Advice on wetsuit for warm water diving

[fishstix]

Howdy! When this pandemic is over I plan to be scuba diving the coral triangle area in Indonesia. In this equatorial region the water temperature is +/- 82°F 28°C year round.

I've been advised to get a 3mm wetsuit. This will be the first wetsuit I've purchased, and would like to hear from experienced divers about brands, features to look for, materials, etc.

I'd especially like to hear from those with personal experience diving in those tropical, Indonesian, Coral Triangle waters.

I understand that there is a lot of stinging marine life in those waters and I assume a full wetsuit is needed, but I was surprised that the resort recommended something as thick as 3mm.

Would a hood and gloves be needed as well for protection against the tiny stinging critters?

Would a 2-piece wetsuit be advisable- I kind of hate being topside and getting over-heated in a wetsuit with the top part pulled down.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I did three dives this weekend at ~82* (mostly spent at 77-82*) in a 3mm full. YMMV, but I definitely don’t need a 3mm full for 82*.

One option is to layer a 3mm short over a dive skin for warm dives like that, where you don’t want your arms and legs exposed. I’ve gone that route before and been plenty comfortable at ~82*.

You’re going to want a hood and gloves if you’re concerned with stinging stuff.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

We offer a reversible one-piece 2 mm suit. Some type of hood is very beneficial for sun and sting protection. You might be comfortable with a lycra hood, that provides some protection, but no thermal advantage.

With respect for being warm between dives, a lot of people will unzip the back zipper and tie the arms around the waist. This keeps you cooler and allows you to keep the suit on. You might also consider a lycra top to be worn under the suit, this will help with sun protection on the boat when you unzip the top. We offer a "shirt" with a thin panel of neoprene on the chest and aback that provides a tiny bit of thermal advantage.

https://www.makospearguns.com/Camo-Spearfishing-Wetsuit-1-piece-Yamamoto-2mm-p/m1ybg.htm

https://www.makospearguns.com/Spearfishing-Rash-Guard-with-Removable-Hood-p/mcws.htm

 

[TMHeimer]

I wear my hood in every kind of water. Up here for warmth, in parts of Florida for keeping water from going too far into my ears. In Panama I used a swimmer's cap instead, with it pulled down over my ears. There, I used a full length Henderson body suit (no thermal protection). Water temps. were about 76F, but basing exposure suit on water temp. is very specific to the person's resistance to cold. Any advice (including mine) about what you need to be comfortable cold-wise should be taken with a grain of salt. If unsure, err on the side of being a little too warm, rather than too cold, especially with multi dives daily. In any of the tropics I would always be completely covered with something, considering what can sting you.
In summer when I am always in the NYC area (well, not this summer...), I wear my shorty, with bare arms and legs and beware of the off jelly. That's about all that will sting you in Connecticut.
I always wear gloves, warm or cold water, and have 3 thicknesses. I know many tropical places forbid them, but they also forbid shell collecting, so I won't be there.

 

[Damselfish]

Any advice saying you need this or that is suspect because everyone is different. People have different amounts of bioprene and different physiologies. People from warmer climates tend to want more thermal protection, a lot is what you’re used to. FWIW I live in New England. Nearly all my diving is 80F+ and I wear some sort of diveskin and sometimes a 3mm vest. I wear a neoprene beanie but it is mostly to keep my hair out of the way. I don’t wear gloves, and many places don’t even allow them. I’ve never owned a 3mm. If I’m worried about stingy things, usually at night, I might use a lycra hood so my neck is covered.

You will see people in these places diving in tshirts. You will also see people, especially the local DMs, in 5 or 7mm.

 

[KatieMac]

What @Damselfish said.

Everyone is different. I was diving in the Caribbean in a 3/2 wetsuit. I would get too cold doing 3 dives a day. Not such a big deal on one dive a day though. I would still get cold, but not shivering cold. So I have a 5mm now for when I want to dive.

But I know people who do 3 dives daily with no exposure protection at all.

 

[drk5036]

82 f is perfect for a 3 mm full. Underwater you’re not going to feel hot, and I would say people who say a 3 mil makes them too hot are full of it. It’s just not thick enough to trap enough water to make you heat up. If you’re planning on doing a lot of tropical diving then a 3 mil will be great.

If you aren’t planning to do a ton of tropical diving, a 5 mil can even work in these conditions for most people. I’m a pretty big guy, and doing 3 dives a day in the philippines with 26-27 degree water (79-80 f) I was chilly towards the end of dives most days.

 

[Ana]

@MAKO Spearguns the link to the 2mm suit shows male and female but once you start selecting sizes appears to be unisex.
Does mako have thin (1 or 2mm) suits for women? Maybe some polartec-like material ?

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

82 f is perfect for a 3 mm full. Underwater you’re not going to feel hot, and I would say people who say a 3 mil makes them too hot are full of it. It’s just not thick enough to trap enough water to make you heat up. If you’re planning on doing a lot of tropical diving then a 3 mil will be great.

If you aren’t planning to do a ton of tropical diving, a 5 mil can even work in these conditions for most people. I’m a pretty big guy, and doing 3 dives a day in the philippines with 26-27 degree water (79-80 f) I was chilly towards the end of dives most days.

It all depends on what you’re used to. Someone that learned to dive in PA or VA (most likely in a quarry) may not need a 3mm full wetsuit to dive in 82*F water. For someone in that boat (ex. Myself), 82*+ feels like bath water in a 3mm full.

Like I said though...”YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).”

 

[jonhall]

I understand that there is a lot of stinging marine life in those waters and I assume a full wetsuit is needed, but I was surprised that the resort recommended something as thick as 3mm.

When I'm going to a new place and trying to figure out what to take, I ultimately rely on the advice of the dive shop (in your case - resort) even after reading what others recommend. They usually tend to be on the safe side, but your resort has given you a reason. Agree with @Damselfish 100% - everyone is different.

Since it's your first wetsuit, you might think about the type of diving you plan to mostly be doing. Most of my diving has been Caribbean and Hawaii. I bought a Henderson Hyperstretch 3mm in 2008 because it fit my 6'4" frame (probably about 220 lbs at the time) even though I had only used rental shorties up to that point. Used it last fall for 10 dives on the Big Island (230 lbs.) Hope it still fits as I have picked up the Covid...well it doesn't matter how much! I don't really recall seeing suits other than 3mm neoprene on the rack at my local dive shop - that said, I don't know why a 2mm or 1mm wouldn't work for someone who gets too warm. Bought a shorty 4 years later - they can be pretty cheap in price. I only take one suit or the other depending on what I determine to be the best for my trip - I like to travel light.

I usually go by the following when I know I'm doing multiple days of diving on a trip:
- 80º F and up I use my 2.5mm shorty. May use a rash guard/sun shirt instead if really warm.
- Down to ~75ºF is about as low as it gets where I dive - I wear a 3mm full suit at these temps.
- Anything cooler, I don't take a suit and instead use a 5mm rental.
*After multiple days of diving, no matter the temp of the water, I may add a layer via a rash guard as my core
gets cooler.

I also generally research locations and possible dive sites. If there is rough terrain, swim throughs, wrecks, especially with currents, I may opt to take the 3mm full, no matter the temperature. Don't know what to tell you about getting too warm on the surface intervals - unzipping works for me.

* Stinging marine life says it all for me. I would most likely at ~82ºF take my 3mm suit. If you find it's not as bad as advertised and you are warm, you can opt for some other layered protection such as a rash guard. Same with a beanie/hood - if not needed you can take it off. I would check with the resort about if gloves are okay to wear before getting a pair. I would much rather have more protection and be able to strip it down than to not have enough and have to purchase something while on the trip.