Don't worry about the depth of the water; the temperature is fine!
I use 5A on this kit. Lighter than I use on acoustic. Nylon tip, altho I use wood on acoustic.
While you wait for all this stuff, if you haven't done so, print yourself a copy of the manual from Alesis' web site & read, read, read. Everybody misses something that's in the manual, but the more you read, the more familiar you'll become with the concepts & terms and the more useful your inevitable questions will be to those that are more than happy to lend a hand.
Every day I like it more.