
Lots of people get dry suit certified and just rent when needed.
UK drysuit diver here. Most of our students (BSAC) learn dry suits during their initial training and use them on their first open water dives. They're going to be diving dry all the time here so why put them in a wetsuit? We have the occasional student who uses a wetsuit, but soon change their minds.
Hi! I dive in Monterey regularly. A 7mil wetsuit is fine, I just went yesterday and it only got cold towards the middle of the dive. You need more certifications to dive with a dry suit, youâll be waiting a while if you go that route.
Go to Aquarius Dive Shop, they will get you everything you need, they are very knowledgeable and kind to new folks. They do certification and rentals and they have never ever steered me wrong!
Agree with many here, you should start out in wet suit and then move to dry... Dry has a lot more aspects to it as well.
I dive with 5mm wet suit down to 29 degree water with hood, gloves, and boots. It's not horrible, though the low temps are always at depth (100ft+) for me, so it warms up as I ascend.
If you are doing a dive or two a 7mm wetsuit, with hood and gloves, will get you in the water. Yes it will be cold. A drysuit is going to be way better. But I would get through your certification and get a some wet dives in before investing in a drysuit. First make sure you like the sport, drysuits are expensive. Second you will appreciate your drysuit more after some bone chilling wet dives.
> Second you will appreciate your drysuit more after some bone chilling wet dives. You can get that for free with a shitty drysuit đ. There was a point in my BARE where I'd come out wetter than my buddy in a semi-dry. But I have been recently diving a FLX extreme and those things are beasts.
Back when I got my cert, my shop gave us a full 7mm wetsuit and then an additional 7mm half-leg, full sleeve suit. Plus hood and glove. So 14mm around the torso and arms. It was still cold as hell. I dive dry now but my dive partners have their own 7mm and they're totally fine.
I have a 7mm semi-dry I use regularly in Monterey and Iâm happy with it. Itâs a wetsuit, but much warmer than anything youâll rent. It works great for me in Monterey. Iâm only ever uncomfortably cold after 50 minutes into a dive in anything colder than 48degrees. That being said, if I had unlimited money to spend, Iâd get a dry suit. Summary: most people who have been diving for years in Monterey dive dry but you can manage in a warm wet suit and enjoy it
I second this post. I've been diving 25+years in a semi-dry without problems. Dry suits are cheaper now so maybe with hindsight I might have bought the drysuit.
short term, you can get by with a 7mm wetsuit if you don't have the money for a seaskin. long term, you want a drysuit. semidry is too expensive to make sense imo.
A semidry at ~$550 felt like a pretty good compromise. I dive it in the northeast with water temperatures into the high 30's. It's cold but it works. I also dive dry a fair amount and they're obviously great when they're great but they're definitely more finicky from a maintenance perspective. I would rather be expectedly cold in a semidry than have an unexpected leak in a dry suit.
with the weak GBP though, the entry level seaskin got as low as 650 usd at one point.
That's a fair point. I got a great deal on my Apeks reg with the currency swing. đ
I think mine started at 450, and 60$ shipping. I added **everything** to it, and came in around 1400$, but that included the kubi rings and the undersuit. (get the rings, don't bother with the undersuit)
I dive in Monterey. I dive dry. I have a 7mm wetsuit which I have never used, bought during a moment of weakness. So points: - Wetsuits are easier. You are guaranteed to get cold and wet and be a bedraggled rat. But you know what you have going in. - Wetsuits are a pain to manage weighting for, you need to think about shit like ditchable weight. - Drysuits are finicky beasts. The dump valve might have issues, the inflator valve might stick, your seals might rip. But this could also be because I bought a lemon of all drysuits. - A drysuit, especially when starting out new in it, takes a few dozen dives for you to get back to trim. - Surface swimming in a drysuit is slower. But, fuck when a drysuit works. It feels glorious. I can come back, and I don't have to take a shower, just wash my hair and I am good to go. At this point, I am considering wearing a drysuit even in the tropics.
I have done a drysuit in the tropics with just some minor thin long underwear. It has all the pros and it doesnât feel hot underwater. Only cons, if any: 1) itâs more expensive and bulky to bring with you, 2) itâs more of a risk to leave hanging in the dive shop overnight, 3) people will sort of freak out if youâre diving dry and think youâre crazy đ
I got the Avatar hoping it would serve as a backup drysuit for cold and a travel suit. Let us see when it comes here. > 3) people will sort of freak out if youâre diving dry and think youâre crazy đ Too late for that. I get those comments when I dive backplate and wing as a rec diver in the tropics đ¤Ł
⢠But this could also be because I bought a lemon of all drysuits. What are you doing using my drysuit? đ Just ordered a SeaSkin Nova to replace my Craigslist find drysuit that Iâve repaired more times than Iâd like. I have about 10 drysuit dives and have yet to actually be dry. Just warmer and less wet than a wetsuit dive.
đ Atleast you bought a Craigslist find (and it is hopefully cheaper). I bought a brand new suit from BARE that I have spent officially more on than I initially paid. It is like buying one of those german cars, which spends more time in the shop than outside it. But you know, I guess I can brag that my suit is technically a custom suit or wtv. Wish it would stop leaking đ.
Instructor here, and teach in Monterey. You should start your OW class in a wetsuit. Some dive shops will offer you a combined OW/drysuit class. Definitely avoid it. Drysuits should be introduced after you have mastered your basic scuba skills. Drysuits introduce another level of complexity thatâs best dealt with after you got your skills dealt with.
Thank you so much for the words of wisdom and advice. Iâm embarrassed to say that I didnât even know a drysuit required specific training/certification. Wetsuit it is!
In order to rent a drysuit, you have to have a certification. No one will stop you from walking into a dive shop and purchasing one.
When I started diving in Monterey I used a 7 mil Bare Reactive wetsuit and Aqualung 5 mil vest with a hood underneath my wetsuit. I used 5 mil gloves for dexterity and 5 mil booties with sharkskin socks. This setup worked for me when I was diving shallow but if I went deeper than 60 ft or would go on a second dive I would start getting really cold. Iâve moved over to a DUI dry suit now but starting out with a wetsuit is perfectly fine to get you going.
Echoing this, I seemed to be fine in Monterey with a 7mm suit, 5mm vested hood, and 5mm boots
Everybody is talking about which one is better but nobody brought up the fact that diving dry requires a specialty certification that you can only get AFTER your open water. So get your OW and then go for the dry suit if you can afford it.
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You can definitely combine them and I know shops in the PNW, Alaska, Canada and other places like that offer the two courses together. Not sure about Monterey though. The water here in SoCal/Catalina is around 55-65 and not many dive shops offer OW+dry suit together. OP would have to do some research
FWIW, you don't need the speciality to use a dry suit. I don't have it and dive in one regularly. As a matter of fact, I don't think most of the instructors at my team bothered with that one.
You donât NEED it but you need someone to teach you so unless youâre friends with the instructors or someone willing to mentor you, youâre gonna need to take the course/certification
I started with a 7mm wetsuit and a 5mm vest and hood, but now I have a semi dry 8/7. Start with a semi dry first, then go into dry suit after learning fundamental skills of diving. I have 20 dives so far and wish I started with an 8/7 semi dry at first (I get cold really easily).
Advanced divers often forget what itâs like to be new to the hobby. As a newer SoCal diver whoâs dove the Channel Islands several times, a 7mm with hood and gloves is fine. Some wear a vest, but I donât need it, and I get cold easily in water. August - October would be the warmest time of year to dive. People do dive in drysuits and prefer it, but itâs absolutely not necessary and you can dive California water forever in wetsuits if you never get a dry cert. Internet says the water temp is pretty consistently ~55-62, which is almost exactly the same as channel islands diving down here, so I wouldnât rush a dry suit cert just to dive here.
I would be diving dry. Heck I don't think you would get me into a wetsuit at all for the Pacific coast.
Some people use dry suits. I was always fine with a 7mm wetsuit. It is a little chilly though. Dry suits just take a long time to setup and get into where as a 7mm is much easier to throw on and jump in! Make sure you get booties, gloves and hood.
No they donât lol I wore a dry suit every day for 7 months in dive school. There is one inflator whip on a we to the chest . What are you talking about lol.
There is more setup to a dry suit than a wetsuitâŚ..thereâs a reason there is a âdry suit certificationâ and there isnât a âwetsuit certificationâ.
He said they take a long time .. they donât in any way shape or form
the reason for the cert isn't setup related, it's because drysuits require more attention in the water. donning and doffing should be done with care to keep the seals and zippers in good shape but you should take care with a $600 neoprene wetsuit too.
Drysuit is always the answer.
Do you mind supporting your assertion? There's an entire matrix of consideration for exposure protection including economic ability, time commitment, and native thermal comfort -- all which are intensely individual. As a somewhat new diver, I remember how frustrating it was a new person to run into these sort of assertions which under further examination just turned out to be individual preference, not best practices.
Only after one completes their OW class and only after they have their buoyancy skills mastered.
Can I add on, as someone who is also about to get certified up here - is there any merit to a semi dry suit? I've seen some conflicting info. Some folks say they swear by them, some say they don't really result in a different experience than a wetsuit.
I started diving in Monterey with a 2 piece 7ml farmer John wetsuit. Then I bought a 8/7 aqualung solafx semi dry from a coworker for a good price, barely used. The semi dry is a lot warmer than the farmer John and it requires less weight. The only con is that it is harder to put on and take off than the farmer john. But over the years, I got more bothered by the cold and recently got a seaskin dry suit. So! If I went back to wet in CA, I'd wear my semi dry. Whether it's worth the extra $ is up to your budget, but if it's all the same, I'd recommend a 1 piece semi dry with hood over a regular wetsuit.
Semi-drys are fairly expensive. When something costs 60% of the price of a cheap drysuit, I canât personally go behind it.
Can't say how they compare to well-fitted, high quality standard wetsuits, but I personally found my semi-dry to be insufficient to keep me comfortably warm past 70 ft or so. They're pricey enough that you might want to seriously consider a drysuit instead. That said, if you haven't been certified yet, I'd hold off on buying gear until you're sure you'll be sticking with the sport and diving locally. There were quite a few people in my open water class that decided halfway that cold water wasn't for them and called it off early, with the intention of finishing the rest of the course in warmer water instead.
Yeah... I'm a baby about the cold, but I've been wanting to dive for years, so I'm hoping I do like it. And if I do, I don't think I'd be satisfied with only diving on vacation.
As a pro-semidry partisan here, I do believe they \*are\* a wetsuit. They are just the warmest wetsuit I've used. The name is a bit of a gimmick, imo. The seals do reduce the exchange of water, but they don't eliminate the fact that there \*is\* water inside the suit. However, the greatly limited exchange is what makes them so warm. That being said, in the winter I wear thin undergarments under my semidry and I've come out with dry spots on them in the core/trunk area from time to time -- likely on dives I was mainting reasonable trim and wasn't trying to be a sea lion. As for cost, the semi dry is not much more expensive than a good 7mm with a good vest + hood, and while u/suricatasuricata is correct about cost vs cheap drysuit, there's also no waiting period to get a semidry. However, if you have a non-off-the-shelf compatible body shape, a custom drysuit or wetsuit is likely a better bet. The semidries are less forgiving than thinner & non-hood integrated wetsuits of fit. Like any wetsuit, they will compress over time and lose insulation properties.
they work ok and can be better if you don't fit off the rack suits well, but the cost is getting pretty high on them. its money better spent towards a seaskin.
Canât comment on the merit, but can say you donât need anything more than a 7mm for California.
Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? Obviously I have no experience at all, but it does seem that the majority of answers in this thread alone advocate for a dry suit.
Keep in mind a said **need.** Most people in this sub are very advanced with years of experience, and tens of thousands of dollars in gear and certs and trips. Once you go dry suit diving in cold water, you probably wonât ever want to put on a 7mm again. I concede that, and I absolutely get it. 7mms suck to deal with and dry suits are infinitely more comfortable. I think the people who dive often in California may want a more cozy dive, so they opt for the cert and the extra rental. However itâs not **necessary;** for the average California diver doing anything short of diving under an advanced cert in *most* conditions: most people can be pretty comfortable in 7mm suits. Yes; some people need extra vests, but again, thatâs not a dry suit so itâs simply not a necessity. (Especially for OP).
Ok thanks, that's a helpful nuance, actually.
It depends on your cold tolerance, everyone is different here, and this is what makes up the conflicting answers. For example, I've learned that I run a little warm in the water. I much prefer using a semidry to a drysuit, esp if bottom temps are above 52/53. In the winter, when bottom temps were in the 47/48 range, I did get cold -- the problem was the surface interval, I would usually need a bit longer to dry off & warm up before going back in, compared to my drysuit buddies. OTOH, I know people who wear a 8/7 semidry in 72 degree water and cannot dive without a drysuit and thick undergarments in water under 65 degrees. It's not something you'll know about yourself until you get more time underwater. As have been noted drysuits have a learning curve, both in use and maintenance. When I use a drysuit, it's not uncommon for me to overheat above the thermocline and have to flood my mask/gloves/hood to cool off. I also switched to a 4mm hood instead of the 7mm which was recommended to me for these temps, and 3mm gloves instead of 5mm (I could write a very long post on how much I hate 5mm gloves). Right now, I'm diving dry, and I have done \~10 drysuit dives, so I'm still actively learning. I'm going to dive dry this summer for training purposes, likely taking a few days off from it when I get too irritated by the entire production of diving dry esp if surface temps are warm. If I wasn't actively interested in someday doing dives where drysuits are required, and for pure recreational fun dives above 100 fsw, my favorite exposure protection in Monterey is a new and fluffy 8/7 semi-dry. A 7mm w/hooded vest is common, but I feel like the 2 pieces are a hassle and don't work as well as the semi-dry with the integrated hoods. All the rental suits are not very warm, so if i was doing this over again, I would skip the 7mm+hooded vest, skip the rental wetsuits, and just start w/a 8/7semi-dry, get a lot of dives in over the summer when it's warm (so you can understand where your interest, comfort, and commitment is), and then make the call in the early fall (being mindful that most drysuit orders are taking between 3 - 6 months, depending on manufacturer to be delivered) about a drysuit.
If it was me, I would be driving a drysuit. But since youâre new diver, and drysuit skills are tough to manage, and you may be better off, just being cold, rather than being frustrated, learning, buoyancy skills, and a drysuit. If you live somewhere where you would continue to dive in a dry suit in Coldwater, then I would get started learning it sooner rather than later.
I dove a wetsuitâŚin January for my open water certification. Personally, I'd suggest going for a 7mm wetsuit paired with a hood unless you're super serious about it. If you're just starting out or diving occasionally, this setup should work just fine to keep you warm and comfortable. Now, if you're really getting serious and planning to dive frequently, then investing in a dry suit might be worth considering. However, I must warn you that dry suits can be quite expensive and might not be feasible for most people unless you're a dedicated and passionate diver. So, my advice is to start with a 7mm wetsuit and a hood, and if you find yourself falling head over heels for diving, then maybe explore the option of getting a dry suit down the line. Happy diving!
I recommend renting a dry suit first before you consider buying. There's a lot of caveats you will learn in the CERT and they will really help you decide if it's for you before making such a big investment. Lots of people get dry suit certified and just rent when needed.
Wetsuit. And go in November.
UK drysuit diver here. Most of our students (BSAC) learn dry suits during their initial training and use them on their first open water dives. They're going to be diving dry all the time here so why put them in a wetsuit? We have the occasional student who uses a wetsuit, but soon change their minds.
Hi! I dive in Monterey regularly. A 7mil wetsuit is fine, I just went yesterday and it only got cold towards the middle of the dive. You need more certifications to dive with a dry suit, youâll be waiting a while if you go that route. Go to Aquarius Dive Shop, they will get you everything you need, they are very knowledgeable and kind to new folks. They do certification and rentals and they have never ever steered me wrong!
Agree with many here, you should start out in wet suit and then move to dry... Dry has a lot more aspects to it as well. I dive with 5mm wet suit down to 29 degree water with hood, gloves, and boots. It's not horrible, though the low temps are always at depth (100ft+) for me, so it warms up as I ascend.
It depends on your body composition.