I COULD BURST

[TCWestby]

Personally, the winter diving for me is no problem. The problem is a 30 degree day with wind blowing after the dive and stripping out of it, I have no issues for SIs as long as I don't unzip.. Even I broke down and bought a Dry suit and use it mostly for winter diving then go back to wet once the weather warms up.

I have a pretty good cold tolerance too.

[Nwbrewer]

I think it really depends on the individual. Up until this last spring I was diving wet in a 7MM, I finally got myself a drysuit.

You CAN dive puget sound in the winter in a wetsuit, but like others have said, it's kind of a 1 dive per day thing. I usually dive after work, so for me it wasn't a real big issue, I just always did 1 dive. Learn to strip out of it FAST, and have some warm clothes staged and ready to throw on. Puget sound at most recreational diving depths will swing about 8 degrees between warmest and coolest times of year. It doesn't sound like much, but in terms of divng for any significant amount of time it makes a HUGE difference.

For me the turning point where I kind of said "Enough!" was a dive with Pez last January at Mukilteo, where we did about an hour+, the water was in the mid 40's, the air was in the 20's. I think I was basically hypothermic by the time I was getting out, then I had to walk down the beach back to the truck to get out of my gear. My wetsuit was forming ice crystals by the time I got back to the truck. Then we had to go back and find Pez's fins which he somehow left in the water....

If you can afford it, go dry, if not, and you can tolerate the cold, get a good farmer john 7mm wetsuit and realize that you're gonna have some limitations, but you can still have fun.

Jake

[smike]

Just wanted to add, that like most things scuba, get lots of advice from people you dive with for +/- about various features on drysuit before you purchase. There are lots of options - shell vs neoprene vs crushed neoprene, latex vs neoprene seals, socks vs boots. Location of entry zipper vs cost, location of exhaust valve, maybe others too.

I got mine from craigslist, no way I could spend $1000 (minimum) on a drysuit - I couldn't stand the concerns my wife would ask (she doesn't dive). So I ended up buying a pretty good condition suit for $250 - BUT, I should have had an experienced drysuit diver come look at it with me. I ended up replacing the boots with socks, and I am now getting ready to replace the neck seal. So I will have closer to $500 into it, and that is without an undergarment (I ended up using heavy wool pants from the surplus store, and a heavy flannel shirt from costco, and 2 pairs of wool socks. Man am I cheap!).

I would hold off on the drysuit until you have some more experience (and dive with drysuit divers), but I would plan on getting one.

BTW - when you get your cert I would be more than happy to buddy with you - and congrats! I remember jealously watching a friends dad dive when I was 11 or 12, and finally 30 years later I get to.

[TCWestby]

My dry suit was second hand too and works great after getting the boots replaced. Definately don't think you must get new. Just have it checked out, mine was consigned through a shop and they checked it out and gave me reccomendations. With the booties I ended up paying about $700.00 for a $1500.00 suit, nice...

[Norris]

You all are so very helpful!!
What I have learned...
If i'm going wetsuit during the winter I should limit it to one dive (my intention at first anyways) and I was thinking shallow as 30 - 40ft so that should be ok.
Eventually I will buy a drysuit and I assume that after a few winter dives in a wetsuit I will certainly appreciate it. When it comes time to buy one, get with some of my new found diving commrades and ask the questions. Maybe even go so far as taking one with me.
smike is ready to dive when I am and you can better believe that I want to dive A LOT and I am ready to sponge all the info I can from experienced divers so I can help another some day.
Spatman thanks for breaking down some important points for when I decide to have more than one dive in a day that will be very helpful.
I will be starting my classes on the 29th of September at the Smokey Point Diver Center with Sandra. I have read that it will take like 3 weeks. Rest assured my first dive will be the weekend after I complete the course.

YOU PEOPLE ARE AWESOME!!!!!

[Grateful Diver]

I will be starting my classes on the 29th of September at the Smokey Point Diver Center with Sandra.

Might as well add ... you picked a great instructor ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[TCWestby]

Also, is diving wet in the winter have a cooler full of hot water to pour into the suit diring SI. that will help alot too. It will also make you very popular with other wet dive buddies too.

[Norris]

Still learning acronyms

SI?

[spatman]

Still learning acronyms

SI?

surface interval.

[jeff98208]

welcome norris! many new friends you will find here, and make many new dive buddys aswell. let me know if you spot that mermaid that keeps taking our air while we're in the waters.... i have yet to find her, and when i do, i'll want my pot of gold aswell. safe diving and may the schwartz be with you!!!!!!!! :occasion5:

[BASSMAN]

Hello Norris!
I was just like you, when I turned 40, I decided it was time to get certified.
I had no Idea what to expect, I had only snorkled in Mexico a few times and did my share of free diving down, to see the cool things.I was frustrated I had to keep coming up for air. So, the answer was SCUBA! I went down to my local dive shop expecting to pay around $400.00 for lessons and when I got there I found out it was more like $150.00
I paid and then told my friend, Tom-nic, and he jumped in to it with me. :occasion5: It has been three years now and I have 229 logged dives and Tom-nic has even more( I took three months off while I recovered from a back surgery). ](*,) I have truly become addicted. I now dive every Thursday, mostly at Three Tree N.,Redondo or farther South when the tides are acceptable. sometimes I even dive Les Davis Pier. If you are able to dive on a Thursday, You and your buddy are welcome to join me and whoever else joins in. I enjoy showing new divers places like Three Tree N. and any other sites.

See you at a local dive soon!

Keith
Bassman --> Pronounced... Base Man.

[Norris]

Keith
Bassman --> Pronounced... Base Man.

Nice, another musician!

[scottsax]

Keith
Bassman --> Pronounced... Base Man.

Nice, another musician!

Hmm....I'm envisioning the makings of a NWDC band. We could perform at club dives and sing lyrics written by club members....

[Nwbrewer]

sing lyrics written by club members....

I think there are numerous threads that will demonstrate that this is a bad idea. I see so many ways for things to go very, very wrong.

[scottsax]

sing lyrics written by club members....

I think there are numerous threads that will demonstrate that this is a bad idea. I see so many ways for things to go very, very wrong.

There's far worse things than singing goofy scuba-related lyrics. Ever hear of a band called The Squirrels? They do things to music that shoudn't be done. (And they're friends of mine, so I flip them as much crap as possible.)

Besides, we'd never practice enough to learn any songs. If you get 5 or 6 divers together, they're gonna go diving!

[Norris]

sing lyrics written by club members....

I think there are numerous threads that will demonstrate that this is a bad idea. I see so many ways for things to go very, very wrong.

Oh that sounds like a hoot!!! ESPECIALLY if things go a little "wrong"


<---guitar player

[BASSMAN]

Keith
Bassman --> Pronounced... Base Man.

Nice, another musician!

Hmm....I'm envisioning the makings of a NWDC band. We could perform at club dives and sing lyrics written by club members....

I'm all in!
Lets do it!
I would like to do a song parody to "Riders In The Storm" by the Doors
It would be..."Divers On The Stern!"
First sung by Diver-Dave in Sitka as Tom and I were getting geared up an ready to enter the Water off Dave's boat!
The rest of the lyrics have not been written. Anyone willing to finish it and we'll get the NWDC band to play it!
Keith

[BASSMAN]

We need a Drummer! One who actually owns a set of Drums.

[scottsax]

We need a Drummer! One who actually owns a set of Drums.

...and can count higher than 4!

Say-that reminds me of a joke-what do you do when a drummer knocks on your door?


Tip him and take the pizza!

[Joshua Smith]

We need a Drummer! One who actually owns a set of Drums.

...and can count higher than 4!

Say-that reminds me of a joke-what do you do when a drummer knocks on your door?


Tip him and take the pizza!

What do you call that guy who follows the band around and shows up at most of their gigs?


The drummer.

[scottsax]

What do you call that guy who follows the band around and shows up at most of their gigs? The drummer!

How do you know if the stage is level? Drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth!

What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless!

And my all time favorite-




What does a stripper do with her asshole before going to work? Drops him off at band practice!

[Norris]

Oh man! Some of these I havent heard and y drummer has just been forwarded. Well let me get certified and some dives under my belt and I will be happy to help write "Divers on the Stern".
AND I have a drummer that would be happy to do a side project.

For what its worth I am in a band too, we are called Hextrip and its kinda heavy rock (NOT METAL ewwwww)

We got some songs on http://www.myspace.com/hextrip

Not really sure what musical tastes are out there, but there ya go....lotsa FUN!!!

[scottsax]

Welcome to the club, Norris-and congrats on your first thread hijack!

What's the definition of optimistic? A banjo player with a pager!
What's the difference between a dead squirrel in the road and a dead accordian player in the road? The squirrel might've been on his way to a gig!
What's the difference between a saxophone and a lawnmower? The neighbors are pissed if you borrow the lawnmower and don't return it!
How do you get a guitar player to turn down? Put sheet music in front of him!
How many lead guitar players does it take to change a lightbulb? Five-one to change the bulb and four to say how much better they would've done it!
What's the difference between a saxophone and a chainsaw? Vibrato!
What's the definition of a minor 2nd? Two bass players playing in unison!

[WylerBear]

OK, getting back more to the original subject I have to add my 2 cents about wetsuit diving. I got certified in a wetsuit during a pretty cold January-water temps in the low 40's, air temps in the 30's, snow on the ground, etc. I then proceeded to do more than 200 dives in a wetsuit before going dry. And I only went to a drysuit because I was divemastering and spending way too long in the water without being able to warm up. During those 2 years of diving wet, I only once called a dive because I was cold, never was the one to say "let's not do another dive", and at least 99 % of the time did at least 2 dives in a day, sometimes 3 (driving up from Portland makes it a bummer if you only get in one dive). The trick is to stay warm during surface intervals as others have said. I never poured hot water down my suit unless I was boat diving. I did carry a small cooler of warm water for hood and gloves (which I still do even with my drysuit). As soon as you can get your head and hands covered and warm-those hot hand things work nice. And have a good fleece lined coat to throw on to get your core as warm as possible. Those are the things I learned and they worked well for me.
On the other hand, a couple of weeks ago, I was wearing a new wetsuit and could only manage 2 dives. Had to bag on the third because even though I had warmed up after the dive, I knew I would be too cold if I submerged again. I think it's true that since I'm so relaxed now and move so little (never in a big hurry) I just don't stay as warm.
But the point is, you don't necessarily need to shy away from PNW wetsuit diving-it can be fine. I would advise you to buy a new one though-used may not be a good idea for a wetsuit because the older a suit is-the more it's been compressed-the less protection it will give you.
Only 3 days to go! Good luck!

[BASSMAN]

Okay I've got just a few for the hijack...
How do you know when there is a drummer knocking at your door?

A: The knock speeds up!


How many Bass players does it take to change a light bulb?

A: none, you ask the piano player to use his left hand. :smt038


When is our first practice Practice? Thursday?