Wet suit/Diveskin/Bathing suit???

[rileymartin]

I'm going to Cozumel in November and wasn't sure what type of exposure suit to wear. I've been told the water temperature should be about 80 and I'm not sure if I should wear a thin wetsuit (3mm?), a diveskin or just my bathing suit?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

 

[scubawife]

Really depends on your tolerance and how easily you get chilled, how much diving you plan on doing, etc. What sort of temps are you used to diving in and what do you usually wear?

 

[rileymartin]

I'm used to diving in the New York area. I just dove a week ago in a shorty and was fine. I've dove in the caribbean before just wearing a bathing suit but I never checked what the water temperature was.

 

[Zman96]

I have dove in April, May, and October in Coz and have always been comfortable in a 1mm wetsuit. I preface that with the fact I don't get cold easily, especially since I dive in Northern Illinois. The only time I get a little cool on a dive in Coz is after 3 or 4 consecutive days of 60-80 minute dives.

 

[judydivescoz]

Diving in a shorty in New York!!! The water here is very cold, in the 60s at best. I could not imagine diving in anything but a dry suit with undies. I guess everybody is different. You might be OK in just a skin. I would use something to protect you from any little critter that might bite or anything you might inadvertently rub up against.

 

[stortecky]

I would say go with the 3mm if you have room to pack it. I can stand cold water pretty well and have dove with no wet suit and had no problem. But at the same time I have never over heat in a 3mm wetsuit when it is 83 in the water. I would rather be warm then get too cold and not have any fun diving. Plus it give you extra protection.

 

[sharky60]

Even in 83 degree water you body will lose heat and given enough time, you will begin to show signs of hypothermia. So just because you "feel" fine with a thin suit on, doesn't mean it is enough. Safety first, it's always better to err on the side of caution.

Most DM's, because of diving all the time, get chilled more than us tourists do, so you will see them wearing a 3 mil with a vest or even another thin suit over/under it. A lot even wear hoods.

But for visitors, the 3mm seems to be the norm for Cozumel, you may not need that much protection most of the time, but you will most likely be more comfortable with it. On deeper wall dives in particular, you can hit some thermoclines that can give you a good chill. I've even hit some on Columbia Shallows at <30' that have given me the 'wiggles'. And depending on how long your going to be there and how much diving you are going to do, later in the trip you may be happy you had the extra thickness.

I'm pretty warm blooded and don't chill easily, and I dove Coz with a .5 mil for years, wearing a short sleeve surfing rash shirt under it, (April/May & Sept), with only an occational, late week chill issues.

I moved up to a 3 mil a couple of years ago and have been much more comfortable with it, but still after about 4 days of diving, I start looking for the rash shirt.

 

[scubawife]

I'm used to diving in the New York area. I just dove a week ago in a shorty and was fine. I've dove in the caribbean before just wearing a bathing suit but I never checked what the water temperature was.

You dive locally in a shorty? Wow. I've never seen that. A few people I know dive 7mm full suits in the summer here but most dive dry. I'm curious, where were you diving here in a shorty?

I get cold easily and I dive every day when I'm in Cozumel. Nov-March I'm in a 5mm. In the winter months most people are in full 3mm suits, some in 5's and 7's. It will depend on how much diving you are planning to do. With a 3mm if you are too warm just let in some water. 80 sounds warm, but multi dives over consecutive days it will still cool your core temp down and even if you start out feeling toasty, by the end of the week I doubt you'll be too warm.

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

I'm going to Cozumel in November and wasn't sure what type of exposure suit to wear. I've been told the water temperature should be about 80 and I'm not sure if I should wear a thin wetsuit (3mm?), a diveskin or just my bathing suit?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

As you may have guessed by the responses, you're question ranks up there with "how many angels can you fit on the head of a pin?" There's just to many variables. I would go with the suggestions to bring the 3mm. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to wear it. I tend to wear only swim trunks and a rash guard most of the year. Even on night dives. However, the kicker is that I rarely dive multiple days in a row. I will if a couple of people want to do a night dive and they need to have more people for the boat to go out, but short of that, I tend to dive every few days. But, from late-October to mid-February I can almost guarantee you that I'll be in my 3/2. November is a transition month, so, maybe the water will be 80F, maybe it'll be colder, who knows?!?! Better to be prepared.

 

[Doc Harry]

Depends how much diving you plan to be doing.

The water is about 80 degrees top to bottom, no thermocline.

If you are going to do only two morning dives, then you probably could get away with a whatever you want to wear.

If you plan on an occasional night dive, the 3mm is a good choice.

I dive in a 5mm and I still get cold. But I generally dive 4 times daily - two morning dives and two night dives.

A lot depends on the weather. I have been there when it was hot and sunny, a lot of people were wearing shorties. But then I have been there when it was cool and rainy the entire time, I was cold in a 5mm.