Help with cold water Suit? What will be warm enough?

[Rosesrfree]

Hey all

I live in Boston and having spent all my diving in warmer waters, I dont have the right suit for diving in the colder waters of Massachusetts. Im looking for a suit that will keep me warm. Ill be doing most of my diving on Cape Ann (Gloucester) which doesnt warm up as nicely as Cape Cod. Any suggestions?

Ive looked some and Henderson has a 7/5 Farmer John but it doesnt have a hood. Henderson does make a 7M semi dry with a hood but Im wondering if any one has any recommendations.

 

[WVMike]

There are a whole bunch of variables. What is the water temp and how easily do you get cold? Are you lean or heavy? Low body fat types tend to get cold quicker than those with extra insulation.

With all that said, a dry suit will cover all the variables.

Hey all

I live in Boston and having spent all my diving in warmer waters, I dont have the right suit for diving in the colder waters of Massachusetts. Im looking for a suit that will keep me warm. Ill be doing most of my diving on Cape Ann (Gloucester) which doesnt warm up as nicely as Cape Cod. Any suggestions?

Ive looked some and Henderson has a 7/5 Farmer John but it doesnt have a hood. Henderson does make a 7M semi dry with a hood but Im wondering if any one has any recommendations.

 

[Bob3]

As far as wetsuits go, I was always fond of a 1-piece with a hooded vest underneath.
The one I used in the Great Lakes & NJ-winter time was a 3/8" thick 1-piece with a 1/8" vest underneath. It did have a 3/16" hood w/1/8" face seal though.
A similar rig, say 7mm "semi-dry" with 3/5mm hooded vest would translate into almost the same thing. It'd be almost as warm as the 1-piece hooded & give a little flexability to accommodate warmer water.

 

[Stargazer]

I'm also in Boston, and was crazy enough to get certified off Cape Ann after being introduced to scuba in the Caribbean. With a 7 mm farmer john suit and separate hood, I froze almost solid (and this was late summer, water at its warmest - around 45F at depth). So after a two year hiatus, diving only in warm water again, I went back to Cape Ann last summer to try my luck again. In a better-fitting 7 mm farmer john and hood, I STILL FROZE. I am looking at a drysuit as the only way to enjoy diving here. Unless you're otherwise insulated, I think that's the answer.

 

[d33ps1x]

Although they aren't cheap when you go good it certainly is money well spent.

Don't waste your money on a wet suit only to find out it isn't going to cut it.

 

[chinacat46]

I agree a dry suit is the way to go. A good one will last a lot longer then a wetsuit which loses it's insulation the deeper you go and the longer you use it. So in the long run it will be cheaper and it will keep you warmer.

 

[d5cDiver]

I use to dive with a 7mm semi dry one piece with a hood attached and a 6mm vest under it all year round. AT the time i thought it was great. Ive dove many times in water bellow 40 deg for an hour with no problem. Then i went to a cheap drysuit witch leaked and was colder than my wetsuit. When i got into tech diving i bought a expensive drysuit. Its hard to say if i would have done it different if i was to do it over again. When i started diving i didnt have the money to by a good drysuit. If i waited untill i had the money to buy a dry suit i would have missed a lot of great diving. Good luck.

 

[large_diver]

Surface water temps will max out just over 60 in early fall. Temps at depth on deeper sites will never get out of the 40s.

As other have mentioned, there are variables --when you'll be diving, how deep and how susceptible you are to cold. I've been diving a 7mm farmer john/jacket. Anything down to 50 I am good for 2 dives. Water temps in the low-mid 40s -- one dive. 30s -- never tried with a wet suit. When temps are the 40s, I typically would wear a hooded vest as well.

FWIW, I just ordered a drysuit.....