I'm planning a trip to the Big Island (Kona Coast, Puako Area) in late Aug through early Sept. What type of water temp can I expect that time of year and what do people generally wear in terms of exposure suits? Thanks!
Aug/ Sept Water Temp?
- Thread starter Ted S
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Not coming to Maui? ... Big Island is a close second I guess 
Temps about that time on Maui are about 82-84*
Exposure protection is really personal (as you know) I can wear a 3mil full or even a shorty when the water gets up to 84 without getting cold. Once it gets below 82* I want at least a 3mil full and below 80* the 5mil+hood or drysuit comes out for me
Have a GREAT time!
Aloha, Tim
Temps about that time on Maui are about 82-84*
Exposure protection is really personal (as you know) I can wear a 3mil full or even a shorty when the water gets up to 84 without getting cold. Once it gets below 82* I want at least a 3mil full and below 80* the 5mil+hood or drysuit comes out for me
Have a GREAT time!
Aloha, Tim
I was diving off Maui last August in a 3 mil and I was completely comfortable. And I get COLD.
Tim's right on on the temperature. We're currently 79 and it's likely to bump up a few degrees. I did a short "captain's" dive between dives today without a wetsuit. Wasn't all that bad, but then again, one of the guys dropped their gear overboard and I did a finless freedive down right after the dive to get it and cramped up something fierce in my calf. That tends to happen when I get cooled.
I normally wear a 3 mil year round, some wear thicker, some go without wetsuits even in the mid 70's. At Puako I would recommend a full suit just in case the surf is up a hair or choppy. It's got about 25-50 yards of shallow reef (12"-36" in many spots) before the dropoff and you can get bounced around a hair by the surge if you aren't used to it.
I normally wear a 3 mil year round, some wear thicker, some go without wetsuits even in the mid 70's. At Puako I would recommend a full suit just in case the surf is up a hair or choppy. It's got about 25-50 yards of shallow reef (12"-36" in many spots) before the dropoff and you can get bounced around a hair by the surge if you aren't used to it.
OP
Thanks!
Ive been wearing a 3/2 and was ,looking for a new suit like a 5/3. Ended up with another 3/2 ( found the 5/4/3 after I dove the first suit) and I decided it was the fact that my three year old suit was so full of rips and holes that I was getting cold. 3mm full and you will be golden!
BTW if you haven't been to Puako, you will love it!
Aloha
BTW if you haven't been to Puako, you will love it!
Aloha
TheFoggyMask
Contributor
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 1
kidspot:Exposure protection is really personal (as you know) I can wear a 3mil full or even a shorty when the water gets up to 84 without getting cold. Once it gets below 82* I want at least a 3mil full and below 80* the 5mil+hood or drysuit comes out for me
Have a GREAT time!
Aloha, Tim
Wimp? Its like swimming in a big heated pool and you're pulling out the drysuit? Tropical divers are soooo spoiled. I like reading the posts where people complain that the visability is "only" 40 feet too.
TheFoggyMask:
well vis yesterday was down to 30ft
course I had just been snorkeling 2 days prior in 100ft+ vis off a beach in North Maui We are spoilt over here ... but we don't mind too much - lol
Aloha, Tim
P.S. you are welcome to come join us if you like ... you can even leave the wetsuit home and laugh at me the whole way down to the water (I'm used to that)
Samalolo
Registered
Definitely go with the full 3/2 especially for Puako shore dives. There are some tight lava tubes and caves there, at least it'll protect your skin from getting scratched up by the lava rock.
Aloha,
Sam
Aloha,
Sam
Similar threads
