what thickness wetsuit do you use??

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Fishkiller

Contributor
Messages
1,169
Reaction score
1
Location
Mesa Arizona, The all beach no ocean state.
# of dives
100 - 199
Ok here's this question for you all to reply to.

I have been told that I have a weird metabolism. In 82F water I was to hot in anything but my swim trunks. In the 63F water in the ocean I was quite happy with a 3mil though when I hit the termalcline and the temp dropped to 58F I thought that cold.

besides the drysuit divers what thickness to you all don??
 
Well...I am a drysuit diver. But I wore a 3mil wetsuit diving in Costa Rica (on the Pacific side) and was very comfortable. Water temps were in the mid to upper 60's. Please keep in mind that I stick my face in 35 degree water several times a week, so 65 degree water is pretty comfy to me!! ages
 
My only real diving so far has been in 79 degrees. I was very comfortable in just a lycra skin and trunks. (I can't say how comfortable the rest of the people were in having to see me in a lycra skin!) :)
d
 
Fishkiller....

In warmer 75-80 degree water I wear a 3mm shorty. I dive here in the northwest and the average water temp here is about 49-51 degrees and then I dive a 2pc 6.5mm semi-dry suit. When I get colder than 49 degrees I usually where a skin with my semi-dry suit....Right now a dry suit is in the works. Me personally I think it comes down to how much can you tolerate the water temp. Good Luck and I hope this helps.

Dive Safe...

Aardal
:peace:
 
I'm not sure how this helps, as I think exposure protection requirements is one of those things that varies widely between people.

I can dive comfortably in 39F with a fleece skin under a neoprene semi-dry, in 75-77 this past week I was cozy in just the fleece-lycra skin. In the same 77 degree water, my daughter felt cold in a 0.5mm skin, and was better with a 3mm shorty over the 0.5mm full suit.

If you are diving in warm water with a naturally high internal thermostat, consider a lycra skin or a 0.5mm full suit for UV and/or sting/abbrasion protection. The lighter skins can work well as a basis for thicker protection if you need it. Layering also works well for multiple dives as you may find yourself cooler on the second or third dives of the day.
 
I mix and match a 7 mm farmer john/7mm long sleeve top/ fleese skin and a nylon skin. I usally try to dive a little more than I think I will need. Sure is a lot more pleasent to flush a little cool water thru the suit than to shiver. So 65 deg quarry-both 7mm, a 72 deg spring- fleece and 7mm top....85 deg tropic- skin day/fleece night. Skins are always a good idea, they protect you from several diving nasties like jellyfish and sunburn and make getting into and out of a wetsuit a lot easier.
 
Ok, now I feel like a major wuss!

I starting diving here in nothing but my bathing suit and a t-shirt (water is 87-83degrees depending on summer or winter). Now, 2 years later, I'm wearing a full 3/2mm suit. And I still get cold. The last dive, my computer told me it was 79 degrees (due to the wet season runoff from the mountains) and I was FREEZING!!!

Guess it is all what you get used to. It was 92 degrees the other night...at 3:00am! And it isn't even summer yet! I will just FREEZE my butt off when I go home to Maryland this summer! I want to dive the lakes there...but I may just go into shock!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom