28° is hot or cold?

[Iruka]

Converting C to F (C x 1.8) + 32 = F (28x1.8) +32 = 82.4
Converting F to C (F-32) divide by 1.8 (82.4-32) divide by 1.8 = 28.

Anyhow, 28C/82F is the water temp most of the time here in Guam. I haven't worn a wetsuit in 10 years/5700+ dives, but 99% of the Asian tourists do wear wetsuits. A lot of the military/locals...especially men....don't often wear wetsuits. On the other hand, even though I'm comfortable in the water without a wetsuit, it DOES get cold on the boat if it's raining/windy etc., so it would be good to have a jacket along if you're not wearing a wetsuit. And, as others have said, some people are a lot more susceptible to cold than others. For most people, however, a 7mm is a lot more wetsuit than needed...I've seen quite a few people struggle to get into a 5 or 7mm wetsuit with 90F air temp and need to be hosed down to keep from overheating on the boat

 

[melle]

28 C

3mm or 5mm...
I dive in trunks only in that kind of water. But probably, doing more than one dive... a thin suit should do it.

 

[halocline]

One thing to consider is that buoyancy control is more of a challenge in a 7 mil than a 3 mil; you'll need more weight to get down, more wetsuit compression, more air in your BC at depth. Since you're a new diver, I think this should be a factor in your decision; it will be easier diving with less neoprene. I would suggest taking a 3 mil and a hooded vest as a core warmer, if you can. I bet you'll be fine on earlier dives with just the 3 mil, unless you get cold unusually easily, then you can add the hooded vest for later dives. You can also take a jacket as suggested; the ideal boat warmer-upper IMO is a windstopper fleece jacket, but they're not cheap. Another nice touch is a thermos full of hot chocolate or tea for the surface interval.

Have a great time and don't forget to listen to lots of great Brazilian music while you're there!

 

[ch0ppersrule]

I wear a 5 mil here (hawaii water temps mid 70's) year round, but in Coz (water temps are 82-86) I wear a skin. I get cold pretty fast, but haven't had problems in the warmer temps (anything over 80).

 

[AC Boy]

28 deg C is the average temp of waters around Southeast Asia, and most divers normally don a 3mm fullsuit. As for me, I normally put on an additional 2.5mm hooded vest inside my 3mm fullsuit... which keeps me just about right!

 

[Karen Es]

One thing to consider is that buoyancy control is more of a challenge in a 7 mil than a 3 mil; you'll need more weight to get down, more wetsuit compression, more air in your BC at depth. Since you're a new diver, I think this should be a factor in your decision; it will be easier diving with less neoprene. I would suggest taking a 3 mil and a hooded vest as a core warmer, if you can. I bet you'll be fine on earlier dives with just the 3 mil, unless you get cold unusually easily, then you can add the hooded vest for later dives. You can also take a jacket as suggested; the ideal boat warmer-upper IMO is a windstopper fleece jacket, but they're not cheap. Another nice touch is a thermos full of hot chocolate or tea for the surface interval.

Have a great time and don't forget to listen to lots of great Brazilian music while you're there!

I didn't have any trouble when diving with 11mm that I had in layers. You can imagine I've a tendency to chill easily, so... at that time, my buoyancy control was just fine... I expect to have the same nice experience (though I needed a lot of weight to get down, it was ok!).
Music? oh, yes, I'm listening past summers hits so that to get in the vibe! Depending on the mood, you can choose bossanova or sth more exciting (well, Carnival season is around the corner!).
I'll let you all know how everything turned out with my suit, music, weather, and surely, the dives!
Beijos!
Karen

 

[Jason Ooi]

28c is warm 3mm to 5mm wetsuit is perfect......

Cheer
Jason

 

[DiverBuoy]

You won't cook in 7mm ... but you sure will "look" odd to all the other divers on the boat. I do recommend a full suit, no shorties - it will afford you the arm and leg protection from marine life and the elements. In all fairness 82 degrees is 16+ degrees colder than body temperature, so if you get chilled easily or have very little natural insulation, go minimum of 5mm for some flexibility and freedom of movement. Some divers even go dry in tropics, though rare.

 

[DandyDon]

It's certainly not common, but some do dive in "tropical" dry suits in such warm water. We're all different, some chill more than others, but really want to dive.

 

[stiebs]

I am also amazed at the varied responses here. Water temp in here in Melbourne usually ranges from 12ºC to 20ºC throughout the year. I dive in my 7mm farmer john all year round, and get a little chilly in winter, and in summer I'm always opening up the neck and wrists to let cold water in. When I dive in 28ºC+ water, I'm wearing a 2mm shorty.

Someone compared the temperature to a swimming pool.. a normal indoor heated pool will certainly be about 26ºC - 28ºC, and a 50m olympic pool will usually be kept closer to 22ºC or 23ºC.

If you think you might be susceptible to cold, my suggestion would be a full length 3mm, and bring a hood just in case you do start to feel a little chill. Actually, if you're planning on bringing your thick wetsuit anyway, a thinner wetsuit doesn't take up much extra space. So if you do have access to one without forking out money unnecesarily, you can try it out for yourself...

Iruka certainly makes a good point, that heat exhaustion is a possibility in a 7mm. In our summer the air temp often reaches 35ºC-40ºC (around 100ºF), but the water is still 20ºC. So there are a lot of poeple struggling to walk geared up from the shop to the end of the pier onto the dive boat..