Does anyone dive 5mm?

[somewhereinla]

I am new to South cal. diving and cold water diving. 3 weeks ago I bought a Mares Isotherm suit. I love the suit except I feel too hot... I completed 3 dives last weekend, 2 in Catalina and one in Redondo Beach, the deepest I went was 82 ft.
I am starting to think that 7mm might be to much for me, but everybody I talked to tell me 5mm is not enough... An other problem with my new suit is I find it difficult to move around, it's very constrictive. Is it just the nature of all 7mm? All of my experience so far has been tropical diving: light suit, no glove, no hoods.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[annasea]

To answer your topic question... I do! I used it in FL last October. (I hadn't yet bought a 3mm.) I also tried on a 7mm and found it far more difficult to put on and remove than a 5mm. One thing you may want to consider if you buy a 5mm is to buy a tunic to wear over top for colder temps. For example, the reason I bought a 5mm full suit was because I also bought a 7mm hooded tunic to wear over top in hopes of diving Catalina. (I wore 12mm on my core in the FL springs and it worked well.) Most people would recommend a drysuit over 12mm of neoprene, but I found it to be a cheaper solution as well as more versatile.

 

[scottfiji]

if you are too hot, just dive without a hood...or take it off during the dive...
that should bring your temperature down to more comfortable levels...

Scott

 

[somewhereinla]

if you are too hot, just dive without a hood...or take it off during the dive...
that should bring your temperature down to more comfortable levels...

Scott

Good suggestion, I was actually considering a lighter hood.

 

[Codyjp]

or you could just pull your neckline away and flood your suit. that will cool you down and ensure that you are still alive! Remember too that your suit will compress over time at well.

 

[headhunter]

I'm not prone to getting very cold, but would not choose to go with less than a 7mm wetsuit around here.

Not all wetsuits are the same.

They are made using different neoprene and some more to offer more comfort. Although it may not always hold true, I believe that the more comfortable and stretchy the neoprene is the less durability it will have.

For instance, I bought a Henderson Hyperstretch wet suit in a 7mm. I bought it because it was the most comfortable and easy donning suit I've ever tried on. I expected its life expectancy to be low and here is what I found out. After about 100 dives it lost quite a bit of its thermal protection. In about 170 dives it is starting to look like swiss cheese.

If I wasn't saving up for a drysuit, I'd buy another one just because it's so comfortable.

I agree with those saying to use a thinner hood. I use an old 1/8 inch hood that serves as little more than a bandana under water and just keeps my hair out of my mask. I also use 3 mm gloves.

Let us know how this works out and what you decide to do!

Christian

 

[Teamcasa]

I agree with Christian. 7mm suits have varying thermal protection. I use a 7mm 1 piece jump suit and I have yet to get cold in it. I also wear a 7/3mm hood, 7mm boots and 3mm gloves. My suit is custom made and fits perfectly. No air pockets and not undue pressure points. This makes donning very easy. When you slide it over your legs, it sort of snaps into place. I’m pretty flexible in it but it less flexible than my 5mm shorty or 3mm full. I’m a big fan of custom fitting. I had a Henderson hood, it felt terrible, choking and too tight in some places and too loose in others. Twenty minutes at NewWave Wetsuit and I can hardly tell I’m wearing a hood at all!

If you are too warm (underwater), just let a little of that 56 deg water in! You will cool down quickly!

Dave