Wetsuit for 5 celsius water

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Anything under 15 celcuis is drysuit territory no matter how you look at it.
 
I dove 10 degrees Celcius in 7 + 7 mm wetsuit (Farmer John + Shorty) + a 3 mm hooded vest + 5 mm hood + 5 mm gloves + 2 mm socks + 5 mm boots.
Fit is king. If the wetsuit fits like paint to your body, try it. If not forget diving in those conditions until you can afford a decent drysuit AND the corresponding interior.
 
When I was young and indestructible and could only afford a wet suit, it's what I used year round. In Maine. In the Atlantic, under the ice in lakes, you name it. I could do two dives a day if someone had a spare tank. That said, I rarely dove deep back then (there's only so much air in a 72, after all). I had a 1/4" farmer john in the days before 7mm suits, with a 1/8" vest having an attached hood, and I used a cold water hood over that. Comfortable? Well, no. But I wasn't shivering at the end of the dives, either, even in winter.

When I got back to diving in my 40's, I immediately bought close cousins to what I'd dived before. I wasn't in my teens or twenties any more, and I found that I was really cold after Dive 2 in the spring and fall in the Atlantic from NJ North. Winter diving was Right Out. Then I started to go deeper and as the suit compressed thermal insulation lessened considerably. A dry suit soon followed. Two more followed that one. I gave away my wet suit after not using it for 5 years. I dive dry in Florida now, with a skin under the suit so it doesn't chafe. It's just a part of my diving system now and I see no reason to go wet.

This is a long preamble to me saying that those who wrote you were firmly into dry suit territory are right. If you don't like your dry suit, maybe it doesn't fit you very well. Mine is more comfortable than a wet suit and more flexible than a wet suit. The biggest drawback is increased drag, which I don't mind compared to being cold.
 
How deep? I'm fine in 10°C/50°C water down to about 15M/50' with a custom 7mm 2-piece farmer and pull-over jacket. I can only take about 5 minutes at twice that depth.

That's an important clarification, thanks.

I stay really shallow when cold in a wetsuit. Generally, above 80ft and most often in the 30-40ft range. Hit an unexpected spring at 90ft once in a 7mm farmer john and no hood. Horrible experience when unprepared.

Helps the wetsuit compression and keeps me away from needing deco on longer dives, particularly in 0 viz.
 
Helps the wetsuit compression and keeps me away from needing deco on longer dives, particularly in 0 viz.

Decompression, zero-vis, and freezing water... that is commercial diving in hot water suits territory. You are doing this for fun, right? :)
 
Decompression, zero-vis, and freezing water... that is commercial diving in hot water suits territory. You are doing this for fun, right? :)

I'm Canadian, just diving the water available. Yes, the majority is for fun... I have fantasized about hotwater suits though.
c7743a39-ba2d-4e8d-b510-ed43438fba93.jpg


...Fun, and occasional search and recovery efforts. Also teach kids with special needs basic scuba but for them we stay in warmer water (60°+)
 
When I lived up in WI and dove year round it was with farmer john with overlaying shorty (believe both were at least 7mm), with cold water boots (extra seal), and gloves/mitts, and full hood - gumby style. My first cert after OW was ICE diving so I kind of just started there. Always ended up cold but enjoyed all the dives. Had a 5gal jug with the hottest water I could get that morning waiting at the car for after the dive to fill the suit. Ya do what you have to do get in the water! I also dove dry suits a few times and would when I could. Enjoy the dive! Of course, full disclosure, I much prefer my 2.5mm shorty in a place with palm trees.
Ok. Got a neoprene drysuit.... Next question, how much extra lead should i use. 2 kilos more? Will the weight belt an isue? Being a drysuit
 
Ok. Got a neoprene drysuit.... Next question, how much extra lead should i use. 2 kilos more? Will the weight belt an isue? Being a drysuit
It's hard to say. You have the answer. Make a buoyancy check at the beginning of your first drysuit dive and find out how much weight you need.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom