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#358
Wetsuit for San Diego Diving in Winter
pphan13 - 10/16/2012 6:47 AM
Category: Equipment
Replies: 10

Can the southern California divers tell me what wetsuit sizes you all are using to dive in summer and winter? I get back to Cali in Feb time frame and have never gone diving out there. Wondering if my 5mm plus 3mm vest and hood will cut it. Or will I have to go out and get a 7mm and even possibly throw the vest under that as well.
#358
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pphan13 - 10/16/2012 7:41 AM
LOL thanks for the response. I have thought about that, what do you do if you have to pee while in a dry suit. I’ve done 65 in a 5mm, guessing 55 in a 5mm with a 3mm vest wouldn’t cut it.
#2194
ScubaGrunt - 10/16/2012 8:01 AM
When I’m there I dive with a 7mm suit, 5mm integrated vest hood, boots, and gloves. I have a fairly high tolerance for cold but still require it. I don’t care to dive dry either for the same reason as Rich and I don’t care for the extra weight requirement. Have fun!
#20384
LatitudeAdjustment - 10/16/2012 10:38 AM
I wear a 7 mil jumpsuit over a 3 mil hooded vest plus a beanie, I don’t like 7 mil around my neck!

7 mil gloves would have kept my fingers warmer but 5 mil is the best I can do and still manage the camera buttons.
#1639
SeaGoat - 10/16/2012 11:36 AM
From pphan13: LOL thanks for the response. I have thought about that, what do you do if you have to pee while in a dry suit. I’ve done 65 in a 5mm, guessing 55 in a 5mm with a 3mm vest wouldn’t cut it....


I thought about purchasing a dry suit but for the same reasons as everyone else, I have not made the conversion. (I’m sure you have heard that there are two types of divers when it comes to peeing in a wetsuit.)

If you do go dry, you have a couple of options. You can choose to hold it until you are topside again (but that’s crazy, I think). You can wear adult diapers. Or you can have your suit outfitted with a pee-valve. For dudes, you can buy condom-style catheters from a medical supplier and connect it to the valve. If you want a suit that has a valve, plan to spend a couple hundred dollars extra and it will be just one more thing you have to maintain. From what I’ve heard, the valve option is available to women but it is a more complicated set-up that I won’t go into on the forum. (Drop me a line and I can explain if you are curious.)
#358
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pphan13 - 10/16/2012 6:42 PM
LOL SeaGoat, I was only joking about the peeing int he drysuit :) I don’t think I’ll ever go dry suit, it just looks too bulky and I don’t like the thought of hauling around more weight. Lattitude, you said 5 mil for gloves to operate the camera? I was thinking three because I was afraid 5 would be too think to be able to manipulate the small buttons.
#209
avi - 10/17/2012 2:10 AM
Just got back from San Diego diving. Wore a 7 mil w 5mil gloves and was very warm. leave your gloves hooked to your bcd till you decend or youll be burning up on your surface swim.
#5471
DiveBuddyChgo - 10/21/2012 6:05 AM
Ya don’t pee in your drysuit when your staying warm enough. The only pee was dive #651 from a DCS hit. The pee went fine. Getting off the boat into that 50 degree surface water to flush myself. The drysuit was wash/wear yrly. Well it got washed two times that year.
#222
ScubaSWO - 11/21/2012 3:33 PM
Pphan- thank you for asking this question, I was wondering the same thing! I wonder what else I should consider that will be different from the East Coast...
#358
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pphan13 - 11/21/2012 8:00 PM
SWO, well from what I hear beach entry with surf possibly. All beach entries I’ve ever done has been nice and flat with no surf at all so that might become a little challenge at first.