Wetsuit when?

[hermitagehill]

I am a new diver and will be going to Cozumel in late summer for my first real dive experience. The dive shop I am working with is recommending 3mm shorties for the guys and full length for the gals. I know the surface temp will be quite warm but at depth will the temp be cool enough to need to have a wetsuit. I know this is highly individualistic as far as body temp/ comfort but could the dive shop owner be over reacting or perhaps concerned with newbies and wanting some bouyancy insurance?

 

[911Diver]

I was in Cancun late October last year and only used a rash gaurd and bathing suit and was fine. Some others were in shorties and some full. It is your call! I would say take it and use it if you need it. They do not take up that much room!

Have fun and safe diving!

 

[Noboundaries]

No real difference between water temp at surface and temp at depth. At most one or two degrees, if that. I've gone diving there in late November/early December and early April. 81*F water temp both times, even at 80-100 feet.

 

[rollerboi]

If in doubt, make sure the spouse/gf/female companion has thermal protection.

I went to Isla Mujeres, just off cancun, the week before christmas last year. Water temps were in the high 70's. Both spouses were in 3mm shorties and got cold.

 

[SPG3K]

Man, every dive I've done to date was 54-66 degree water.

I cannot WAIT to go somewhere where a wetsuit is optional, lol.

I'm jealous of all you clear water divers =/

 

[emttim]

Man, every dive I've done to date was 54-66 degree water.

I cannot WAIT to go somewhere where a wetsuit is optional, lol.

I'm jealous of all you clear water divers =/

Hell, what's wrong with 54-66 degrees? That's friggin' warm to me. I love it when it was 54-56 degrees when I went to Channel Islands last time...beats the 48 degrees in Monterey.

 

[don Francisco]

Cozumel water temps vary from about 77 degrees in late winter to about 84 in late summer. By and large 3mm is adequete thermal protection, with some folks going up to 5mm in the winter. I use a 3/2 full suit year round, while my wife uses either 3mm or 5mm according to the season.

How much insulation you & your gal need is hard to predict. Look at how different folks dress on any winter day, anything from a light sweater to a down parka with hood. Starting from average, adjust how you dress for water according to how you dress for weather. Also, if you're doing longish, multiple dives, especially on a cool or cloudy day you'll be happier if you erred towards the high side. Within reason, I've never heard anyone complain of being too warm in the water.

One minor point of disagreemant with your LDS. If you follow this boards postings you'll often read about men having trim issues from "heavy legs", rarely women. If you're fairly athletic, especially in sports like cycling or running & have problems maintain horizontal trim, go for the full suit rather than the shorty. The added floatation on your legs will make trim easier to manage & take strain off your lower back.

BTW- Regardless of the time of year, I'll bet the dive Ops staff is wearing more insulation than what he's suggesting for you. The locals are aclimated to the heat and feel chilled when the sun goes down.

 

[sed6]

Just got back from a June 6-9 trip to Cozumel. My fiancee and I did our OW checkout dives there. We did three shore dives and four boat dives. Neither of us wore a wetsuit. She is skinny and gets cold easily, I'm 30lbs overweight and neither of us wished for a wetsuit.

That said, 1/2 the boat wore them, 1/2 didn't and everyone seemed comfortable. The 80 degree water you'll find doesn't really necessitate a wetsuit.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

The number of dives and length of each dive you're doing affects your thermal perception. You may be nice and toasty in a swim suit the first couple of days but by the time you get to dive 8 or so you may be starting to chill early in the dive. I usually end up in a 5mm farmer john by the end of the week if doing a lot of long dives. Everyone is different, wear what makes you feel comfortable because being cold on a dive equates to having less fun. Remember, the water is lowering your body temperature unless it's warmer than you are
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Fordan]

Is the diveshop running a special on wetsuits? Nervous DMs and Instructors are much more known for adding too much weight to make sure you don't shoot to the surface vs extra buoyancy, since your BC can generally compensate for overweighting, whereas the only thing that compensates for underweighting is more weight. Especially in Cozumel, where there's no anchor lines generally and you're doing a free ascent and holding your safety stop without a line. I've done the upsidedown swimming safety stop in Cozumel. It's not as much fun as it sounds.

I'm a big fan of full length all the time, not so much for the thermal protection as the protection again accidental contact with things I wouldn't want to touch bare skin (jellyfish, fire coral, etc). I have a Henderson 0.5mm "microprene" wetsuit which I generally use when diving in the Caribbean. This was fine for me even in January down in Cozumel, but I'm fairly resistant to getting cold. As you say, people are very different; 3mm may not be a bad suggestion as a first guess without you knowing your cold tolerence.