Hot with a full 3mm suit??

scubasaint · Jul 20, 2007

All,

I am looking at buying a new wetsuit and have all but decided to go with a 3mm full suit. My diving is all done in warm water (Caribbean or Gulf) and to this point I have been using a shorty with no issues of getting cold. I want to go with a full suit now to prevent scrapes and jellies but was curious if I would be hot wearing a full 3mm in these types of environments. Anyone have any experience they can share?

All feedback is welcomed!

texdiveguy · Jul 20, 2007

scubasaint:
All,

I am looking at buying a new wetsuit and have all but decided to go with a 3mm full suit. My diving is all done in warm water (Caribbean or Gulf) and to this point I have been using a shorty with no issues of getting cold. I want to go with a full suit now to prevent scrapes and jellies but was curious if I would be hot wearing a full 3mm in these types of environments. Anyone have any experience they can share?

All feedback is welcomed!

I don't think you will be hot....remember repeated diving will chill your body chore even in the tropics.....the added protection is worth it,,,,better to be a wee-bit warm during your dives than chilling. Also if it gets just to hot on a dive....leave the back zipper down to allow water to flow thru the suit a bit more. I always dive a full suit in the ocean.

spectrum · Jul 20, 2007

4 of us were in Bonaire wearing full 3mm suits and nobody was ever hot or uncomfortably warm in 81F water. Some of us went to shorty's but that was to avoid buoyancy swing and to further enjoy the water.

If you are concerned then get a front zip that will let you open up as needed.

If you are wracking up repetitive dives the full suit can be good insurance against thermal energy depletion. You will eventually be fatigued from the cold without feeling chill.

Pete

garyfotodiver · Jul 20, 2007

I wear a 3mm full suit in S. Florida all year long, and am never too warm.

If I did get too warm, I would merely let in some water by pulling my neck seal away from my body.

DiveMaven · Jul 21, 2007

We just got back from 2 weeks in the Bahamas and found our 3mm full suits were too warm, even with diving 4-5x a day. The water was consistently 84-85 degrees and we'll be investing in microprene suits for our next summer trip to the Caribbean.

The Kraken · Jul 21, 2007

Remember, the temperature at the bottom is seldom that at the surface.

Did a two tank dive not long ago wherein the surface temp was about 84 degrees. When we got down to about 60 feet we hit a thermocline that dropped the water temp to 76 degrees.

Now to back up a bit, as my dive buddy and I were gearing up and putting on our 3mm full suits, we heard a few catty remarks about the need for exposure suits. I'm sure you can imagine the text of the conversations . . .

Anyway, at the end of the second dive, those macho/hero types diving in cutoffs and t-shirts didn't look as nearly comfortable as we, nor did they look as if they'd enjoyed that second dive to 76 degrees as much as we.

Keep in mind that as long as you're reflecting upon the temperature of the water during your dive, you possibly could be neglecting to concentrate on more important issues.

the K

Darnold9999 · Jul 21, 2007

spectrum:
If you are concerned then get a front zip that will let you open up as needed.

Last wetsuit I bought, about a year ago, I looked for a front zip and couldn't find one. Any sources?

RJP · Jul 22, 2007

The Kraken:
...as my dive buddy and I were gearing up and putting on our 3mm full suits, we heard a few catty remarks about the need for exposure suits. I'm sure you can imagine the text of the conversations . . .

Should have been on the Cayman Aggressor when my buddy and I were diving in dry suits! Everyone was laughing out loud. Until after the first night dive!

When we surfaced we found everyone else was as dry as we were...because they had gotten out of the water 30 minutes before we did!

Charlie99 · Jul 22, 2007

I find a 3/2 mm if fine for water temps anywhere from 78F to 86F. I don't bother wearing my 3mm beanie if the water temp is above 84. A large bald spot is a very efficient heat radiator.

I do tend to poke along slowly, and with 0.4cfm SAC dives tend towards the long side, so I tend to wear more neoprene than most divers. My observation is that as divers gain experience, learn how to hover rather than having to constantly fin to maintain depth, and just generally get more relaxed, that they don't exert themselves as much, and therefore need more neoprene.

Even if you "have been using a shorty with no issues of getting cold" you will be losing body heat even in mid-80's warm water. This is true even if you are not uncomfortable.

I prefer the 3/2mm type of suit as it give protection over then entire body, but has thinner neoprene on the arms and legs where you don't need as much thermal insulation. Less neoprene means less buoyancy change with depth.

pipedope · Jul 22, 2007

The only places where I ever overheated in a 3mil full suit were in retention ponds warmed by the sun to bathwater temps or heated water.
Never in any natural lake or ocean did I overheat in 3mil.

Hot with a full 3mm suit??

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scubasaint

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