I'm still cold!

[annmarie722]

i have a 5 mm gold core Henderson wetsuit. I was in Hawaii with water at 77 degrees. By 40 minutes or so I was getting cold and getting back in water for second dive I only lasted 30 mins. Dive master was wearing 8 mm semi dry and said she was toasty but worried about being too toasty. Going to fiji in May. Any words of advice?

 

[rongoodman]

Fijii should be considerably warmer. The other thing you might consider is adding a hooded vest if you're getting chilled.

 

[Stoo]

My wife (98 pounds, zero body fat) wears a 5mm Henderson like yours. If it makes you feel any better, she would have been hypodermic in 77° water.

As mentioned above, add a hooded vest... or two of different thicknesses... I have both a 1mm core/3mm hood and a 3mm core/5mm hood... Even a hood will make a huge difference.

EDIT: SORRY, I just realized I came in to the Ladies' Room!

 

[outofofficebrb]

2nd hooded vest. You can wear it on dives that you expect colder water or if you start getting chilled on back to back dives. I like to wear it under my 5mm but you can also wear it over. My 5mm is still my workhorse for tropical waters and I also run cold. Another thing to consider is how old your 5mm is - wetsuits do compress over time and it is probably not as insulating as it was before. On top of that, is this a wetsuit that fits you very well? That will also have an effect on how warm it is. Too loose and too much water sloshing in and out is going to make you feel more cold.

 

[Stoo]

... wetsuits do compress over time and it is probably not as insulating as it was before.

I have found that my insulation has increased over time as well, so it all works out. :-(

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have found that my insulation has increased over time as well, so it all works out. :-(

Doh! Good point! You and me both!

 

[Kevrumbo]

i have a 5 mm gold core Henderson wetsuit. I was in Hawaii with water at 77 degrees. By 40 minutes or so I was getting cold and getting back in water for second dive I only lasted 30 mins. Dive master was wearing 8 mm semi dry and said she was toasty but worried about being too toasty. Going to fiji in May. Any words of advice?

Expensive option, but it definitely works for on-demand warmth during a dive -Wetsuit Heater:

 

[sea_otter]

How about a hood? If you don't have one, consider a hooded vest. You'll lose a lot of heat through your head. And what about getting warm when you're back on the boat? A surf fur parka or something similar is really nice to have. It's hard to get warm again after you're cold.

I'm also always cold. Drysuit, 400g thinsulate, wool base layer, dry gloves with wool liners... 2+ hour dives in 50 degree water. Fiji sounds good. Kev's heater sounds good too.

 

[Neilwood]

If in any doubt, go up to the next thickness of suit. So if a 5mm is questionable go to a 7mm. You can cool a thicker suit down by opening the neck a bit and flushing it but once in the water there is no way to make a thinner suit warmer. I saw one lady on one of my trips using a 7mm full suit while others were using a 3mm shorty - she was flushing it as required to keep cool.

Also hoods, gloves and boots can be very important as it generally won't be your core that gets cold first it will be the extremities.

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

You may only need add a 3mm beanie to maintain body heat , I rarely dive anywhere without thermal protection for the head .