What single suit for tropics (always traveling) - shorty or full? 3mm or other?

[Jim Lapenta]

I would only wear a full suit in saltwater. Too easy to get stung, brush up against a barnacle covered mooring line, or up against a boat ladder. I only dive in a full suit in any water really except a pool. If you are going to get a shorty at least get a skin to wear under it. For me a 3 mil was fine in Bonaire doing 3-4 dives a day for a week. Im Florida I want my 5 mil for diving like that. Temperature loss is cumulative and by the end of the week most people will start to get cold. It is much easier to allow a little water in to flush the suit and cool off. Rather than try to get warm when you can't add neoprene or more body fat.

 

[kyley]

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies. Can any of you tell me how the Fourth Element Thermocline compares to the Lava Core wetsuits? They sound similar, but I haven't seen a Fourth Element product yet...

What have you been renting for 80 dives and how has it worked for you?

Hah, good question... Mostly shorties (I think 3 mil), sometimes just a swimsuit & rash guard. Usually I'm fine, sometimes I'm a little cold. I dove with a long-sleeve shorty once and liked it - just don't see many options available (and the ones I've seen are pricey). I did a shark feeding dive in the Bahamas where we sat still on the bottom for a long time, and I was cold even with a full suit on (I think it was a full). As others have mentioned here, I've found temperature loss to be cumulative and I get colder as our dive trips progress.

I originally posted this to find out what others have found to work best. It has helped me to learn about the Thermocline product (which sounds great, but pricey) and other options to try (the 3/2 full suits, using a vest + hood to help on cooler dives, etc.).

I hear you on the bathroom thing. I'm the same way. I can make it through a dive in a full suit, but the most comfortable dives I ever did were in just a swimsuit in Cayman Brac. I think I peed three times on one dive, just because I could.
James

Yeah, that's how it is for me. I end up uncomfortable trying to hold it in a full suit - or I might be uncomfortable in a shorty if it's cold... Peeing multiple times on a dive isn't uncommon for me if I'm in a swimsuit or a shorty that I can vent. Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[diver 85]

Shorty 2.5 or 3 mil.............Now saying that, wear some skins underneath & get a 2 mm chicken hooded vest......

 

[jaybob217]

I've been using the LavaCore full which I really like. It's suppose to be as warm as a 3mm full but without the buoyancy. Have used it on two trips to Belize this past year. Both times did around 4-6 dives in a week. I hate getting cold and like the extra cover. But I've also added a LavaCore hooded vest to take with me on an upcoming trip to Roatan. I'm still considering taking my 5mm full henderson as well. I tend to get cold easy and with a lot of diving scheduled and possible night dives, I may want the extra warmth.

It's funny because when I first started diving I was all about what every one else was wearing, what looked cool, etc. Now I don't give a crap, I want to be warm and don't care what I look like. Maybe that's age too, LOL.

OH, one thing I forgot to mention about the LavaCore, they zip up the front and have a double zipper. Zips from bottom and top so going to the bathroom is a breeze for guys!!

 

[tracydr]

When we go on a warm water trip we usually dive 4-5 dives a day if it's shore or liveaboard diving. My core temp really goes down by the second or third day.
I was slapped on the arm by a jelly while swimming in the Baja one night without a light. I've also dived where there were so many tiny little jellies that you couldn't avoid them. Plus, shore diving, how can you not sometimes avoid falling down or rock crawling when the surf gets higher than expected?
I'm like Jim, I'll never dive in the ocean without a full wetsuit. Plus, I need the sun protection so I don't even go in the pool without at least a skin.

 

[kyley]

OH, one thing I forgot to mention about the LavaCore, they zip up the front and have a double zipper. Zips from bottom and top so going to the bathroom is a breeze for guys!!

Ding ding ding! I think we have a winner! That's awesome that it zips both ways! Can solve my pee problem Thanks for pointing that out jaybob. Plus it's only $220 vs the $360 Fourth Element Thermocline. Anybody know much about the differences between the two? Is the LavaCore as warm? One difference I noticed is the LavaCore isn't machine washable But I can deal with that...

jaybob, how has the LavaCore held up for you? A LDS pointed out that velcro can tear it up a bit...

At any rate, it sounds like this would be perfect for me. And I can add a vest (+ hood) if I ever go somewhere that I'd need more warmth. Thanks All!
--Kyle

 

[jaybob217]

The LavaCore has held up good so far but have only used it on about 10 dives. They carry them at my LDS and a lot of people there swear by them. I've found vecro will tear anything up a bit if you let it get stuck to it too much. I have a Aqualung balance BCD that doesn't have any velcro on it that I can think of, so it's not an issue for me. I just like it because it keeps me warm, especially on the boat when it's windy and I don't have to add any additional weight. There are some little silver strips on mine that have started to come off, on the back I think, but I just pulled them the rest of the way off anyway. It doesn't really matter to me, they're just like pen strips for style. They might be reflective too, I don't know.

 

[Shftrdog]

I would recomend the BARE 3/2 Velocity, it is a full suit that is 3mm over the core and 2mm on the arms and legs to give you more movement. The suit costs $179.95 so it is a great price. I can send you one if you like.

---------- Post Merged at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 03:40 PM ----------

The BARE Sport is $119.95 so that will be close to your budget and if you go to our online store you get free shipping and no tax, so it will be $119.95 total.

 

[kyley]

I would recomend the BARE 3/2 Velocity, it is a full suit that is 3mm over the core and 2mm on the arms and legs to give you more movement. The suit costs $179.95 so it is a great price. I can send you one if you like.

---------- Post Merged at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 03:40 PM ----------

The BARE Sport is $119.95 so that will be close to your budget and if you go to our online store you get free shipping and no tax, so it will be $119.95 total.

Thanks for the recommendations / offer. However, I think I'm going to go with the LavaCore suit as it seems to fit my needs best. Take care,
--Kyle

 

[kyley]

Just to close out this thread, I purchased the LavaCore suit. I have only tried it on out of the water, but it feels comfortable and easy to move around in, is easy to get on and off, and seems like it will be quite warm. My only complaint is that they size them oddly and none of them fit me perfectly. I got the medium and I think it will work, but the zipper seems to come undone a bit on its own with know way to secure it (the Medium-Large would be better for me for height, but I'm way too skinny for it). I also considered a two-piece (long sleeve shirt and pants), which fit me better, but was just way too difficult to take off.

A couple words of advice on this suit - 1) it was much cheaper at all the LDS around me than the online prices (surprising) and 2) there are two versions of this suit. The older one does not include the dual-zipper feature (which was really important for me). Take care,
--Kyle