Drysuit in "warm" water...

[Mo2vation]

I'm about 75% into booking Kona across Christmas / New Years.

They say the water is mid 70's... Nice.

We have drysuits and 300 GR Polartech Undies for So Cal (and PNW!) diving.

For Kona, are we talking 100 GR, are we talking Nike Sweats, are we talking simple polypro liner under the suits? Not to sound too dumb, but we've never dove anything this warm.

Thanks

K

 

[Jonathan]

over the top to me - two years ago in Maui in December I think I wore my 3mm full and that was sufficient.

What kind of dry suits are you talking about? If it is neoprene I doubt you need more than shorts and t shirts. If a shell then maybe a sweat suit or equivalent.

Have fun
Jonathan

 

[japan-diver]

Mid 70's for most people a dry suit is overkill and can lead to overheating- a neoprene suit will definately do this. Even in a shell suit a long sleeve tee shirt and shorts would do it. I would suggest a thin wetsuit (3mm)

 

[pdoege]

and in the Bahamas too, now that I think about it.

Anyway, depending on surface temps I use a t shirt and swim trunks or a t shirt and running pants.

Sometimes a beanie with the suit, much to the amusement of my buddies.

Peter

 

[Mo2vation]

We doen't own wet suits, and for all the warm water diving we do (like, none) its silly to invest. Maybe we'll rent over there.

She has a TLS300, I have the 50/50. I understand that 70's in a drysuit may seem like extracting a splinter with a shovel, but its what we got. My understanding was a DS could serve most situations by changing out the UG.

99.999% we're in 55 - 65 waters here at home. If we're careful on the surface (peel it down) we probably won't overheat - as it gets cookin out here sometimes.

I have a few months to noodle on this one.

Thanks -

Ken

 

[SubMariner]

We have DUI 350TLS shell drysuits and use them in anything less than 77F.

Key points to remember:

1) Only you know what your own personal temperature range is. Don't let anyone else tell you when you feel cold.

2) The termperature range of the drysuit is determined by what it's made of and what you put on under it. A shell gives you more flexibility in what you can do in this area. For example, in the Red Sea during Feb & March I have been quite comfortable wearing a thin long-sleeved poly shirt (skiing underwear) under a sweatshirt with a pair of biking leggings and thick socks. OTOH, Pearce can usually just wear a long sleeved T-shirt with biking leggings and socks and be toasty warm. The water temps at this time usually are in the mid to lower 70s.

That being said.....

We lived in the Bahamas for 2 years aboard 43' sailboat running our own dive/sail charters. Not once did we ever use a drysuit, no matter what the time of year. The water temps simply do not get that low.

Maybe to check on your personal comfort zone you should go to some local pools. If their temps are in the range you will be diving, spend some time in them & see how you feel after an hour or more with minimal exposure protection. In the end you may find you need something like a 3mm to be comfortable.

Just some thoughts,

 

[Mo2vation]

I was wondering where I'd get 70+ water.... good call. In So Cal, we have a few pools here. Most are jacked up into the 80s+...but I can find someone whos a little more energy wise.

Thanks -

Ken

 

[MikeFerrara]

Don't forget to consider the length of the dive or the number of dives in a day. I have been very cold in 80 deg water.

Also a shell suit with no insulating underwear provides no insulation at all so you would freez anyplace that was cold enough to need any insulation.

I didn't even buy my first wet suit untill I was teaching and I only wear one on shallow warm dives. Even then it's mostly to save wear and tear on the drysuit.

In 72 F Florida spring water we often do long enough dives to get chiled in a dry suit. For me, 72 F is too cold for anything except short exposures in a wet suit.