Anyone uses 5mm suit on Roatan in Sept?

[sololady]

Will, everybody who has been on the island as long as you have wears 5m+. Don't know what that makes me (other than fat) I normally leave the wetsuit at the shop.

 

[CajunDiva]

There must be something seriously wrong with me...

I'll be arriving on October 10th with my dive skin and my 3/2 shorty to throw on top IF I get too chilly. Granted, I only do three dives a day, but anything heavier would be too much for me! It's hell getting old and hormonal :kiss2:

 

[Damselfish]

At 83F I'd be happy for 5 dives a day in my 1mm skin. Some people would be happy in a t-shirt. This is really something only you can figure out for yourself from personal experience, though I have a hard time seeing the need for 5mm in those temps for most people from up north. And it would definitely be less pleasant on the surface. (It's different for people that live there or are from another relatively warm climate.)

 

[Martha]

We were diving Roatan in June & I wore a 5mm full wetsuit. I'd rather be a little warm, than cold.

 

[LaiLaiDiver]

I was diving off West End last month (August) and the ocean temps were consistantly 84 degrees. While most of the local dive staff wore only skins, I wore a 3mm shortie and my instructor buddy wore a full 5mm... We both were happy - it just depends on your personal temperature preference.

 

[andrethediver]

Yes, thanks. I just came back from AKR, 3/2 full suit worked great for me. Water was 83F the whole time although there were some thermoclines here and there...

 

[Doc]

Yes, thanks. I just came back from AKR, 3/2 full suit worked great for me. Water was 83F the whole time although there were some thermoclines here and there...

To give people some perspective, as discussed here previously, a key factor is the number of dives that you made each day. With repetitive diving, even during our one week visits, this can take a toll.

How many dives per day did you do, and how was the surface interval in terms of solar heating? Cloudy days can be a factor!

Knowing that will help others apply this information to themselves.

 

[DocIndyDiver]

My vote: Take both! Sometimes it's nice to slip into something more comfortable versus wet and slimy. Many chronics (nuts) cant live without a second pair of booties just for that reason. A full day is six dives. As Kathy recommended wet suits make great packing material.

 

[andrethediver]

We did 3-4 dives a day 6 days in a row, between 45 - 60 minutes depending on the dive. Air temperature was between 85 and 89 F and we ended up doing 20 dives overall, 3 of which on the South side.

 

[robint]

I used to always use a 3mm fullsuit to dive, but I bought a 5mm Thermoprene suit from Scubatoys last year to take to Roatan for our Nov trip, since it was rainy season and water temps expected to be 76-78. WOW, was I happy with that suit! I love how easy it is to get on and off and I was WARM and TOASTY all week. Most of the other people on the boat, wearing 3mm suits or just swimsuits, got cold after the first day. It was overcast and rainy at the beginning of the week, which really affected warmth on SI, too. By the end of the week everyone was asking me where I got my suit! Everyone was doing 4-5 dives per day but some were cutting their dives short because they were too cold. The swimsuit divers had brought out their wetsuits and the 3mm divers were all shivering on the boat. It is really amazing how much your core body temp drops when you do so many dives, plus when your SI is not spent in warm sun (like our rainy trip) you never warm back up.

After that trip, I have decided that the 5mm suit is my regular suit, no matter how warm the water. I took it to Cozumel in March and once again people looked at me funny. But I was warm and happy.