Wetsuit Recommendations for Cairns

[badmrchris]

Hello all!

I will be diving the Spirit of Freedom (week long live aboard) in Cairns from June 25th-July 1st. Their website recommends a 5 mil suit for winter diving, however a friend of mine claims a 3 mil will be sufficient, and to purchase something like a polyolefin under skin in case it gets to chilly. I’m used to cold water (diving Southern California in the Winter can drop the temps to 50&#9702, but at the same time I don’t want to travel halfway around the world, spending a small fortune to be uncomfortable. So I’d like to hear from those with a little more experience than I.

Thanks…

Chris

 

[MatWill]

5 mil... but i'm a wuss in winter...

you could prol get away with a 3mil and a sharkskin

 

[dbittner]

I've only dived the GBR once -- in July, 2004, a three-tank dive from a boat out of Port Douglas. I was a newly certified diver then and did not own my own wet suit yet. The boat I dived on provided me with a 3 mm shortie. It was OK, but I did feel a bit chilled on all three dives, especially on the third dive.

My wet suit is a 5 mm full suit, and I've used it in Hawaii and Fiji. The only time I've felt too warm is on the way to the first dive of the day. YMMV, but my own recommendation would be to go with a 5 mm full suit. If you do feel a bit warm, all you have to do is let some water into the suit.

Please let us know how your dives go.

Peace,
Dave

 

[RTodd]

Hello all!

I will be diving the Spirit of Freedom (week long live aboard) in Cairns from June 25th-July 1st. Their website recommends a 5 mil suit for winter diving, however a friend of mine claims a 3 mil will be sufficient, and to purchase something like a polyolefin under skin in case it gets to chilly. I’m used to cold water (diving Southern California in the Winter can drop the temps to 50&#9702, but at the same time I don’t want to travel halfway around the world, spending a small fortune to be uncomfortable. So I’d like to hear from those with a little more experience than I.

Thanks…

Chris

You can make a full 3mm work for one or two dives with a hood if you aren't prone to getting cold. But, if your dives are of any length at all, you will want a 5mm since you will do 4-5 per day. When I lived there, I usually used 3mms (and got cold) for the day trips but used a drysuit with thin undergarments for the liveaboards.

 

[alijtaylor]

Gidday Chris
It is personal. I am used to diving in temps from 50F to 65F and happily enjoyed a GB liveaboard (4 dives a day) at that time of year with a full 3mm suit and a detachable hood in reserve - which I don't think I put on - maybe on one of the night dives. If you cope well with coolish conditions go with the 3mm and additional bits you can add, if not go 5mm but I would insist on a full suit not a shortie.
A

 

[lloyd_borrett]

G'day,

It is very personal. I do most of my diving in the temperate waters of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I dived through my first winter last year using a 5/7mm semi-dry wetsuit with hood and Northern Diver Thermalskin under the wetsuit. Though I currently have a Northern Diver CNX drysuit on order for this winter.

When I went to dive with Pro Dive in Cairns, at the shop they insisted I fit out for and take aboard a 5mm wetsuit. But I didn't need it.

Did the 11 dives over three days using my Northern Diver Thermalskin simply for protection.

But to demonstrate how personal it is, one of the Pro Dive instructors was using a 7mm semi-dry wetsuit with hood and thick gloves. I would have cooked in that.

Best Regards, Lloyd Borrett.

 

[badmrchris]

Well the 3mm w/ the diveskin worked great, although for someone without as much insulation as I have, a 5mm would be a better choice.

On another note WOW! My worst day diving the reef was head and shoulders above my best day diving in Catalina. I saw more life on any given Australia dive than almost all my other dives put together. I loved it so much we're going back next year...

 

[emanuelw]

Instructors and DMs always get cold because the body gets used to the climate and water temp after a while. I dove GBR in july 2005 with a 2-piece 3mm (25C in the water according to my logs) and was fine.
But when I was guiding on Sipadan this year (30C) i really longed for a 5mm suit and a lot of the people i worked with dove 5mm and talked about getting dry suits

 

[Bubble Junky]

Another option would be to take the 3mm full and a hooded vest to wear underneath. You could even 'save' the vest for the second/third dive of the day, when you're more likely to feel the cold. I worked out of Cairns, but left at the start of May, as it was beginning to get colder (Water temp down to 26C). One thing I remember was that between dives there was a very cold wind coming up from the south. I wasn't having problems staying warm underwater (Hotskin & Boardies), but when I hit the surface and when I was still wet on the dive deck it hit me. I'd recommend you take a fleece or the like with you to help get your body temp back up in between dives.