Water temperatures and thickness of Wetsuit?

[Walter]

Maybe I should, but I wouldn't buy a 5 mil. I wouldn't use it. If it's too cold for the 3/2, I'm happy in the 7.

 

[Dive1Dennis]

I don't have a 5mm, but I think I would want my 7mm at 54F. I would be comfortable in the 7. I'm sure I could do it in a 5mm, but my guess is that I would be chilled after a longer dive......

 

[spectrum]

I'd consider it in a 5mm John & Jacket that gives 10mm on the core. The 5mm sleeves will still lead to cool hands.

A 5mm jumpsuit and a bibbed hood would be OK to visit that temperature for 5, maybe 10 minutes but after that it's going downhill.

For me that's a 7mm full suit with a 3/5 hooded chicken vest.

Pete

 

[scubadobadoo]

No, is the answer for me. No way in 54 degress with a 5mil! I own a 3mil and a dry suit.

 

[ChrisA]

Thx. Its that the water 2 minutes away from my house is about 12-13 degress celcius (54F). would just wanna know if my 5mm was enough. which i can see is not for you.

54F is what we have here. Only a very few people would use a 5mm suit for diving in 54F water. Almost everyone uses a 7mm full suit and a hood boots and gloves. Some people who get cold esy would tell you a dry suit is required

Biottom line is that unless you are in a 5% minority you would want a 7mm wetsuit.

 

[diveprof]

OK, so I'm a WIMP! I use a 7mm jumpsuit for temps 42- 75, a hood wiht a 4/3 for temps 75-80, and a 4/3 for everything else. I have never been too warm on a dive. Unless your suit keeps your body temp at 98.6degrees you are losing heat, wasting air, getting tired, etc....

 

[ChrisA]

got gloves and hood+boots+thermal socks so i will go try i think. is it not also about the quality of the wetsuit and how good it fit you? i got a BodyGlove 5mm set. i dont really know if thats a good brand/quality.

Body Glove is a Redondo Beach, California company. I'd say just over half the local divers use Body Glove suites. the water temps here range throughout the 50's depending on the time of year, currents and so on. But then we Californians are spoiled. It NEVER snows and when we can't ware t-shirts outdoor we say "it's cold" and complain that we have to rummage around the house to find were we put our jacket. Everyone here uses a 7mm jumpsuit. A good number use the 3mm body glove hooded vest under the suit.

In many places within the USA you can't find a Body Glove suit. These places are served by smalled dive shops. Body Glove required the reseler to make huge minimum purchace like 1,000 suits. this effectily cuts out the small shop but keeps the price of the suits low andso they are popular. Body Glove has been ownd and operatd by the same two bothers who founded the company in the 1950's they prety much inventedto idea on diving in a wetsuit. They also opend on of the first dive shops about 50 years ago and it's stil there. I did my OW cert there.
As for price: when the7mm suits go on sale (twice a year) we can get them for about $180 although I paid $125 for the last one I bought.

The latest model suits with the diagonal zipper are really nice although at over $200 pricey.