Can I get a clue?

[Team Deniz]

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post. I just wanted to get a bit of advice on equipment for freedive spearfishing in COLD water. All of my spearfishing experience so far is in warm water (Hawaii, Mexico, Mediterranean) but I want to start diving here on Vancouver Island. So, at the moment all I have is a 3mm short wetsuit. I have been looking at a 4.3mm full length which I was considering wearing over my shorty. Making for a total of 7.3mm on my core.

My question basically is, with this setup +hood, boots and gloves... will I freeze to death before I hit bottom? How long will my dive likely last before I have to get out?

My maximum(comfortable) dive depth in warm water is approx. 40-45 ft. WEAK, I know, but will it be easier or harder to hit similar depth out here in BC?

I want to know exactly what I'm gonna be up against before I get wet so any info, tips, advice or warnings(if necessary) would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone on the island wants another responsible dive partner, message me. I can't wait to F*** up some greenlings!

 

[Jon]

You need to get a new suit and go in a different direction. First, forget the full suit and look into a proper freediving suit. A custom cut Elios suit in a 7mm top/bottom combo with 5mm socks and 3-finger mitts at least 5mm's thick should do the trick. What you have,a nd are thinking about, would be inadequate for eh type of diving you are planning on doing.

I use a 5mm suit for ice diving, but I've been at it for over 30 years and am used to the cold. Since you've just moved up there I would start with at least a 7mm suit and think about putting a 2-3mm vest under it. You want mitts, and not gloves, as they are much warmer. It really doesn't take very long to get used to using them. I can shoot a gun, adjust my camera controls and tie knots with mine on. I, now, find it easier to work with 5mm/3-finger mitts than 5mm/5-finger gloves. This is mainly becuase you get such a build up of rubber between your fingers with gloves that thick it becomes hard to move with them on- and that's not even counting how much colder your hands will be in them.

If you go with a stock suit (Immersion, OMER, Picasso, Cressi Sub, etc) instead of a custom cut Elios, you might want to look into buying a Henderson "Ice cap" to go with it. If you do a search of the forums you'll find plenty of threads talking about them.

Jon

 

[Team Deniz]

Thanks Jon. I kind of figured I needed a bit of a reality check. The reason I was thinking of going the route I had mentioned is due to budget restrictions. The Elios suits look absolutely phenomenal, but I am already cringing imagining the price.