No wetsuit required locations/time

[casts_by_fly]

Hi All,I'm a warm water diver, as is my wife. She has no intention of using a wet suit ever, and I don't have any interest in it now. We just dive for enjoyment on holiday, not go on dive holidays for enjoyment (if you catch the distinction). We learned in the Maldives (water temp = 29-31C) and also dove the atlantic side of the Dominican (water temp 28-29C). We will use a skin suit to protect against jellies and minor abrasions, but that's about it.I'm making a mental list of places where we can dive like this. Obviously the Maldives (year round) is one. Thailand would be another. I would have thought the Red Sea is another, but it seems that in the cold season the water can be in the low 20's, which would be wetsuit weather.What other areas (and time of the year if applicable) would be in this temperature class?thanksrick

 

[jameseg]

I dove without a wetsuit off Cayman Brac in October two years ago, and was fine...and I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to water temps. If I remember correctly, the water temps were in the 84 to 85 degree range (F). I'd assume that in late summer, many places in the Caribbean are diveable without a wetsuit.

James

 

[tajkd]

The only place I ever dove without an exposure suit is at Homestead Crater in Utah, USA. Water temp a balmy 90F. It was 30F outside though.

 

[ASA400]

I lived in Guam for a while when I was about 30 years younger and never wore a wetsuit there or anywhere else in Micronesia for that matter. Not sure I'd do that today, but then, I'm probably a little more sensitive to temps now (in my 60s)

 

[Jon_R]

My kids did West Palm FL on Sunday in shorts and a T-shirt at ~85 feet for 78 degrees bottom temp with 80 foot viz. Not sure if that will continue in Feb and March but probably 10 months out of the year pending you tolerance for cold. Some people in 77 in FL are in Shorts and T-shirt and some are in 3/5MM and hood.. I just got certified in May and have done 14 dives off boats 35-65 feet since then and have not put on a wet suit yet. Also have not had any up-welling yet. From my small diving career there does seem to be more rough sees in the FL winter than in FL summer.

 

[Doc]

I'll convert this for us trogs...

26°c = 78.8°f
27 = 80.6
28 = 82.4 ]
29 = 84.2 ]]
30 = 86.0 ]
31 = 87.8 ]

So, Cats_By_Fly found the RED brackets in Dominica and the BLUE in Maldives.

 

[Damselfish]

I can sympathize, we hate wetsuits too. We gave up cold water diving and heavy wetsuits long ago. Skins only, occasionally a t-shirt when in the mood. If I'm a little cool I have a 3mm vest I wear sometimes which is no bother, you might consider somethiing like that. (Not sure what you consider a skin. We use 1/2 or 1mm neoprene skins - used to use lycra skins but find the neoprene ones just as comfortable, a little warmer, more durable, and actually easier to get on than lycra when damp.)

We're pretty happy if it's 80F(27) or higher, and down to maybe 77F(25) is ok for us. Most of the Caribbean and all sorts of places in the Indo-Pacific work, depending what your personal tolerance is. You will see people in anything from bathing suits to 3mm to much more all over the tropics, all times of year.

We dive all over the Caribbean like this and have also dove Hawaii, Maldives, Palau, Yap, Philippines, GBR, and Hawaii. You've also got all of Indonesia and places in the S Pacific like Fiji, Solomon Islands, etc to look at. In the Caribbean region I would shy away from Bahamas and maybe T&C in the dead of winter (technically the Atlantic not the Caribbean.) Hawaii is also a bit chilly in the winter. Anyplace you are considering, you can generally find some dive related site that gives average monthly temperatures - you do want to know temps at depth, not surface temps usually be higher.)

Though I mention the Caribbean and Hawaii, given your location, I'd do the Maldives repeatedly instead of messing with either of those, way better and also way easier for you than for folks from the US.

 

[casts_by_fly]

Hi Guys,Thanks for all of the comments. That gives me a few short list places.Damselfish- When I say a 'skin' what I really mean is a polypro compression top (think underarmor) so not even as thick as 1mm neoprene. It isn't for warmth, just protection against the BCD and jellyfish/similar.I'd love to do the maldives repeatedly, but ultimately cost would be an issue. We try to do one big 2-week holiday each year plus one smaller 1- week holiday (we get 5 weeks here). The 1 week holidays are normally chill on the beach types with whatever we can get cheap airfare to, so the list above will guide that. We typically have a lot of emirates miles, so Thailand is on the cards (my wife also has part of her team there). Indonesia would also work.thanksrick

 

[Kharon]

I hate neoprene. Bonaire year round. Dove in Jan and Nov. Could not have worn a wetsuit. Hit the thermocline at 120' and the drop was 5°F (2.5°C ?) from about 80°F to 75°F. It felt good.

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

If you are looking at south east Asia, you'll find plenty of options. Places we have been and dives in our rashvest and boardies/skin suit include both coasts of Thailand (Koh Tao on the east and Similan islands on the west, The Philippines and Malaysia (Sipidan is pretty epic diving by the way). Water temp in all these locations ranged from 28-32 celcius year round.

Happy holiday planning!