3m or 7mm

[cowfish007]

Hello all,

I'm planning a trip to Bonaire this September. I normally dive in the NE Atlantic (I live in NY) and have a 7/5mm wetsuit. Will this do for the warmer water around Bonaire or am I better off getting a 3mm for the trip? I'd like to save the $, but don't want to over-heat either.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[boulderjohn]

Hello all,

I'm planning a trip to Bonaire this September. I normally dive in the NE Atlantic (I live in NY) and have a 7/5mm wetsuit. Will this do for the warmer water around Bonaire or am I better off getting a 3mm for the trip? I'd like to save the $, but don't want to over-heat either.

I would get the 3 mm suit. You will be warm in a 7 mm, but it isn't just the heat that would influence me. With a 7/5, you will of necessity be overweighted for most of your dive because of suit compression at depth. A 7 mm suit is pretty much always my last choice for thermal protection. If it needs to be that warm, I am going to go dry. There are several reasons for that, but one of them is the constant buoyancy factor.

 

[don Francisco]

I've never anyone complain of being overheated with an overly thick wetsuit. That said, you might appreciate the lower weight, greater flexibility, and lower ballast requirement of a thinner suit.

Moreover a thinner suit makes hovering at shallow depths easier, so you might want to consider one. There are lots of 3mm suits avaliable on the net, shop for a bargain or closeout suit. I don't suggest going the shortie route, since you'll want the extra protection for beach entries and exits.

 

[lmorin]

I get cold easily. Therefore, my first suit was a 5mm and later I bought a 3mm. I have been to Bonaire with both. Never got too hot with the 5; felt just as warm with the 3. The 5 obviously is heavier than the 3, if weight is a consideration. Some folks use drysuits in Bonaire. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[NudeDiver]

Hello all, I'm planning a trip to Bonaire this September. I normally dive in the NE Atlantic (I live in NY) and have a 7/5mm wetsuit. Will this do for the warmer water around Bonaire or am I better off getting a 3mm for the trip? I'd like to save the $, but don't want to over-heat either.

You're not going to ever really "overheat" underwater. If you find yourself a bit warmer than you would like to be, you can always run with the zipper open and let yourself cool off.

I did 50 dives in Australia in a full 5mm suit in the hot, hot, hot summer time (simply because it's what I had and I didn't want to spend money on a 3mm). Not once did I feel too warm. It's not as if I get cold either. On my trip to Cozumel this month, I was wearing a full 3mm and was just fine, while others were wearing full 5mm with hoods and were cold.

I wouldn't buy a new wetsuit just for this trip, if "overheating" is your concern. Save the money for something else. But, like the other posters indicated, a thinner suit can make a more pleasant dive experience - and it also travels/packs easier. That could be enough to make it worthwhile, if you have the money to spare.

Good luck!
ND

 

[ligersandtions]

My first open water dive was in 84 degree water in a 7mm wetsuit....hey, I froze my butt off in what was supposedly 80 degree pool water and I was not about to go to a 1.5mm that the boat charter offered! Granted, I'm one of those people who's always cold, but I never once had a problem with overheating while I was diving. If I ever felt a little warm (or just wanted to feel the warm water on my skin some more), I just flushed some water through my wetsuit.

I am a strong believer in "there is no such thing as too warm" underwater in a wetsuit. If, however, the air temperature is warm, it will probably be uncomfortable to keep your wetsuit all the way on when you're on surface intervals.

If you're worried about the money, I would definitely go with the 7mm. If you're worried that you'll get too hot, it probably won't be an issue. If you just want to make a dive with minimal exposure protection and reduce the amount of lead you carry (and have the finances to do it easily), go with a thinner suit....but don't go so thin that you get cold on long dives and regret not bringing your 7mm!

 

[k ellis]

Personally I would go with a 3 mil shorty. I have never regreted it unless it was below 75 and they are relatively cheap also. Just so much easier as weighting is no where near the issue it is with the 5 mil and greater.

 

[boat sju]

ST has a full 4/3 Neosport at a reasonable price.

 

[SubMariner]

Hello all,

I'm planning a trip to Bonaire this September. I normally dive in the NE Atlantic (I live in NY) and have a 7/5mm wetsuit. Will this do for the warmer water around Bonaire or am I better off getting a 3mm for the trip? I'd like to save the $, but don't want to over-heat either.

Thanks,
Eric

Another vote for a full 3mm, here. Anything more would be overkill in the exposure protection dept. Also, weighting will be a nightmare with that much neoprene & salt water.

 

[SEMO Scuba]

I took two trips to Bonaire last year. I wore a 5mm Henderson Hyperstretch both times. I was afraid before the first trip that the 5mm would be too warm, but it was fine. We did 4 to 5 dives a day and the thicker suit really helped to keep core body temp from dropping. I'm not the type of person that gets cold easy but I never got cold during the trip. Both trips dive buddies with 3mm got cold and had to skip a dive or two. Weighting was not a problem. I actually use more weight diving in a local freshwater quarry with my 7mm suit, hood, and gloves.

Some 3mm suits might be as warm as a 5mm depending on the type of neoprene used.