georgefrombc
New member
hi have been looking for a good cold water wetsuit.. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated ty very much..
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looking for a wetsuit any suggestions
- Thread starter georgefrombc
- Start date
grumpyolman
New member
Not trying to be a total smart *&#, but the phrase "good cold water wet suit" suit is an oxymoron...like fighting for peace, or military intelligence. I have been diving since 1960, only a regular sport diver, and have had many wet suits, made from different materials, and different configurations, IE. Farmer John with shorty underneath; Over thickness, skin in (no nylon on one side and use baby powder as dry lube so it'll slide on) and my latest is the infamous titanium. Some were stock off the shelf and others were custom built.
Here are my objections. Wet suits are restrictive in nature. Yeah! They've gotten better but there is still lots of restriction. Unless you are wealthy enough to own a motor home, you'll always put them on standing in the cold and you'll take them off in the cold with your skin wet from the dive. You'll have to find some place to get out of your wet swim suit after the dive without getting arrested. And in 'cold' water, you'll still be uncomfortably cold in an hour or two. Specially if you are metal detecting. You don't generate much body heat while detecting with SCUBA. Fewer muscles will be used underwater than on the surface for the same amount of area covered. About the only part of your body that is working hard is your right arm. You sweep and then fan.dig with that arm to recover the goodies. The rest of the body sort of moves along with the upper. You'll probably do more of a low crawl on the bottom rather than an actual swim. In contrast if you were sport diving seeing the sites, you'd be kicking with the fins and generating some heat.
Here's the solution. GET A DRY SUIT! They are more expensive, but you can crawl into them in the middle of the mall without offending anyone as you'll have on thick pajamas or your street clothes. DO your dive. Come out of the water and peel your suit off and put on a jacket.coat, warm and dry and drive home to your next place to try.I am going for a used suit. There are lots of them out there and they can be had for about the same price as a good wet suit. They require maintenance on the seals but you can do that yourself without sending it back into the manufacturer for a big repair bill. Hope it helps. Just my opinion but I'd be interested to know if money wasn't an option, if anyone who cold water dives would PREFER a wet suit. Later ...Jim
Here are my objections. Wet suits are restrictive in nature. Yeah! They've gotten better but there is still lots of restriction. Unless you are wealthy enough to own a motor home, you'll always put them on standing in the cold and you'll take them off in the cold with your skin wet from the dive. You'll have to find some place to get out of your wet swim suit after the dive without getting arrested. And in 'cold' water, you'll still be uncomfortably cold in an hour or two. Specially if you are metal detecting. You don't generate much body heat while detecting with SCUBA. Fewer muscles will be used underwater than on the surface for the same amount of area covered. About the only part of your body that is working hard is your right arm. You sweep and then fan.dig with that arm to recover the goodies. The rest of the body sort of moves along with the upper. You'll probably do more of a low crawl on the bottom rather than an actual swim. In contrast if you were sport diving seeing the sites, you'd be kicking with the fins and generating some heat.
Here's the solution. GET A DRY SUIT! They are more expensive, but you can crawl into them in the middle of the mall without offending anyone as you'll have on thick pajamas or your street clothes. DO your dive. Come out of the water and peel your suit off and put on a jacket.coat, warm and dry and drive home to your next place to try.I am going for a used suit. There are lots of them out there and they can be had for about the same price as a good wet suit. They require maintenance on the seals but you can do that yourself without sending it back into the manufacturer for a big repair bill. Hope it helps. Just my opinion but I'd be interested to know if money wasn't an option, if anyone who cold water dives would PREFER a wet suit. Later ...Jim
Grumpy,
I dive and snorkel the lakes in the Puget Sound area. I have two dry suits. One front entry.
I do not use either one. They are hanging in a down stairs shower. Recently checked on them
and had to have the neck seal on the USIA redone. Came from together, just hanging there.
Here is the problem with me using them, I am short. Damn near every suit off the shelf is
large. Guess only big guys wear dry suits. Had as much tailoring done as was feasible,
still fit like a gunny sack. And if water comes in around the wrist seals, it's pretty miserable.
If you are large, or can afford to have one custom built, way to go. I have been in Lake
Washington three times recently, froze my...in my wet suit, but still prefer that.
I dive and snorkel the lakes in the Puget Sound area. I have two dry suits. One front entry.
I do not use either one. They are hanging in a down stairs shower. Recently checked on them
and had to have the neck seal on the USIA redone. Came from together, just hanging there.
Here is the problem with me using them, I am short. Damn near every suit off the shelf is
large. Guess only big guys wear dry suits. Had as much tailoring done as was feasible,
still fit like a gunny sack. And if water comes in around the wrist seals, it's pretty miserable.
If you are large, or can afford to have one custom built, way to go. I have been in Lake
Washington three times recently, froze my...in my wet suit, but still prefer that.
Dean Stone
New member
Hay, georgeformbc, Try Tommydsports.com. They are in FL. just got one from them. They are grate to deal with, I ordered the first one to big, call and they said send it back and get another, so i did . Got my other suit 5 days later. Look at there website. good looking suits. Good Luck Flintstone
grumpyolman
New member
Rehless...There's a place in Seattle that specializes in used equipment. It's Discount Diver's Supply. You might be able to get some $$ for those suits that you don't want anymore. That's where I am going to look at used suits. Know nothing about them except what I've read on the net and have talked with them a few times and they seem like nice people. Jim
georgefrombc
New member
thank you everyone, i have checkout tommydsports and talk to you and you they seem to be pretty awesome about there prices... i have also checked ebay and there is a guy that is selling a semi dry wetsuit from melborne fl...was around 200 dollars... i have a couple wetsuits but i grew a little as i am getting older lol.. thing that sucks is i got a neoprene drysuit down stairs but it is getting really old.. ok will check a little more and keep reading the thread a little more if there is anymore responses... ty very much again..
Gulf Hunter
Active member
n/t
georgefrombc
New member
hey i did check it out..wow that is a great deal... if i where like 25 pound lighter i would probley fit in that suit.. i put 5 8 but no i 5 9 and i am like 225 pound probley be a little small for me or i would go for that deal ty golf hunter for the post..
Gulf Hunter
Active member
Sounds like a fit to me, I am 5'10" and around 220, give 'er take. The inner skin, may be a bit of a stretch though. That part is just another bonus anyway, the suit is the major expense. Just an fyi.
georgefrombc
New member
hey gulf hunter if your that weight and height i should be able to fit in it... i am just waiting for paypal to release my money.. as i sold a bigfoot dft coil and the are just waiting till it is fully shipped... if you still got it i probley would be interested.. i just will have to loose some weight...i also live in bc canada....so i guess the other questions would be is i guess there is no rips or leaks... like i said that is a really nice suit and yes would be better than having a wetsuit... send me a response and let me know what you think ty again... bye for now..
Gulf Hunter
Active member
My equipment is TIP-TOP George. I sell nothing unless it is that way, if it is still available, maybe we can put something together on it. I have never shipped to Canada, any tricks there I need to know about? I no nothing about it. Lemme know either way and I have a Paypal acct too.
georgefrombc
New member
yes as soon as they give me the money that is sitting in my account, i will send you an email... or i will try to scrap up some money to send to you. as of the shipping there is nothing different..probley just send it in the mail or something like that.. i will be keeping you up to date... like i say i am interested in the drysuit and as you say it probley would be better for water hunting.. i also scuba dive so would be nicer in the deeper water..ty very much for posting that suit, it made me look in a totally different option that i did not think about before..
grumpyolman
New member
I checked out the suit also and visited the sites GH listed. I am 5' 11" and 205 and if I followed the manufacturer's reccomendations, that's the size suit I would have ordered. I think you'll like the suit. It's one of the better manufacturers of wet suits. Stay warm! Jim
Being cold up your way dry suit is the way to go. Had a look at the suit Gulf Hunter has up and think that would work well for you I have both wet & dry and use a hookah setup for lakes. Last fall I was on the Sunshine Coast at the end of Oct. 3 hours in the water with the dry suit on felt just great the lake was clear and cold as you would know. Up your way I would only go dry suit but I also hunt further south and a dry suit would be to much for the temps in mid summer. Dan