Wet Suits for cold water & New divers

[seaaddict]

Hi Everyone,

Just looking for some advice, I'm about to embark on my first dive course. Unfortunately I live in Tasmania, Australia it's winter here and the sea temp is approx 10 C. What recommendations do you girls have as to type of wet suit that is suitable for these conditions. Hoping to get my Open Water Cert before going on holidays to Vanuatu in September.

I appreciate any advice given.

Cheers
Jenny

[Dive Bunnie]

Hey there Jenny... welcome aboard...

Ok first of all, I will confess that I am a total wuss with the cold, so for 10ºC my first recommendation would be a drysuit. To be honest, anything under 24ºC has me bringing out my drysuit, but that is an extreme case.

Learning to use a drysuit will mean a little more practice in the pool first, to get the buoyancy technique right, but in the long run, you will feel more comfy if you are dry and warm. Of course you could wait till summer, but that would be even more wussy I am sure hehe... Vanatau will be amazing though, so well worth the hard work.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you could do a "referral" course or the E-learning course. Both of these, you do all the theory back at home, and with the referral, you would also do all the pool work too.. then you could finish off your open water dives in the nice warm waters of Vanatau. Just a suggestion.. which I know might seem a bit of a cop out.

I do have some friends who got back from your neck of the woods recently and they were wrapped up in dry suits for their diving. But again, they like me are spoiled by the warm 27ºC that we have over here at the moment.

I hope that helps

[seaaddict]

Thanks for the advice, I have had to change where I'm doing my course to make sure that I can have the OW cert completed before I go to Vanuatu. They tell me the pool temp is only 8 Degrees C. I'll be doing the pool stuff in the ocean as it'll be warmer!!! Someone has suggested a 7mm Semi Dry with a 5mm Short John under. What are your thoughts or has anyone used this combo at 10-12 Degree C water temp.

Cheers
Jenny

[Dive Bunnie]

Ooo wow! Definitely a good idea to do your confined sessions in the sea then... brrr.

What do they recommend at the dive centre regarding suits?

Pop along to the facebook page again, as Jay as added a post. She dives in a 7mm wet suit with shortie on top and a hood in similar temperatures to what you are about to encounter, and she is quite small and slight. She does a lot of diving here with us in Sharm too.

I guess you could try the wet suit, hood and gloves combo for your first sessions and see how it goes...

Whatever happens, please don't be put off if you do find it too cold... and do let us know how you get on

[waterbabe]

Hey Jenny,

Have you started your course yet?

Hope it is going well if you have. If you haven't.. another good idea is to at least get the book and read it through ahead of time.. that way, once you are in the classroom, you will know it all, the videos are just clarifying what you have already read. If you do the knowledge reviews as well, you really will be ahead of the game.. no homework for you lady
Good luck with the chilly bit