Is Late Feb a good time to dive in Florida?
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BabyDuck
Contributor
i'm sure you'll get more locals coming on with more details, but i've loved florida diving in jan & feb! i've used a 3mil john & jacket and a 5mil full suit successfully. lots to see then, and the slightly offshore reefs are great for newbies!
soamelt
Contributor
Worst case is you'll have lots of good eating and drinking and not a lot of diving. The seas aren't typically as bad as the previous winter months. Except about 72 degree water temps.
Lobstah Slayah
Contributor
Really?I dove year round last year in a 3mm wetsiut and was not cold at all. I used a 1mm hood for about 3 weeks but other than that it was fine.
Really. They weren't cold in the water, but on the boat when the sun was blocked by clouds coupled with the high wind even the super-insulated were uncomfortable.
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Glock Diver
Contributor
To answer your question, YES.
Feb is a great time to dive in Florida.
You'll experience water temps warmer than most parts of the country see year-round. Expect temps in the low 70's in February. I use a 3mm full wetsuit in the winter here, move to a 3mm shorty in the spring/fall, and in the summer when the water is in the 80's I just dive in swim trunks & a top rash guard Gotta love Florida dive conditions!
I should add- there are some divers in Florida who think anything below 85 degrees is cold, and I was shocked to see a couple on our diveboat in a drysuit this past winter... but, to each his own.
Feb is a great time to dive in Florida.
You'll experience water temps warmer than most parts of the country see year-round. Expect temps in the low 70's in February. I use a 3mm full wetsuit in the winter here, move to a 3mm shorty in the spring/fall, and in the summer when the water is in the 80's
I just dive in swim trunks & a top rash guard Gotta love Florida dive conditions!I should add- there are some divers in Florida who think anything below 85 degrees is cold, and I was shocked to see a couple on our diveboat in a drysuit this past winter... but, to each his own.
soamelt
Contributor
Exactly. I dive a 3mil in the winter without a hood. I get a little chilly towards the end of the dive or if I get a pocket of water trapped in the wetsuit. My buddy usually dives a 5mil with a full hood underneath and is cold througout the whole dive.
Although, a few more years down here and I'll probably be in a drysuit when the temp gets below 80.
sportxlh
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I just got back into diving 14 months ago so can only relate what it was like this last winter. I had no problem diving during the winter wearing a 2MM shorty and 3MM full wetsuit along with a hood and gloves. Worst temp I experienced off a boat was about 70 degrees (might have been a tad warmer, I don't recall) and worst temp from a beach dive was 63 degrees at blue heron bridge (my buddy and I still did a 90 minute dive though we were pretty cold afterward: he only wore a .5MM wetsuit). Most of the time, temps were 72 or 73 degrees
RonFrank
Contributor
Diving is based on rather unpredictable things, like weather, seas, etc. Diving in Feb can be awesome, or blown out, depends on the day/week.
For exposure protection, I think you have seen that people are different. I think you would be safe in a 5mm, but I know those that dive it dry, and those that dive it in a 3mm. A hood is always a good idea. If you are doing long dives, and more than two a day, IMO you may be better off with something thicker than a 3mm.
Topside temps also impact this. If it is 75F, sunny, and calm on the boat, then you will warm up between dives. If it is 65F, overcast, and windy, SI's may result in getting colder, especially in a wet suit.
For exposure protection, I think you have seen that people are different. I think you would be safe in a 5mm, but I know those that dive it dry, and those that dive it in a 3mm. A hood is always a good idea. If you are doing long dives, and more than two a day, IMO you may be better off with something thicker than a 3mm.
Topside temps also impact this. If it is 75F, sunny, and calm on the boat, then you will warm up between dives. If it is 65F, overcast, and windy, SI's may result in getting colder, especially in a wet suit.
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