newbies - what thickness kit should i get

[mccmarc]

cheers every one

may have to hold on buying kit as just got mot bill and beleive me its a very very upleasant sight bugger

[StuartC]

Scubapro hood with all the shiny S symbols - nice and flexible and keeps head and neck warm without throttling me.

Gloves - depends on temp.
Currently, either none or my Beaver Amara gloves - 2? 3? mm on back, and a suede type palm for dexterity with camera etc.
Winter - 5mm oceanic titanium - my tip after seeing somebody struggle with new gloves - make sure the velcro wrist strap can easily be used with numb/gloved fingers. Avoid neoprene gloves with no wrist straps - you'll find they flush water in/out and cool you down a lot more.

Ask if you can borrow different ones when planning a dive with your soon-to-be-found new buddies, so you can get a try out before you spend your cash.

[Lazlo]

Another vote for the super-flexible Scubapro hood (with the shiny S's).

3-finger mitts from O3 - only 4mm thick and miles warmer than any 5-fingered gloves I ever tried. Need to think of some new hand signals though.

[EdHornby]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

3-finger mitts from O3 - only 4mm thick and miles warmer than any 5-fingered gloves I ever tried. Need to think of some new hand signals though.

you do the digits as though you were holding up the fingers underneath the gloves as it were...

i.e.

thumb - one
index and middle - two
thumb, index and middle - three
index and middle, ring and pinky - four
full hand - five

anyway, back on topic - boots, the scubapro 5mill with a velcro flap and an inner sleeve are brilliant, rduces flushing with a wetsuit, and no zips to jam or come away from the boot

[StuartC]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

Another vote for the super-flexible Scubapro hood (with the shiny S's).

3-finger mitts from O3 - only 4mm thick and miles warmer than any 5-fingered gloves I ever tried. Need to think of some new hand signals though.

well in your case the signal needs to be...

"My hands are toasty warm in this 3C water at Blue Lagoon on this February morning, how're yours?"

Naturally with my full-finger Oceanics I can provide a suitable 1 or 2 finger riposte!

Boots - Oceanic with an inner flap and side zips.
Ribbed sole provides a decent grip, and soft neoprene top means you get a good feel for the foot of the fins, BUT the sole is a bit thin and you can feel the rocks through them etc.

More rigid boots look a better option, but have seen them get a bit stuck in fins and you don't have the flexibility to twist your foot around a bit to break the grip of the fin.