Diving safely without a wetsuit

[Damselfish]

I think full coverage of some sort is a good idea, since you never know for sure what you'll come across. But sometimes I dive in just a swimsuit when the mood strikes, as do lots of people from what I've seen. Plenty of people dive like that all the time and are just fine. I don't do it at night.

Jellies aren't always a major concern, actually not all that often most places. It's a good question to ask of the DM or a local.

 

[Alex@nder]

I dive usually in Asia with WT around 27 to 31 degree. Even at depth of 50 m it's in the high twenties. But I gave up on shorty diving and use a 2.5 mm wet-suit to protect myself from fire corrals and other skin irritating critters, wounds by scratching along a wreck are also not pleasant. In addition one should not forget the sun protective effect of a rash guard or wetsuit


Regards
Alex@nder

 

[luscioman]

I did 50 dives this year in south Florida with no wet suit and I am still alive. I usually wear a rash guard and board shorts.

 

[swimmer_spe]

You mean like this:

People nowadays over complicate everything. Just jump in, get wet.

First off, you are not supposed to touch the coral and, secondly, jelly fish are not always present. I prefer diving with a rash guard and some .5mm neoprene shorts. I do not wear bloomers or swimming dresses (aka boardies, board shorts). If I need a little extra warmth I will throw on a neoprene vest.

Of course, despite my hate of wet suits, once the water temp gets below about 80, time to suit up at least in a shorty and around 76 I might want my 5mm and below 70 my semi dry and in the 50s and 60s, my drysuit.

Here in Coz a few weeks ago, water temp on my computer was 82 to 84 but it was an off and on overcast day so I was a little cool and tossed on my thin neoprene hooded top and was a toasty as could be. I love the water, I love being wet and feeling the water against my skin.

Later that day and several time while down there, had to do my swim workout, swam about a mile along the coast which was super fun. I just wore just my swimsuit and swimming goggles. But, yes, if jellies are an issue and in particular an issue with you then you will need a lycra full suit or a tropical wetsuit, or like many divers, deal with it. I can usually find a hole in jellie swarms, but yes, I get stung, and for the most part, I do not get wound up over it.

Vandenburg, shorts and rashguard:

Cayman and rashguard and shorts:

In the Keys in the summer, it is like a bathtub, it is common practice to just jump in with nothing but a swimsuit. You do not need your SCUBA Steve super hero uniform.

But, in some places, if there are jellies that are truly dangerous, yes, you will need appropriate protection.

N

Yes, like most of that, minus the sharks trying to eat me.

I know to stay off the bottom, whatever may be there, but sometimes, I am not the best at buoyancy and end up touching, or even crashing down.

 

[Alex@nder]

I think wearing gloves is less useful than wearing a protective suit. Some of the jelly fish carry severe toxins able to paralyze you and your breathing in several seconds. It's an unnecessary risk to dive w/o and I agree, it feels much more comfy with just shorts.


Regards
Alex@nder

 

[DougK]

Wearing a rash guard and shorts give you about the same level of COVERAGE as a shortie wetsuit. I dive that way in the Keys. I often get over heated in a wetsuit in the summer sun, just in the time to suite up and walk to the water. So it make a lot of sense when the ambient temp is around 90.

 

[DaleC]

Just dive in any local lake during the summer but stay above the thermocline. If you can swim it, you can dive it.

 

[Alex@nder]

I did recently my IANTD Tec Wreck certification in Subic and pressed my self through narrow passages inside the wreck of the USS New York. Glad to have wearing a long wetsuit although the water was temperature wise 26 degree. After 80 min being in the water things are getting too cold for me.


Kind regards
Alexander

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

... So, besides a swimming pool, where could I dive without having a wetsuit or more on, yet have beautiful background?

I have dived in the Red Sea in summer plenty of times in swimming trunks and a teeshirt.

On one such holiday the dive guides were Flemish Belgian, and they thought that I looked cold, and I had to tell them in their language: "Ik ben niet koud." (= "I am not cold."). I had taught myself Dutch for 2 holidays motorcycling round Holland, but I did not think that I would need to talk Dutch on the Red Sea.

For night dives and wreck dives I wore a boilersuit.

For out of water when sunglasses were needed (not merely for "coolness"), I wore blowtorch goggles bought at an industrial safety shop, far cheaper than fashion Raybans and more useful: clear fixed lenses and a dark flip, and they fitted easily over my spectacles. Never mind if it made me look industrial.

 

[spectrum]

Just wait for mid July, Early August and find a local pond with good visibility. Stay above the thermocline, probably in the first 20 feet or so. The first 5 feet or so will be tropical, then comfortable to the thermocline. That's what happens in Maine and your latitude is comparable.

Pete