Wetsuit Thickness for Fiji

[yzfdude1]

Any recommendations for wetsuit thickness for diving at Fiji in May?

I've got a trip in a month to Wananavu, Fiji, and I'm uncertain as to taking a 3mm or not using one at all.
The reason I think I need to take my own wetsuit is that I've got a really large chest which means finding a wetsuit in the 5xl range just to fit me.
I currently do not own a wetsuit since I live in the desert.

I've dove in Belize and didn't need one just wore a rash guard. However, this site claims water temps should be in the mid to low 80's. Fiji Climate & Water Temperature

I'd love to hear everyone's advice!

 

[victorzamora]

Mid-to-low 80s is shorty temperature to me. Night dives, repetitive dives, and wind all make me want some sort of exposure protection. If I were you, I'd take your 3mm and decide for yourself. I've never dove Fiji, but it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Also: YZF Dude? My two favorite bikes have been a WR200 and a YZF250. That WR200 did me a lot of good in hare scrambles when I couldn't afford a nicer bike. Certainly couldn't compete with the KTM 450 EXC-F guys.

 

[SubMariner]

Any recommendations for wetsuit thickness for diving at Fiji in May?

I've got a trip in a month to Wananavu, Fiji, and I'm uncertain as to taking a 3mm or not using one at all.
The reason I think I need to take my own wetsuit is that I've got a really large chest which means finding a wetsuit in the 5xl range just to fit me.
I currently do not own a wetsuit since I live in the desert.

I've dove in Belize and didn't need one just wore a rash guard. However, this site claims water temps should be in the mid to low 80's. Fiji Climate & Water Temperature

I'd love to hear everyone's advice!

How many dives do you anticipate doing per day? And what do you consider "cold"?

I've used my full length 3mm all over the world. Because we all know that at 60' the water's not always as toasty as it is at the surface, even in tropical climes. There's also the issue of jellyfish stings or scrapes on coral, which a rash guard may not give you much protection against.

FWIW,

 

[cbm32]

Unless you are particularly susceptible to getting cold, anything will work. I did a ton of dives there with board shorts and a rash guard. Only went to a full skin suit after encountering some stingy things on a dive.

 

[BFRedrocks]

I dove in Fiji (Beqa Lagoon area) last May and did about half my dives in just a swimsuit and 2mm rash guard/shirt. We did 3-4 dives a day and I would say that usually the 3rd and 4th dives were in a 3mm. Water temps were consistent at 83-84 regardless of depth (down to 115 ft), but doing 3-4 dives per day made me cool enough in the afternoons to use a 3mm.

 

[buddhasummer]

I'd wear a full 5mm. I feel the cold. Doing multiple dive days you'll likely start to chill. You can correct too warm, you can't correct to cold.

 

[yzfdude1]

Thanks everyone, I've ordered a dive skin for the morning dive @1mm and a 3mm/2mm for the afternoon dive just in case I get chilled.

 

[Cali_diver]

Water temperature last week was 80-81.

 

[buddhasummer]

Water temperature last week was 80-81.

Im envious, it was 56 at my local this morning.

 

[Allison Finch]

I spent time in the Bligh Waters and some areas of current were cooler than other areas. I feel the cold and I sometimes put a core warmer with my 3 mil. We dove up to four dives a day and the wind was STRONG (as were the waves). I was happy to have every bit of neoprene I had.