What to wear!

[rubber duck]

Hi guys,

I could do with a bit of help. I've never dived in Canada before so I could do with some advise. Firstly when is the best time to come and dive (Toronto area)? Secondly do I need to bring my dry-suit or is a semi-dry ok?

Cheers

[heppy1913]

I dive wet all the time. I know my dad just bought a dry suit but I guess it's preferance.
I reall only find the water cold now. I dive my last dive in November and I am hoping to do  NEW YEARS DAY DIVE... All in a wet suit.
I hope this helps.
Christine

[shannyk]

Hi guys,

I could do with a bit of help. I've never dived in Canada before so I could do with some advise. Firstly when is the best time to come and dive (Toronto area)? Secondly do I need to bring my dry-suit or is a semi-dry ok?

Cheers

Drysuit, snowsuit, and spacesuit (complete with attached gloves and fishbowl helmet) are good for this time of year.  You'll find that frozen fish sticks are actually harvested as-is, rather than the myth perpetuated by those in warmer climates claiming that you have to catch a regular fish first and batter and freeze it yourself.

If you're *not* the kind of person that would consider ice diving in a wetsuit no matter how much they paid you, a semi-dry (ready made or a sufficient combination of wetsuits) will keep you comfortable from about 50 to 70 degrees, though in the upper 60s if you've got a 7mm 2 piece that'll do, too.  Anything warmer than that, obviously, is wetsuit or non-neoprene drysuit weather.  The water takes a while to warm up, so the later the better, generally.  If it's a warm year you can get by in the semi-dry til early November, depending on the location, might be ok until the end of September in a wetsuit.  Can't tell you about the spring diving here, though, aside from check local water temperature averages.

[rubber duck]

Thanks guys.....I thought the water over here was cold, and we wear dry-suits all year round, you lot must be mad. I was planning a trip around late easter early summer, but if guys are diving year round I might come over a bit earlier. Can anyone recommend a club or diving centre in the Toronto area that would do mid week diving from  Feb onwards?

[lsorense]

I think we are mad.

I don't have a dry suit.  I have a 7mm two piece (I just got a new one I haven't used yet).  I think the lowest temperature I have been in was about 9C.  Seemed OK, except for my mouth which was exposed around the regulator.  That part was pretty cold.

My one trip down south a couple of years ago in january I brought a 2mm shorty, and my wife used her 3mm full (and thought it was a bit too warm).  Grand Cayman was lovely (24C water), and keywest a little cooler (I would have liked a 3mm full).  Other people diving there (most from south carolina it seemed) were wearing 5/7mm full suits in key west.  I was thinking while they were suiting up that I must have brought the wrong wetsuit for the dive (which was true, a 3mm full would have been perfect) but I didn't think what they were using could be right either.  A few even had full suits (looked like 5 or 7mm) in grand cayman.  They must have been boiling.

I guess it all comes down to what you are used to and what you expect.

[boney]

Just an update... did a quick dip at Humber last weekend in a wetsuit, 7mm. Temperature was 44F (about 6C) at 40ft. It was a quick dive, 30 minutes but doable... I've been able to dive in a wetsuit (as that is all I have) all the way up until November depending on the surface temps... this is actually the earliest I've dove wet, usually I start in May.

[Tom H]

In Nova Scotia (N.Atlantic) I start mid- May, end mid-Nov. Use 7 mil. always. 45 degrees F is no problem for me. Of course, depth is always a concern with the wet suit compressing. Did the Deep Diver course in 33 degrees. Not recommended.

[ramblinpaul]

Did the Deep Diver course in 33 degrees. Not recommended.

LOL.  Yeah, that's ccccold Tom.