Is 5/4 Too Much For Florida/Hawaii/Cozumel? Poll added
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I'm trying to hard to find the most 'effective' suit for the money. I know I'm getting the pinnacle 7mm (Elite or Artic) for Michigan. I'll need a hooded vest for sure.
I'm thinking I"ll be diving in Florday in February, June and August. Multiple dives per day for a three to four day period. A cozumel trip in there somewhere as well. It sounds like a 5/4 is perfect for the Winter dive, but too much for June and August. That's why I was thinking 3mm + 3mm hooded vest. (It may even be a 5mm vest).
I have no doubt the 5/4 is okay in Hawaii. I've experienced it. I just never dove in Coz or Florida. So 3mm for first dive, add vest if cold for secnod dive, put on thicker gloves if need be. I lose some flexibility with an 6mm core (3mm + 3mm vest), but have a very versatile ****. Or do the 5/4 and have an 8mm core if I wear the vest.
During my AOW a couple of weeks ago I wore a 7mm farmer john. That's 14mm in the core. :11: I was comfortable in 45 degree water for 30 minutes, but my hands FROZE.
DuckyDiver
Contributor
I used a Bare 5/4 in Hawaii in May and was plenty warm on all my dives. Those surface temps were in the low 70's. I use the same wet suit with a three mil hooded vest in dutch springs and of Long Island and still stay warm where temp are down in the low 60s. The 5/4 is a good buy.
lawofgravity
Guest
I dove with a 3mm in Cozumel and at the end of 4 days of diving, started to get a little cold in my arms and legs. In Kona, I dove with a 3/2 shorty and was cold after every dive. Since you plan on doing multiday diving, go with the 5/4, keep warm and forget all the extra stuff. Occams Razor applies in this situation.
I have a 5/4 bare velocity and it is extremely versatile. There are times when I've been a little warm at the beginning of the first dive but by the end of the second or third or even the fifth of the day I was glad I had it on. I'm comfortable in it from around 70-85 or so depending on surface temps, number of dives, length of dives ,etc. I did do the St Lawrence in it when temps were in the 68-70 degree range and was ok until the last day when the lake flipped and temps dropped to 61. Spent those two dives kicking myself for not bringing the drysuit. Last year did the keys in Early may and was great with the 5. This year did them in latter part of may and my polartech(equiv to 3 mil) was fine but if I'd been doing more than two dives a day I'd have wanted the 5/4. Bottom line 5/4 is near perfect choice for most dives IMO. You can as has already been said twice pull the neck and flush a little water to cool down. Will also help to rinse out the pee.
When I lived in Cayman we had several repeat customers use 7mm during the winter. Even one of our staff used a 7mm at times.
Chris
Chris
popsiclediver
Registered
Like my name says, I am a cold diver! I just got back from Barbados where it was 84@100' and did 10 dives. I wore a Mares 8-6-5 and for the FIRST time diving wet (I dive dry here in Canada) I was WARM. Last year I wore a 5mm Henderson, hood and gloves in San Andres and in Roatan and FROZE during those weeks. The new Mares suit is HEAVEN.
Trust your gut. Go Warm.
Trust your gut. Go Warm.
I think they would work, but personally I would rather avoid the buoyancy swing and keep things consistent. I also prefer to go hoodless as much as possible when traveling, since it's such a novelty for someone used to diving 50 degree waters. The vast majority of these posts here have shown that 3mm is fine many times, but there are definitely many times the extra warmth from a 5mm is appreciated, and it's VERY seldom that it's too warm... and on those VERY rare instances, it's no big deal to flush a little water through the neck... and by the time you're ready for the next dive, your core will have cooled enough that the 5mm will be fine again.
For those times that the 5mm is not quite warm enough, rather than adding a hooded vest, I would simply add a hood or a beanie rather than going to a hooded vest, which costs a lot more and will mess with buoyancy.
Seems to me a 3mm is ONLY suitable for the absolute warmest climates... and even there repetitive diving may prove a bit much, while a 5mm is significantly more flexible. And isn't that what you're looking for?
Personally, I'll be buying a 5mm for use in the most situations. Anything that is genuinely too warm for a 5mm, I can rent a simple shorty or whatever is needed locally.
You guys are right. I just got back from my LDS (open on Sunday's 
) He said a 5/4 maybe much for summer in Forida for the first dive, but will be fine for the multidive. He did say that I the minue I get out of the boat, I will ROAST. That I'll almost want it off before getting out of the water. LOL. He also said a 5/4 for coz is perfect.
Now I need to decided on the Artic or Elite. I may got with the Artic because I live 20 minutes from Lake Michigan.
Compudude made a good point about bouncy. Thank you. Thanks to the rest as well. I can't tel you how much it's helped me buy my first wetsuit. Actually, SB has helped all around since last week I bought regs/bc/computer/octo/acces.
) He said a 5/4 maybe much for summer in Forida for the first dive, but will be fine for the multidive. He did say that I the minue I get out of the boat, I will ROAST. That I'll almost want it off before getting out of the water. LOL. He also said a 5/4 for coz is perfect. Now I need to decided on the Artic or Elite.
I may got with the Artic because I live 20 minutes from Lake Michigan. Compudude made a good point about bouncy. Thank you. Thanks to the rest as well. I can't tel you how much it's helped me buy my first wetsuit. Actually, SB has helped all around since last week I bought regs/bc/computer/octo/acces.
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