Anyone not use wetsuits?

[captain]

Best thing about not needing a wet suit is you don't need a BC either. Sheer freedom, scuba the way it was ment to be.

 

[IceIce]

I dive in my 0.5 full wetsuit most of the time, it’s comfortable and it protects.

I dove with rash guard and lycra before, and the dive was okay and free of any stings.

Just few days before, I dove with my full 0.5 with rash guard and 0.5 hood, but I forgot my gloves, the unpredictable current sent me to close encounter with nasty fire soft coral and I had at least 30 red spots on my hands and two on my knees (which was protected by wetsuit). That should say something. ;O

 

[IceIce]

Forget one more thing, my friend like to dive in short and rash guard, on few muck divings, the sucker fish (I don't know the real name, the flat headed fish who likes to stick on turtle and sharks) tried to get into his short.

We didn't know much how to help, so what the rest did was laughing or taking pictures.

 

[Captain Kitty]

For Florida dives up to about forty feet I don't think I've ever worn a wetsuit. A shirt and swim shorts has worked fine for me inspite of a few stings. Once a jellyfish accidently got caught in the sleeve of my shirt, ouch... So if you're bothered by stings real bad I'd go with a rash guard but I'm not terribly worried about stings or cuts. When I'm doing a deep dive I wear a john, sometimes with a hood. It gets cold down there and I like a little warmth in the dark.

 

[PalauDiver]

I am a warm water only diver. I grew up in Palau diving shorts only and now live in Miami. I don't dive from November to April to avoid sub 80 degree water. I miss the year round diving back home.

 

[Haleakala]

Being cold and tired increases the risk of DCS, even in an otherwise safe dive profile. Plus the cleaner wrasse/family jewels post earlier has just ENSURED I'll never dive in less than a shorty ever again! =)

 

[Seraphimx]

I dive and live in Canada (quebec) ....even in summer you need 7mm neoprene
so I dont think Ill go diving without it. If I could...Think I would.

 

[fishballer]

i dove in cozumel a week or so ago. 8 dives with just boardshorts, 3 with shorts and a rashguard. everyone else had at least a 3mm shorty on though.

it wasn't cold at all, except when we were drifting along santa rosa wall and a cold current came along. so I just naturally warmed the waters around me .

overall, it wasn't a problem. there was one dive, however, that we went through a whole bunch of tunnels, and my right leg brushed against some rocks/corals. oops. guess my bouyancy control could be better.

now, it's still bumpy and itches like a .....

but yeah, compared to wearing a 7mm semidry in a quarry, that was so much better.

 

[GDCB]

I learned to dive in Puerto Vallarta as a young man and didn't use a wetsuit. Diving in cold Nor Cal waters it's a necessity. Bouyancy control without it is a snap. I just returned from Kona, HI and wasn't able to SCUBA (damn sinusitis) but snorkeled and free dove everyday without a wetsuit, another divers computer read 75 degrees at 45 fsw. I did buy a 50 SPF rashguard top because of a sunburn. My girlfriend was cold every time she got in the water and later bought a 3/2 shortie which helped. I was in the water 1-2 hours at a time and once 2 1/2 hours without getting cold. I guess we're all different.

Carl

 

[Misplaced Priority]

I used to never wear a wet suit. But part of my efforts to become more prepared to handle a situation where I might be drifting at sea, I started wearing one. I'll say that I hate having to add the extra weights to offset the wet suit.