I'm planning on buying a wetsuit fairly soon. It will be used first in the Keys in November but also here in Ohio and on a live aboard next june in the Windward Islands and Grenada. I'm small (5'2" 120 lbs) and get cold pretty fast. Should I get a 3mm, 4/3 mm, 5/4/3 mm, or anything else in between?
Buying Wetsuit. 4/3? 5/4/3? 3? Which One?
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diveprof
Contributor
OK, this may be a trick question
A poorly fitting 5/4/3 will not be as warm as a good fitting 3mm. Fit is very important.That said, warm is good and has nice benefits: you do not chill as easy after multiple dives, you use less air, and are not as tired after diving. On a liveaboard, you are likely to get multiple dives 4+ each day. A 4/3 would be nice and a 5/4/3 would probably not be overkill if you chill easy. Other options, the 4/3 with a hooded vest or a hood in case it is not quite enough. I am not "petite" and do not chill particularly easy, but due to the reasons stated above, I wear a 4/3 year round in the Carribean. Yes, there are those who only dive for 30 min and only do two dives/day in shorties and 3/2s, but that is not me.
potato cod
Contributor
Hi there!
I also get cold very easily, so when I got my wetsuit the LDS recommended a 3 mm jane and 3 mm long-sleeved shorty jacket + a 3/5vest rather than a single jumpsuit. This layering approach has worked really well and has the advantage of being versital when diving in various locations and seasons. I dove in the Keys last January wearing all of the above (9 mm total over core, 5 on head) and was nice and warm, even when other divers on the boat complained of being chilly. In the Bahamas in late May, I just wore just the jacket and vest (6 mm over core, 5 on head) and that was perfect in the warmer water. I could also wear just the jane with a rashguard in the summer if I didn't want bare arms or legs. Skipping the vest would be yet another option, although I never do because I love that it keeps my hair out of the way and from getting all tangled up. My SO has the same wetsuit configuration, and he likes it too. The downside it that it's a bit more expensive, but I imagine I would have ended up getting 2 different jumpsuits if I had gone that route.
I agree with Diveprof that fit is critical. I'd definitely recommend a visit to your LDS to try suits on and find out what brands/cuts fits you best no matter which style you decide to go with.
I also get cold very easily, so when I got my wetsuit the LDS recommended a 3 mm jane and 3 mm long-sleeved shorty jacket + a 3/5vest rather than a single jumpsuit. This layering approach has worked really well and has the advantage of being versital when diving in various locations and seasons. I dove in the Keys last January wearing all of the above (9 mm total over core, 5 on head) and was nice and warm, even when other divers on the boat complained of being chilly. In the Bahamas in late May, I just wore just the jacket and vest (6 mm over core, 5 on head) and that was perfect in the warmer water. I could also wear just the jane with a rashguard in the summer if I didn't want bare arms or legs. Skipping the vest would be yet another option, although I never do because I love that it keeps my hair out of the way and from getting all tangled up. My SO has the same wetsuit configuration, and he likes it too. The downside it that it's a bit more expensive, but I imagine I would have ended up getting 2 different jumpsuits if I had gone that route.
I agree with Diveprof that fit is critical. I'd definitely recommend a visit to your LDS to try suits on and find out what brands/cuts fits you best no matter which style you decide to go with.
robint
Contributor
I would get the 5/4/3 as a general purpose suit. We have friends who did that and are very happy with their decision. They said if they ever get warm, they just pull out the neck seal and flush the suit a bit. Works like a charm.
I have a 3mm fullsuit and also a 3mm shortie and a 7mm corewarmer. I layer as I need. I used the 3mm fullsuit with a hood all week in Palau, 4 dives per day, and in 84 degree water still got a bit chilly by end of day! Some people on our liveaboard were wearing only swimsuits and t-shirts...... brrrrrrrrr!
Fit is very very very important. The suit should be tight and feel tight but not restrict your breathing. The stretchy suits cost more but are easier to put on/take off. They also don't last as long. Try on several suits before you buy!
I have a 3mm fullsuit and also a 3mm shortie and a 7mm corewarmer. I layer as I need. I used the 3mm fullsuit with a hood all week in Palau, 4 dives per day, and in 84 degree water still got a bit chilly by end of day! Some people on our liveaboard were wearing only swimsuits and t-shirts...... brrrrrrrrr!
Fit is very very very important. The suit should be tight and feel tight but not restrict your breathing. The stretchy suits cost more but are easier to put on/take off. They also don't last as long. Try on several suits before you buy!
Since the suit is going to be used in other that peak tropical conditions and in repetitive dive situations and since you acknowledge that you chill easily go with the 5/4/3 mm and make sure it fits right.
If they have a 3mm hooded vest that fits nice get that too.
Pete
If they have a 3mm hooded vest that fits nice get that too.
Pete
don Francisco
Contributor
If I were designing the perfect temperate water wetsuit it would be a 5/3. (or 4/2mm for warmer water) 5mm standard neoprene on the torso for warmth and 3mm on the limbs for flexibility and ease in getting it on and off.
It isn't always a matter of how warm you are, but how warm you feel. My arms and legs are far more forgiving of cold than my trunk, and if I feel the slightest bit cool on my stomach I feel cold all over.
BTW- note that thickness alone doesn't translate directly into insulation. Some grades of neoprene resist compression better than others and therefore retain more their insulation value at 60fsw or more. Also, while the wetsuit companies may down play this, I've found that the old fashioned foam neoprene insulates better than hyperstretch of the same thickness.
Ask around about particular suits, or squeeze the neoprene over the torso, and opt for the firmest.
Lastly, fit trumps thickness, an ill fitting wetsuit that allows water to flow through it will always be cold, no matter what the specs are. Make sure it's comfortably snug at neck and wrist seals, and has a long enough zipper to allow you to get it on and off without tearing it apart at the seams.
It isn't always a matter of how warm you are, but how warm you feel. My arms and legs are far more forgiving of cold than my trunk, and if I feel the slightest bit cool on my stomach I feel cold all over.
BTW- note that thickness alone doesn't translate directly into insulation. Some grades of neoprene resist compression better than others and therefore retain more their insulation value at 60fsw or more. Also, while the wetsuit companies may down play this, I've found that the old fashioned foam neoprene insulates better than hyperstretch of the same thickness.
Ask around about particular suits, or squeeze the neoprene over the torso, and opt for the firmest.
Lastly, fit trumps thickness, an ill fitting wetsuit that allows water to flow through it will always be cold, no matter what the specs are. Make sure it's comfortably snug at neck and wrist seals, and has a long enough zipper to allow you to get it on and off without tearing it apart at the seams.
The Kraken
He Who Glows in the Dark Waters (ADVISOR)
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I'd go with the 5/4/3.
the K
the K
Hey guys. Thanks for all of the responses. I ended up purchasing the Mares Trilastic 5-4-3 in a size 6 (which seemed to be my size range) off of LeisurePro for about $130. It should come in a week or so. Thanks for the help!
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