Should I bring a 5mm wetsuit?

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BrianOrange

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Going on a liveaboard next week to Belize. I will be diving with a 3mm long sleeeve shorty. I've never done this many dives in a week and I've read you get colder as the week goes by. Should I bring my 5mm as a backup as well? Its probably too much but if I do get cold by week's end at least I will have something else.
 
Newer divers pretty much always underestimate their thermal requirements, and if you get too warm in the 5mm, just undo the zipper a bit. Due to space and weight limitations, I'd leave the 3mm suit behind and just go ahead and bring the 5mm, unless space/room really aren't limiting factors for you, then bring both. Nothing sucks more than getting too cold and sitting out dives that you've spent a lot of good $ to do. Also remember, wetsuits compress with increasing depth, losing effectiveness, so at 80 or 100 ft, that 5 mm suit will really be a 3mm suit, and the 3mm suit will really be a 'skin' and almost worthless.
 
I dove with a 3mm full and a beanie cap on both trips (Dec and Feb) and was fine. Water temp this time of year is probably 80F -81F. I used a 3mm vest on top the 3mm suit for the Blue Hole, which has a mild thermalcline. The vest was a good buy because it was cheap, easily packed and had very little impact on buoyancy.

YMMV and there were some folks who got chilled in 5mm suits.

Not sure about the Sundancer, but the Aggressor has a hot tub to warm up with between dives.

On the Aggressor, there is plenty of room to hang both a 3mm and 5mm suit at your dive station. Wear the 3mm in the morning and the 5mm in the afternoon. I saw a few folks do that. The Sundancer dive deck looked pretty roomy too.
 
a few things here --

warming up between dives in a hot tub is not good, in fact, DAN says it can lead to DCS.
DAN Divers Alert Network

If you take the 5mm suit, all you need to cool off is pull the neck out slightly to flush out the warm water next to your body, you don't need to unzip. I would take one or the other, not both. You will need to change your wts each time you switch from one suit to the other, which can drive you crazy if you forget. If you decide to go with the 3mm shortie and get cold, I would expect they have rental suits you could use for remainder of trip. Personally, I would go with a 5mm.

robin:D
 
Sounds like a fun trip ahead :)

When I go on dive trips, I take the wetsuit I think I'll need, and then the next thicker wetsuit for backup. I've had to use the backup on more than one occasion.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. Glad I asked. I thought I'd get some funny responses since a 5mm for Belize, I thought, sounded a bit too much. I will probably take both, although I am not looking forward to putting on a 5mm wetsuit in the searing Belize heat! I'll be sweating and tired after 2 minutes.
 
....
warming up between dives in a hot tub is not good, in fact, DAN says it can lead to DCS.
DAN Divers Alert Network
...

That's a good article but I wasn't suggesting that someone should surface from the Blue Hole and jump in a hot tub.

The Aggressor folk actually mentioned the DAN recommendation and keep the temperature low (98F I think). There are also studies that suggest pre-warming yourself in a hot tub or sauna BEFORE diving actually reduces the risk of DCS :idk:.

BTW, I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
 
Last time I was in Belize on a liveaboard in July I wore a 3/2mm shorty. I brought my 3mm full, but the water is nice and warm there. I personally think a 5mm is overkill.
 
For my two liveaboard trips to Belize in JANUARY I wore a 3/2 and I was quite comfortable doing 5 dives/day. I suspect I would be wearing just a skin in June. Now if you're a woman or a real skinny dude you might want a 3/2 shorty for Belize in June. :)
 
I started out with a shorty over a skin on the Belize Aggressor in December and switched to a 5mm after a couple of days. I didn't feel that it was too much and I was glad I packed it. Have a great trip!
Going on a liveaboard next week to Belize. I will be diving with a 3mm long sleeeve shorty. I've never done this many dives in a week and I've read you get colder as the week goes by. Should I bring my 5mm as a backup as well? Its probably too much but if I do get cold by week's end at least I will have something else.
 
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