What sort of wetsuit to buy?

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yoni

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Location
Maale Adumim, Israel
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I am relatively new to diving and I live in Israel. I dive both in the Mediterranean and in the Red Sea. I have a question especially for those who live or dive in this area.
I would like to buy a wetsuit but I can't make up my mind as to what type I should get - a full or "shorty", and what thickness (2mm, 3mm, 5mm ...etc).
In the summer I will usually dive with just a swim suit and a rash guard top, especially in the Mediterranean, unless there are a lot of jelly fish. I think that a full wet suit would be too hot unless it was a thinner type. In the Red sea the water itself can be cool sometimes, but a shorty I think would be sufficient. But if I dive in the winter, both places can be cold (the Mediterranean being colder I think). I would need a full suit, but what thickness would be sufficient?
Any advice would be appreciated.
 
The wetsuit you acquire will depend upon the conditions in which you will use it. The most versatile would likely be a 3 mil full body suit, which will keep you comfortable in water from about 72F up to the mid 80's F. Some people prefer less than that thickness, or go with a shorty, but if you want one wet suit to work in the broadest of the conditions in which is seems you are likely to dive, I would go 3 mil full suit.
DivemasterDennis
 
DivemasterDennis:
The wetsuit you acquire will depend upon the conditions in which you will use it. The most versatile would likely be a 3 mil full body suit, which will keep you comfortable in water from about 72F up to the mid 80's F. Some people prefer less than that thickness, or go with a shorty, but if you want one wet suit to work in the broadest of the conditions in which is seems you are likely to dive, I would go 3 mil full suit.
DivemasterDennis
Click to expand...

This is probably the best answer. It's usually recommended as well that if you want to use just one suit go with the one that will keep you warm enough in the coldest water you will be diving (then be careful of sun/heat when gearing up). A shorty will keep me comfortable 65F or higher. A body suit (basically just protection, not for warmth) is good for me 75F or higher. You can try to approximate how well you do in general with cold. The only real way I can think of to know for sure is to rent something first and dive.
 
in the winter I use a drysuit in the eastern med and a full 5mm in the northern red sea(or drysuit on a deeper dive).
in the summer I can manage with a 3mm shorty in both areas.
 
I am advocate for full suits regardless - simply for protection. Last week my friend got some nice strings across his leg. As said above the full 3mm will get you into a lot of water temps. One thing to remember even when hot you can pretty easily cool down by getting wet right after suiting up - but before donning your gear. Even just getting your head/face wet will help.
 
Last edited:
I also like to dive in a full suit. In Eilat I wear a full 3/2 mm suit. The 3 mm suit is very versatile for warm weather diving.
 
For me another BIG factor is how long the dives are and how many a day or a trip. I don't get cold that easy, but I am no superman either. When I dive in Coz and am doing 2 to three a day, by the middle of the second day I am adding a hood to my full 3mil. Drift diving in Coz, your air lasts forever and you aren't working very hard, so you aren't 'making' much heat. I start coming up because I am chilled, not because of air. The water there is 80 F (27C).
The cold catches up with me after a couple of days and it takes longer and longer to 'recover'. It's kind of like running in cold weather (only opposite). If you are warm starting out, you will be overheated soon, so you really want to be cold a first. So I try to dress for what I need at the end of the outing and many of my trips are multiple days.
 
I'd also say full body suit. I've dived in the Med (Mallorca) with a 5mm and it was chilly. It will also depend on how many dives you do and the weather conditions. In the Red Sea, with a 3mm suit, I was ok most of the time, but on a liveaboard, with several dives in one day, the body starts not to be able to cope with the cold so well.
If you're afraid of getting too warm, try a 3mm and maybe a shorty to go on top when the water is colder. But it's always tricky to have one suit to fit all situations.
 
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