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What I mean is can I wear the BC without any rash guards or anything, basically shirtless or should I wear a shirt. I don’t have a wetsuit or anything like that. I will be diving in tropical waters. So do I really have a need for scuba wetsuits?

Welp, you can do whatever you want. . .

Tho’ there are a couple of reasons that you want to wear a diving wetsuit:

Hypothermia & Boogers that go bump in the water:  Sea Lice

First, hypothermia can even occur in gin clear Caribbean bathwater.  It isn’t just for this California cold water diving.

Here is a chart that gives a thickness differential:

• Thickness is expressed in inches and millimeters
• Thicker wetsuits provide greater insulation, but the quality of the material plays a part as well
• If your diving conditions vary from the extremes, you should buy the thickest wetsuit to cover your needs
• Refer to the chart below to help determine the appropriate wetsuit based on the water temperatures where you plan to do your diving

As you can see, even in bathwater, you want to wear a recommended thickness of suit, and we might add, a fullsuit instead of the wetsuit shorty/shortie. We will discuss the “why” more in the booger section.

Hypothermia is defined as:

Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as 35.0 °C (95.0 °F). Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of 36.5–37.5 °C (98–100 °F) through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation. If exposed to cold and the internal mechanisms are unable to replenish the heat that is being lost, a drop in core temperature occurs. As body temperature decreases characteristic symptoms occur such as shivering and mental confusion.

Being immersed in 85 degree water might feel warm but each and every dive robs you of core body warmth, and while you may not feel cold, your reaction time slows further with each and every dive.  This is called sub-symptomatic hypothermia.

With decreased core body temperature, your blood flow and metabolism slows, increasing the chance for decompression sickness.  Feel tired and exhausted after a couple of dives?  That is the malaise associated with sub acute decompression sickness.

Now the Boogers: Sea Lice

The bites shown were caused by larvae of the sea anemone or certain species of jellyfish.

These occur in salt water off coastal regions. Sea lice usually attach themselves to fish but clearly can bite humans.

The above photograph is that of a young woman snorkeling off the coast of Mexico. The history she gives is extremely typical of sea lice.

Shortly after snorkeling, she felt a sudden burning sensation underneath both breasts and felt a stinging sensation. No rash was evident until she returned home 2 days later.

The typical eruptions are almost always under the bathing suit and appear as Sea Lice Closeuppapules or papulovesicles. These lesions can persist for 1 to 2 weeks.

This sucks!  The fix?  Wear a properly fitting fullsuit, that means a dive skin, a 3mm wetsuit, or if you are prone to cold, even a 5mm wetsuit.

We would be remiss if we left out scuba drysuits for your review.

K2 is proud to sell Xcel wetsuits and Pinnacle wetsuits .  Both are manufacturers of superpremium wetsuit materials that will last a good long time.

Want to know more about how costly cheap wetsuits are, read this article: http://www.k2scuba.com/blog/1350/why-are-you-cold-in-your-wetsuit/

Thanks for reading this far,  we NEED your comments!

Tevis

Xcel International, Inc. (Xcel) is the leader in Skin Cancer Prevention rolling out its 2009 line of Xcel Ventx Sun Protection, and Xcel Scuba Wetsuits, and Xcel Bamboo Thermoflex Wetsuit line.

Xcel Announces 2009 Skin Cancer Awareness Partnership

taking its efforts to raise skin cancer awareness to a national level, announcing its 2009 partnership with the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (CRCH), a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer through research, education, and service.

Through December 31, 2009, as part of its UV PROTECTION, SKIN CANCER PREVENTION program, Xcel will donate a percentage of proceeds from national sales of Xcel UV Protection Gear to benefit the research efforts of the CRCH.
"Xcel is in a prime position to raise awareness about the importance and ease of sun protection," says Ed D’Ascoli, Xcel president and founder. "As a brand headquartered in Hawaii, where the sun shines strong almost 365 days each year, we’ve been designing our UV Protection Gear specifically for maximum sun protection and performance. Our 2009 partnership with the CRCH is the next step in Xcel’s ongoing efforts to raise much-needed skin cancer awareness."

Xcel UV Protection Gear performance apparel is designed from fibers to finished product to block over 95 – 98% of harmful UVA/UVB rays, whether wet or dry. A core wetsuit brand, Xcel applies its cutting-edge wetsuit innovations and features to full UV Protection Gear product lines for men, women, and youth – product that emphasizes high performance with the added benefit of built-in sun protection.
"With nation-wide proceeds benefiting cancer research," adds D’Ascoli, "our UV Protection Gear not only benefits the individual wearer – it can help people everywhere in the long run, by contributing to the valuable research we need to understand, treat, and prevent skin cancer."

The partnership between Xcel and the CRCH began with a similar Hawaii-only effort in May 2007, during National Skin Cancer Awareness month. Due to that campaign’s success, Xcel is expanding its proceeds base to include sales made throughout Hawaii and the United States mainland.
"Our continuing partnership with Xcel is an excellent example of how companies, and individuals, can help join the fight against cancer," adds Dr. Michele Carbone, interim director of the CRCH. "Skin cancer is especially preventable; the CRCH works for the cure through research, and Xcel through product innovation."

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Mad props go out to Xcel on taking the lead to prevent Skin Cancer now at epidemic proportions. You can read more: http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/sun/index.php?area=news&id=79&page=1

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A beautiful young lady visited us yesterday to start her adventure in scuba diving.  We debated the various equipment, and she tried on a number of superpremium Xcel & Pinnacle Scuba Wetsuits, as well as some economical Henderson wetsuits also.  After a host of hours she seemed more bewildered at the mountain of equipment she had to ultimately purchase, which spurred the writing of this article. 

Know that each scuba diving shop or dive centre will be offering you a bewildering array of varied equipment, from masks and fins to snorkels, wetsuits, BCDs and other useful things.  Sometimes you can even be a little confused what to pick.  It is sort of accepted that a huge quantity of provided diving equipment makes the choice comparatively hard notwithstanding of this you need to select scuba diving equipment which will be open the adventure of innerspace and the wonderful depths of the ocean for you. 

So, is there a way to make your decision quicker and easier?  To do it you need to keep in mind the next factors that will effect your call.  Initially you wish to consider the environmental conditions.  In fact, the dimensions of your scuba diving equipment fiscal plan, and the undeniable fact that you can spend a bucketload of money doesn’t matter if you select the inaccurate apparatus for your local environmental conditions. 

So you need to bear in mind these things :

Where are you going to dive and what are the environmental situations there? 

You need also to think whether you actually need a full scuba diving wetsuit or a shorty will be sufficient for you.  You would like also to take into consideration the temperature of the water and in the case it is cold enough then you’ll have to get a scuba dry suit.  It should be also added that it is necessary to choose whether you need an environmentally sealed first stage (on your scuba regulator) to prevent freezing. 

You need to also remember that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. 

The point is that it is easy to trim costs by providing low quality items that will not stand up to any degree of ordinary use and,  a saving here will be at the price of apparatus life or safety.  In Scuba Diving, the addage that “cheap costs”, is where Murphy of Murphy’s Law hides.

It is highly recommended to ask if the store has display models or stock from the prior season.  You need to also know that you’ve got the opportunity to save money on gear like dive bags by replacing other products if you purchase inexpensive plastic storage crates in shops and other stores.  You may be sure that you’ll get it for a tenth of the price of a dive bag and besides it’ll do the job absolutely fine. 

Think outside of the box.  Places like these (non life support equipment) is where you can cut corners and preserve your income.  Always feel free to give us a call, on things like this. . .we at K2 are here to help:  818 982 2652

Comfort is the other principal point to be considered.  You want always to remember that you which will be using this life support equipment, and that is the reason why you want to make certain you spend enough time trying it in order to assure you are feeling comfy. 

To conclude, you’ll realize that choosing scuba diving equipment can be straightforward so long as you apply a bit of forethought.  Without regard for the colossal quantity of funds available for your scuba diving package, you should be ready to select many products and then take it slowly and select scuba diving equipment which will be superb for you. 

Thanks for reading!

Selecting the best scuba diving wetsuits is tantamount to giving yourself that full-geared up confidence to take part in a worthwhile scuba diving experience. Wetsuits offer assorted degrees of thermal protection for the body while underwater with its man-made neoprene material that might be fitted out with spandex fibers to provide further flexibleness. Here are some beneficial subjects to help in your search and purchase for this scuba gear : Finding your Wetsuit Style.

Xcel Wetsuits are available in full-body, three quarters ( only half of the legs and arms are covered ), and two-piece styles. The three quarters or ‘shorty’ wetsuit is practical to be used in warm waters while the two-piece wetsuit will fit cold water dives. If you are an occasional, recreational diver, shorties will be a good selection. But if you want to make a job or occupation out of diving, getting a full body wetsuit will give you the power to don it in both cold water and warm water dives.

Wetsuit Fit: When selecting a wetsuit its fit and tailoring for your body shape is imperative. A poor wetsuit that fits your body shape is always going to perform better than a bad fitting high quality wetsuit. So fit is really vital. At K2 Scuba, you can look forward to a call and custom fitting you to the suit that it right for you, rather than just taking an order for some stock size and shipping it to you. Look for a snugg fit all over your body particularly your torso, good length on your legs and arms. When you try a wetsuit on do some stretches and squats to see how it follows the contour of your body.

SUITS IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE NO LONGER UNCOMFORTABLE.  Don’t believe the hype that a wetsuit is only comfortable in the water!

If you notice significant room particularly on your lumbar region, in that arch between the pinnacle of your bum and your shoulder, then you don’t have a decent fit. Simply, if your wetsuit does not adhere closely to your body shape then water will flush in and you won’t stay warm.  You have spent a grip of money for an ill fitting suit.

Another crucial area to look for tight fit is round the neck, where you enter the wetsuit. Manifestly you will not need it to choke you but you do need it to be secure as can be to stop water flushing into your wetsuit when duck diving. There are a number of neck entry systems that different wetsuit brands will be offering, the regular back zip and velcro close over or the front zip offered by Xcel Diving Wetsuits or Pinnacle Wetsuits. The general public do need to try on some wetsuits to get one that fits them completely.

Naturally, there are retailers offering custom-made wetsuits for those with deeper pockets. When cut to your size, the wetsuit guarantees utmost comfort, better insulation and flexibility. Judge your Diving Desires . A wetsuit should snuggly fit your body to increase flexibleness as you move underwater and insulation to guard you from cold temperatures at the depths. Neoprene is the standard material for wetsuits and are available in thicknesses of 2mm to about 9mm. However , you check the thickness that you are most ok with. In most examples, wetsuits carrying a thickness beyond 5mm can get real massive underwater to put a dent on overall adaptability. When that occurs, the chance of efficient insulation loses its meaning if the material constricts movement. keeping up the Correct Condition of Your Wetsuit.

There are available cleaning agents and desalters to keep your wetsuit spic-and-span after each dive. This could rid the wetsuit of salt, forestall perspiration from sticking to the material, deodorize the garment and extend its useful life too. As much as humanly possible, dip your wetsuit in a tub crammed with an enzyme-based cleaner and hand wash it scrupulously ; especially avoid messing up the backstitching of a wetsuit. Do not forget to mist it while drying outside but watch out not to reveal it to direct sunlight. The stink of a wetsuit are the bacteria from your skin hiding in the nooks and crannies of the neoprene.  Wash your suit!

Likewise , hang the wetsuit in a cool, dry place and away from direct daylight when storing them..

Thanks for reading, leave your comments below. . . yes, now!