Want to dive all yr round in Ft. Lauderdale--Wetsuit recommendation?

ft.lauderdale diver · Sep 15, 2009

Just moved down to Ft. Lauderdale and am giddy about all the diving I've been doing. Want to continue to dive year round. I'm originally from the northeast and I can't imagine I'd have to whip my drysuit out in the winter months. What do most people wear in the winter down here? need to start thinking about that b/c it will be here soon enough!

jupitermermaid · Sep 15, 2009

It's an individual thing. The first winter I dove I got by with a three mil. The next winter I wore a 5-4-3 mil, and this past winter I wore a 2 mil vest under my 5-4-3. Some people I know actually wear drysuits here in the winter (they've been diving for years, are in the water a LOT, and are prone to getting cold faster). Others get by on 3 mil, some wear 7; you get the idea. I know one guy who doesn't wear a wet suit at all, except for maybe a couple times out of the year when it's especially cold. You'll find your comfort zone as the water cools.

ft.lauderdale diver · Sep 15, 2009

Thanks Jupiter for your resonse. Let me ask the question another way. What the coldest the water temp gets down here---say on a 100 ft dive.

jupitermermaid · Sep 15, 2009

Looking through my log book, in the 3 winters that I've been diving the coldest water temp I dove was on 2/21/09, a chilly 60 F. in 90' SW. The average during the winter months is in the mid-high 60's, low 70's.

ONESPEED · Sep 15, 2009

ft.lauderdale diver:
Thanks Jupiter for your resonse. Let me ask the question another way. What the coldest the water temp gets down here---say on a 100 ft dive.

This link has a pretty accurate month by month chart of South Florida water temperatures: Fill Express -- Marine Condition Reports and Weather Forecasts for Greater Fort Lauderdale

Tom Winters · Sep 15, 2009

There is no one wetsuit that going to do it for you. The 3mm that you freeze in the winter will roast you in the summer. I use a 1mm for warm stuff, then add a hood when it starts feeling like I should, and finally when the air is cool enough, it's the bliss of a drysuit.

DebbyDiver · Sep 15, 2009

I wear pajamas in the winter months. Yup. It's cold so I sleep in and dream about summer diving.

DebbyDiver = WARM WATER WUSS

joh · Sep 16, 2009

I would suggest buying a "long john suit" and a shorty that you can wear together when the water is chilly. I did this in Dec. and was fine. If it's barely cool just wear the shorty unless you need protection (penetrating a wreck or lobstering). If it's warm, and I'm not going to be lobstering and scraping my legs, I will often just wear a rash guard so I don't have to sweat on board the boat.

mksmith713 · Sep 16, 2009

3/2 full for me.

sportxlh · Sep 16, 2009

Last winter I wore a 2mm shorty under a 3mm full size suit and a hood. Most of the dives were 71 or 72 degrees and I felt fine: I averaged 4 dives a month. I did do one dive at 63 degrees at the blue heron bridge and was pretty darn cold after 45 minutes or so. My dive buddy wore a .5mm and hood that day. brrrrrrrr

during the summer I wear the 2mm shorty or the 3mm depending I what the suspected water temp will be.

Want to dive all yr round in Ft. Lauderdale--Wetsuit recommendation?

Please register or login

ft.lauderdale diver

Contributor

jupitermermaid

Contributor

ft.lauderdale diver

Contributor

jupitermermaid

Contributor

ONESPEED

ScubaBoard Supporter

Tom Winters

Contributor

DebbyDiver

Livin' the dream

joh

Contributor

mksmith713

Contributor

sportxlh

Contributor

Similar threads