Exposure suit Recommendations: Good baseline or not?

bigmak · Mar 27, 2007

I found these recommended exposure suite thicknesses on a local quarries web site:
do these sound reasonable?

75-85F (24-29C) 1/16" (1.6mm) Neoprene, Lycra, Polartec
70-85F (21-29C) 1/8" (3mm) Neoprene
65-75F (18-24C) 3/16" (5mm) Neoprene
50-75F (10-24C) ¼" (6.5mm) Neoprene
35-65F (2-18C) 3/8" (9.5mm) Neoprene, drysuit

golfballdir · Mar 27, 2007

you can get away with a 7mm down to about 45 if you've got a good hood and you can stand the cold, any colder than that and i'd definitely go dry. for the much warmer water when in the ocean i usually just wear a farmer john bottom and long sleeve rash guard or similar skin suit. if you're only in a quarry and not going to bump into any fire coral or anything else that can bite or sting, i just usually wear shorts but still a long sleeve rash guard or underarmor.

other than that, those temps look about right for the exposure they recommend

TravelSimone · Mar 27, 2007

bigmak:
I found these recommended exposure suite thicknesses on a local quarries web site:
do these sound reasonable?

75-85F (24-29C) 1/16" (1.6mm) Neoprene, Lycra, Polartec
70-85F (21-29C) 1/8" (3mm) Neoprene
65-75F (18-24C) 3/16" (5mm) Neoprene
50-75F (10-24C) ¼" (6.5mm) Neoprene
35-65F (2-18C) 3/8" (9.5mm) Neoprene, drysuit

I get cold easily and these recommendations are not at all reasonable (for me).

I know that after 30 minutes in 76F (~24.5 C) in a 5mm neoprene I am a little cold.

55 in a 7mm farmer jane with a thick hood and gloves is too painful for me to consider more than one dive a day.

The Kraken · Mar 27, 2007

Pretty reasonable, but every man is an island . . .

the K

in_cavediver · Mar 27, 2007

I'd modify the drysuit range a bit. I dive mine from 32-75+. Never dove water warmer than 75 so I can't say higher. With the right undergarmits, drysuit would work for any divable water temp.

CompuDude · Mar 27, 2007

I can only speak to the 7mm range, but the table looks about right for me and most others I've spoken to locally. SoCal waters hit about 50F at the lowest (very rarely dipping just below), and a LOT of people dive them in 7mm suits and are ok. I do as well, although it is pushing the limits at times. Drysuit is best under 60F, IMO, and still appreciated in water considerably warmer. I would dive dry or in my 7mm up to about 70F, and only then get something thinner (and frankly my DS may be fine in 70F with minimal undergarments, I've just never done it!).

eckybay · Mar 27, 2007

I use a 5mm, add a hooded vest at times, and I'm good for the lower 60s, although chilled after multiple dive.

Exposure suit Recommendations: Good baseline or not?

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