new to wetsuits

[okamotoa]

im farly new to this and am looking for a fresh water wetsuit id be freediving in water from 80-40 degrees all at once they are cold spring fed ponds. and 5-30 feet deep

[sanso]

Hey okamota,

What does the distribution of water temps look like?
what's the water temp at the surface? This is where You'll spend most of Your time, so it will likely have the biggest weight in the decision.
Any chance You will be diving in different waters as well? I guess You will...

[okamotoa]

on a 100 degree day top water might hit 65 but if u swim over a spring its 40 top to bottom but iv gotten used to it and iv never had a suit before so i was thinkin in the 3-5 mil range.

[sanso]

I don't really want to get used to working with these insane imperial measures. I'm quite sure that leaves a certain amount of damage in one's logic..
How much is that in °C or °F or °K?

[okamotoa]

F sorry all my numbers are in F
and feet

[jimdoe2you]

40F = 4C

You had better be careful, 40F (4C) water exposure will kill you in a short period of time. I find it shocking that you can get in, swim, and dive in water that is close to the freezing temperature!

In florida we have fresh water springs that are 72F (22C) all year, and I had to pull a girl up from the bottom of Troy Spring who had drowned due to hypothermia.

[dotey]

well i dive here in wisconsin and the water temp is like that i use a 5 mil open cell suit from spetton and it works great for cold water but if you are looking into buying a suit let me know i may be able to help ya out

[okamotoa]

yea up at the cabin there is a huge bonfire ring and i always lite it b4 i go in and am only out there for 30 min to an hour tops then spend 20 next to the fire building it back up and grabbing some food. but a suit would be great and if u think u can help im 5' 10" and about 140

[Whopperhead]

OKAMOTOA - you dive similar water temps as us here in WI- so, this is kinda of a easy answer for you. Get a 5mm Open Cell Interior/ Nylon Exterior - 2 piece with attached hood. You should be able to use it all year long. In the summer if the water is getting too warm you can, just not put your hood up and always make sure you are staying Hydrated. This suit should allow you to swim in water as cold as mid 30's (F) for a couple hours. A Custom fit suit will keep you warmer in colder water- but cost a little bit more.

[okamotoa]

ok wat am i lookin at 4 $ and where

[Whopperhead]

open cell suits can run you $200 on up. But This is the most important piece of equipment that you'll need. A Custom fit suit will probably start at $350.

[sanso]

there is another thread on this topic currently running. with prices and all.
(Search the forum for "elios")

Just read that one and trust in the advice the people at elios give you.

[okamotoa]

well cause i dont have a suit yet and water is warmin up il keep lookin but im goin to my cabin this weekend caus i saw carp gettin shallow so il keep u posted if i finally get one ... but tell i get 1 il keep doin wat i have and i do know about pushing my body 2 far iv done it 2 twice that took hospitilization but not for hypothermia i reconize when im to cold...

[sanso]

Really sorry, I think I understood the first part about You hunting carp, but I can't make much sense of the rest of what You wrote. Could You repeat that in english with all the context needed to understand You?

[Whopperhead]

What did you go to the hospital for then? You should be real careful.