7mm wetsuit overkill for Bahamas?

[Damselfish]

What you need is very personal. But there are disadvantages to using more than you need on a tropical vacation. More means more to pack and less comfort. It means diving with more weight and having to deal with the bouyancy changes. One of the attractions of warm water diving for many people is avoiding all that.

And sure, you can let in water while diving if you're too warm, but you can certainly overheat on the surface. Getting dressed then immediately into the water is not how it always works.

 

[Esprise Me]

Like you, I own a 7mm for local diving (SoCal is colder than many people realize!) and wrestled with the question of what to do on a tropical vacation. Mine was a LOB to Turks & Caicos in January. Expected air and water temperatures were high 70s; actual water temperatures ended up being 80-81 but the air was a bit cooler, plus we had some clouds and wind. I took my 7mm and was glad I did; some of the folks diving in 3mm or 5mm suits got cold after 3-4 days of up to 5 dives per day. My cold tolerance is maybe slightly below average; I've dived comfortably in 80 degree water in just a 2.5mm fullsuit, and I can handle 60 degree water in a 7mm as long as the air is warmer. (I did just get a drysuit for local winter diving.) But I get colder on each subsequent dive, even when I bundle up and drink hot coffee during the surface interval. You might find that, by the end of the trip, you with your 7mm are the only one who still wants to do the night dive.

Personally, I think people make a bit too much of the inconveniences of diving an overly-thick suit. Each extra mm of neoprene only works out to an extra pound or two of lead for me; maybe it's different for bigger folks who have more surface area to cover with neoprene. (Though I'm not tiny; I'm a little over 5'9, 165 lbs.) I also have a Henderson (Thermaxx), and it's delightfully stretchy, easy to don and doff and wiggle around even in the 7mm.

As for overheating on the surface, do you know what the whole process of getting into the water is going to be like? On the LOB, we geared up on a shaded deck and entered the water right off the boat we were living on--no RHIB, no arduous hike in full gear. If you're able to keep at least the top half of your wetsuit pulled down until right before it's time to get in the water, you probably won't overheat. But if you have to fully gear up and stay that way for a long ride in the hot sun, maybe you do want something thinner.

If money is no object and you plan on doing lots of tropical diving in the future, a thinner suit might not be a bad investment. But as long as you're not in danger of overheating on the surface, I think the 7mm will serve you just fine.

 

[drbill]

I dove there in a 3mm full suit but your mileage may vary

 

[rjack321]

But I get colder on each subsequent dive, even when I bundle up and drink hot coffee during the surface interval. You might find that, by the end of the trip, you with your 7mm are the only one who still wants to do the night dive.

This is super common and way under appreciated.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Only you can say what will or will not be comfortable. I tell every one of my students to ignore the advice of others who try to tell someone they will be too warm. Unless they are you, their opinion is just that. An opinion that more than likely has no bearing on your comfort.
80+degree water over multiple dives and multiple days? I'm taking my 5 at a minimum and might grab the drysuit. Cold is cumulative and once your core starts to cool, it can be hard to get it back up. My GF used to take her drysuit to Turks and Caicos for a liveaboard. In August and then had fleece jammies to get into after the dives were done.
She got laughed at the first day. By day three people were eyeing her with envy and by day 4 and 5 those "experts" who brought shorties were sitting out dives or shivering through them.
Only you can say what will be right for you. You can be too warm and pull the neck seal to cool off. Doing that won't warm you up if you get chilled.
If the liveaboard is going to have extra protection for you at no extra charge should you get chilled they can tell you what to bring.
Otherwise, they need to shut up about what exposure protection is right for you.

 

[Esprise Me]

...OK, but OP asked. It's not like he mentioned in passing that he planned to bring X amount of exposure protection and people jumped down his throat. He asked for advice, and people gave it. Yes, everyone is unique, and once OP has a good idea of the specific fractal pattern his own special snowflake forms, he's free to ignore anything that isn't relevant to him. But I've been grateful for the help I've gotten from others here in figuring these questions out for myself, and I just don't think it's necessary to tell those people to "shut up" when they've been asked for help.

 

[scubadada]

If the water was in the low 70s I would be diving my 7 mm. If it was in the mid 70s, I would be diving my 5 mm. I always have my 5/3 mm hooded vest in case I'm cold.

 

[AdivingBel]

Otherwise, they need to shut up about what exposure protection is right for you.

...OK, but OP asked

^^^This^^^

My personal preference is much like @scubadada . In addition when it hits 80 I'm in a skin and take my 3mm hooded vest for the odd chilly moments. YMMV.

 

[stuartv]

It's been said several times: What is good for you is not really related to what is good for others.

I did a Bahamas week-long liveaboard last summer and only wore shorts and a rash guard the whole time - and I was still fine at the end of the week (and I did every dive except the shark-feeding one).

But, I have also dived in 51F water, 2 dives in one day, total 120 minutes, in a 5mm, with 5mm boots, 7mm hood, and 3mm gloves - and I was cold at the end, but not freezing.

All that said, I hate wearing a 7mm at any time. No way I would take one to the Bahamas. I would take a 3 or 5 (depending on how cold-tolerant you feel like you are), a hood, and (in your case) possibly also a hooded vest, just as insurance. But, that is me, not you.

 

[crzyfish]

I dove the Bahamas in only a diveskin. Water temp was in the 80's F. Find out the average water temp and surface temp, along if there's any wind. I caught a nasty cold on the Mexican Riviera because I thought 75F was warm enough for a 3mm - wrong. I think a 7mm is a bit much. You can always dive a 3mm and add a vest to increase warmth. Extra lead is not an issue. I use pouches on my tank strap so the weight is off my waist.

I've done LOB with a wetsuit. Ugh! Cold suit in the morning was nasty but it woke you up! haha We dove three times in the day and optional night dives.

I bought a used Mobby Armor Shell drysuit for all travel dives because I don't like being cold and wet. A diveskin under that would do me just right.