Dry Suit in Caribbean?

[tdchandl]

Appreciate some input... I'm heading to Grand Cayman... any reason not to dive Dry or do I leave the drysuit home and go 3mm. I don't have issues with the temp and if I did dive dry I'd not need my inner liner just the shell.

Thoughts?

 

[tbone1004]

if it's a shell suit you'll want at least something to keep it from sticking to you, but look at the air temps, compare them to your tolerance. Quick glance for next 10 days shows temps in high 70's low 80's, not somewhere I'd want to be at the surface in a drysuit.

 

[JohnN]

if it's a shell suit you'll want at least something to keep it from sticking to you, but look at the air temps, compare them to your tolerance. Quick glance for next 10 days shows temps in high 70's low 80's, not somewhere I'd want to be at the surface in a drysuit.

and one of the pleasures of diving in warm water is not dragging that damn bag through the water. . .

 

[victorzamora]

I'm a big drysuit fan and have no problem diving it in high surface temps. I took my bag suit to the FL Keys with temps in the mid-high 80s and did the same for MX caves. However, what's the water temperature going to be? Above 77F or so, I'm in my shorty. If I had another wetsuit, like a 3mm or 5mm full suit, it'd be my policy to dive all water wet above 73F or so.

But no, there's no reason to NOT dive it.....but not really any reasons TO dive it, either.

 

[TMHeimer]

I'd be using a body suit just for protection from coral, stings, etc. But no need to get into everyone's cold tolerance. I don't own a drysuit but would agree it may be too hot topside down there.

 

[bradells]

I brought mine to Roatan, no problems (+30 topside, 27-28 at recreational depths).

My upcoming trip to Belize (+30/25-26), I'm not bringing it, as most of my diving, the SI involves SAND. If it was primarily just boat/docks then the suit would come out. However, those water temps for a 60-70min dive, i need some protection (Roatan i was fine in a rash guard for up to 80min), in this case, a 3mm wetsuit.


BRad

 

[scoobydrew]

I work here in Grand Cayman and in honesty we don't really see dry suits here much. As I work for a tech outfit we often get people staying down for a few hours at a time so people very occasionally bring dry suits for those kinds of dives but as yet I have not seen anyone bring one for usual recreational dives. If you are OK with temperature (currently around 80f) then for convenience I would just bring a 3mm.

Personally I still just use shorts, a rash guard and a 4th element thermocline top

 

[rivers]

I took my drysuit to Belize in April and to Croatia in August. it will be coming to Oz and the South Pacific this spring. Just wore a fourth element base layer in Belize. I had 2 comfortable dives and surface interval (just stripped the drysuit down to my waist and took off the baselayer top and had my swimsuit on underneath). Croatia I was diving with a steel twinset and an ali 7 stage, so the drysuit was a must. I had my 300 gram undersuit with me as the thermocline was killer (but a bit toasty at 6m)

 

[Stoo]

Seriously? What's better than soaking in warm salty water? I dive dry 50 weeks of the year, but live for those couple of trips where I can go commando! (Well, not quite...)

I'm off to Roatan in a few days and I'm hoping to dive in a vest and board shorts!

As for protection from coral etc... the answer to that should be obvious!

 

[Roman_66]

Last year I was ok in Cozumel in my full 5mm. This year I also decided to go with the same wet and keep my dry suit at home, but I will take it with me in January to Red see where is low 70. At least with 4 element basic level.