3mm too much for Caribbean?

Will be heading to Barbados next week and we are trying to pack light but not leave anything needed behind. I'm a 'big' guy who usually doesn't get too cold diving 7mm in New England waters. Will I be too warm in a 3mm Farmer John?

Probably from your description. I dove there last fall and used a 3 mm suit, farmer john. Wore the john only, without the jacket and was warm, However, I get cold very easily - I can freeze in a 90 degree pool!

U/w thermal comfort is rather idiosnycratic.

To put it in perspective, below is a piece, in part, from my June '00 "Ask RSD" column in "Rodale's Scuba Diving":

"Have you ever been out on the street in the spring or fall and noticed people wearing everything from shorts & T-shirts to full coats with hats & scarves, all apparently in comfort? Well, things are no different underwater. This comfort is highly variable among individuals depending on such factors as percentage of body fat, age & tolerance to thermal discomfort. Other determinants, like how many dives a day over how many days you are planning, are also important. When you ask "What wetsuit should I wear?, you'll get answers ranging all the way from "just a bathing suit" through "5 mm full."

The question is better asked: "What water temps can I anticipate at my destination?" You'll receive a pretty accurate answer to this, and then can decide what's best for you based on your personal thermal comfort needs.

It's always a good idea to come thermally prepared, just in case."

That having been said, expect Barbados scuba water temps next week of ~81 degrees plus/minus a degree. Personally, if was doing multiple dives over multiple days at that temp, I'd take a 3mm full & beanie.

Have super trip.

DocVikingo

i usually go to the Virgin Island in the Sept to Nov time frame and just dive wearing a skin. It isnt that cold there. Worse case i would recommend a 3/2......3mm in the chest.....2 elsewhere....

ive been looking at barbados as a possible vacation spot....let me know how it goes please.....appreciate it

I wore a 3mm jumpsuit in the 73 degree FLA KEYS this past January and it was perfect.

I dove in the Bahamas just a couple of months ago, and the water temperatures were the same... Around 80* or so. A 3/2 mil was perfect.

Personally, I'm comfy in a 3mm suit in any water temp from 60* on up... So that will give you an idea of what my comfort zone is.

I never recommend diving without a wetsuit... Especially in the Caribbean. Jellyfish stings really, really suck.

Consider it protection from all sorts of things, not just the water temperature.

And don't forget that depending on where you go, any dive at significant depth could prove seriously chilly. Last week there was a diver on the UWEX mailing list who did a drysuit dive in 80* water temperatures. They said that at 110', the water temperature was 57*!

That kind of thermocline isn't likely further south, but like I said, you're going to want the extra protection for other reasons.

Hey SeaJay,
Whats up buddy?

Nada. Enjoying my greens.

Do atleast a full 3mm. If you get too warm then just let some water in. I wouldn't go with anything less than this....especially when doing multiple dives over multiple days.

Jason

The Doc's got the right idea:

Check out the water temp and go with what makes you comfortable at that temperature. I'm a "coldie" and, as such, have never bothered much with any kind of competitive "how little protection can I wear" approach. I happily wore a 5 mil during a multi-dive trip to St. Vincent (just around the corner from Barbados) last August when the water temp hovered around 83 and I wear it during weekend diving here in Florida until the temp gets to 84 or so, when I switch to a three. Of course more neoprene means more weight but since othing spoils a dive for me like being cold, I'll happily put up with a tad more drag.
By the way, while the operator, Bill Tewes, wore a bathing suit and a BC, the two main (home-grown) dive masters working for him wore 7 mils!!
Safe, happy and warm diving to you.....