Water temp question for Puerto Galera over Christmas

[shadling]

We're headed to Puerto Galera for the last two weeks of December and we're wondering about the water temps; our only experience with late season diving has been in Cozumel so we're wondering how Puerto Galera compares temperature-wise.

My wife and daughter typically wear a shorty, and they're wondering if they need a rash guard for this trip for xtra warmth.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Centrals]

Everyone has different tolerance to coldness.
Speaking myself personally, I will be diving with a 5mm full suit in Dec with possible another layer underneath!!!! Some divers are probably on dry suit and others on shortie.
If you are doing multi dives per day over 2 wks, my suggestion is a minimum of a 3mm full suit. An extra layer or a 3mm hood could be handy.

Have fun.

 

[Freewillow]

temperatures would be more useful than mm suit since, as you said, tolerance to cold is very personnal.

 

[Centrals]

temperatures would be more useful than mm suit since, as you said, tolerance to cold is very personnal.

Water temperature has no absolute meaning in respect to the thickness of the suit that diver should use.
I have seen in PG when two divers came back from the same dive one was on a dry suit and the other was on broad shorts and T-shirt!!
So when someone asked about the type of suit to wear I just gave my experience.
I can give you another personal experience: I was quite happy on the first 3 dives in Truk Lagoon wearing only a 3mm full suit but by the time when I finished the 5th dive on the same day, I wished I had a at less a 5mm and a hood.

 

[pinshootr]

or you could just share both your experience and water temps, if you don't know just say so !

 

[WetPup]

I've been in PG for Christmas once (so more or less kind of the same time of year you're going). Log book says it varied between 25-27C depending on dive site. Obviously YMMV depending on prevailing weather conditions in the area.

 

[Damselfish]

Information on water temperature is most useful and does have absolute meaning to someone already familiar with diving a certain temperature range. If you tell me it's 80, I know what I should wear. If you tell me you were comfortable in 3mm someplace, that doesn't really help, since it depends on the person and also what temps they are used to. (Enough answers, and the range of the answers may give a hint.) Someplace tropical, it's not uncommon to see people from colder climates diving in t-shirts while locals are in 7mm.

 

[tridacna]

My wife and daughter typically wear a shorty, and they're wondering if they need a rash guard for this trip for xtra warmth

A rash guard will NOT provide any additional thermal protection. If you want more warmth, get a full suit.

 

[GavinO]

Usually around this time of year I average 25 C . Sometimes it can be over cast and cloudy around this time of year so don't factor on the sun warming you up between dives. I see more full suits than I do shortys at that time of year. I hope that helps.

 

[shadling]

We dive infrequently and will be using rental gear for our PG dives. What about a hooded vest? The ladies want something to make them a little warmer, but what that something is has yet to be determined. About all we know at this time is they don't want to invest in full suits.