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I have a 5/7mm full wetsuit + 5/7mm hooded shortie. I would go for a farmer john/hooded vest if I were to do it again. The hood does keep my head warm, but I don't see the benefit of a shortie over a full suit... too much water flow, minimal insulation.
And Papa Bear was also right : invest in a custom wetsuit. Or get one that fits you well : not too tight, not too loose. Worth the money!
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I found I had little use for a 3mm suit as it was not enough for multiple or long dives in low 70's water. I much prefer a 5mm jumpsuit. When that gets a bit cool (mid 60's) I add a hooded 5mm vest underneath that seals well with the jumpsuit neck. And when that is not enough, I add some chemical heaters (Quantum Heat Packs). I have had reasonably comfortable dives with this rig down to about 50 as long as I don't go too deep. Do not place the chemical heat pouches in direct contact with your skin - it will BURN. I put them in some pouches (made from the sleaves of my old 3mm that I cut into a shortie) before I drop them down into my suit.
If you can stand 57 in a 3mm, you might try easing into this. Perhaps start with a 5mm hooded vest and add the heaters if you need more. Neither are too expensive. Then you could switch to the 5mm last if you still need more, or when that 3mm wears out. A good 5mm is not cheap.
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I'm a pretty cold tolerant diver (lots of bioprene ), but after diving 57 F water in La Jolla, I've decided I'm going to need a little more than my 3mm.
After getting a little sticker shock over the 5mm and 7mm suits (I need high stretch), I'm thinking of going with layering...specifically a 3mm shorty for my core, then add a hood.
Anyone have experience doing this? How does 3mm suit + 3mm shorty compare to a regular 5mm?
Any other cold water wet suit strategies? I'm not looking to get into a dry suit just yet.
Kou,
This is A way to do it. I use my 3mm pinnacle seal wetsuit for the springs and offshore down here in the south when I dive. I also have a bare arctic vest step in (sleeveless) that has an attached hood that is 7mm. When I dive quarries in PA (COOOLD, like high 50's low 60's) I just put my 3mm on and then my 7mm hooded bare on over top of it. This gives me a 7mm hood, 10mm on my body, and 3 mm on my limbs. This keeps my limbs....well...limber, but it keeps my core nice and toasty. You can pick up the bare arctic 7mm over vest on the internet pretty cheap too, like under 100 beans. I've used this and it works great. Also, the bare piece is designed to be worn over a full length wetsuit, so its cut and fit are conducive to doing so. FWIW.
Last edited by Slonda828; November 19th, 2008 at 02:25 AM..
Reason: too much beer.
This member has said "Thank you." to Slonda828 for this useful post:
Get a full 7mm suit and a 7mm hood and/or 7/5mm hooded vest .. good gloves and boots too (I like boots, not booties for walking)
... your going to need that extra warmth after long dives, or on multiple ones
The coldest we see here is around 60 degrees but what I find works for me is a hooded vest under my 3 mil. Both are Henderson hyperstretch suits and I am usually okay for 2 dives. I just warm up real good between dives. I carry a waterproof fleece lined jacket with me to use between dives. I find that as long as I warm up between dives Im good to go.
Ditto on the biting the bullet for a good 7 mil suit with the second layer. You'll have a piece of mind later when you dont have to be concerned about being cold
I dont know how some of you people do it, diving so cold with so little insulation. Im in a 7mil with a 5mil hooded vest in 65 degree water...12mm on the torso and I still get cold after an hour.
I dive in the wonderful water of the Chesapeake Bay, MD and in PA quarries. I just recently spent 45 minutes in 42 degree water. I was wearing a Bare 7mm full suit with a 5/3 hood, 5/3 boots and gloves. No problems at all except the cold rain when I got out of the water.
I also dive a Down 130 6.5mm full wetsuit with the same hood, gloves, and boots. Been down to 95 feet in a 52 degree quarry and the only thing that got cold was wear my cheeks weren't covered by my hood or mask.
), but after diving 57 F water in La Jolla, I've decided I'm going to need a little more than my 3mm.
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