Full suit or shorty?

[NaCL H2O Boy]

My girlfriend and I are going to be doing some diving in Venice at the end of this month. She already asked about any shore dives at that time.(NaCL H20 Gal) Unfortunately we won't be able to make the dive party being planned, but if anyone is interested in playing hookey from work during the week, we will be doing a few shore dives.

A question I do have is about water temp at the end of the month. Would it be advisable to wear a 3mm shorty or a 3mm full suit?

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

NaCL H2O Boy once bubbled...
My girlfriend and I are going to be doing some diving in Venice at the end of this month. She already asked about any shore dives at that time.(NaCL H20 Gal) Unfortunately we won't be able to make the dive party being planned, but if anyone is interested in playing hookey from work during the week, we will be doing a few shore dives.

A question I do have is about water temp at the end of the month. Would it be advisable to wear a 3mm shorty or a 3mm full suit?

There is some shore diving at Venice that I have done. Small coral croppings out there with some marine life. Other than that it's desert out there. But definetly give it a shot. I would go with a full suit just for the envirmental protection. Venice has the choppiest water I've been in on the gulf for shore diving. Also, make sure to go by a dive shop and have them give you a map. The beaches I dove at venice had public showers that is perfect for washing the salt and sand out of your gear. Have fun and Good Luck.

Oh yeah, some good spearfishing or polefishing at Venice too...

 

[Gator Diver]

I agree with CincyBengalsFan: go with the full suit for
the environmental protection....

When you go, let us know how it goes, I want to
do that dive soon...

 

[NaCL H2O Boy]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll go with a 3mm full. We get into town on the 26th, and are going to the Bucs-Cowboys game that afternoon. We'll probably dive on either Mon(27th), Tue(28th), or both. We're gonna try to do a dive trip down in the keys one day during the week, but will shoot for at least one more shore dive the following Sat(1st).

 

[ReefGuy]

I dive Venice beach almost every weekend. Most of the summer, I didn't wear a wetsuit, but have started wearing my shorty. The water temp this weekend was 78, and on those long dives (~2 hours/tank), even that temp tends to chill me toward the end. I've only been stung by a jelly, ironically enough, when I was wearing my shorty (stung on the neck). The only other "dangerous" thing I've seen there is mantis shrimp, and a wetsuit isn't going to help you there (saw a nice one Sunday, wish I'd brought my camera). If you're going to do a full suit, 3mm or even a skin, or you'll be too hot (unless you chill even easier than I do).

 

[NaCL H2O Boy]

ReefGuy once bubbled...
I dive Venice beach almost every weekend. Most of the summer, I didn't wear a wetsuit, but have started wearing my shorty. The water temp this weekend was 78, and on those long dives (~2 hours/tank), even that temp tends to chill me toward the end. I've only been stung by a jelly, ironically enough, when I was wearing my shorty (stung on the neck). The only other "dangerous" thing I've seen there is mantis shrimp, and a wetsuit isn't going to help you there (saw a nice one Sunday, wish I'd brought my camera). If you're going to do a full suit, 3mm or even a skin, or you'll be too hot (unless you chill even easier than I do).

Thanks for the advice. I had been wondering about the water temp in Venice...especially towards the end of the month. I think I'll bring the both suits, start with the shorty, and then just switch on the next dive if I get chilled. I've been diving in low 60s-upper 50s temp water using a 6.5mm full suit lately. Only warm water I ever see is in the shower.

 

[Wildbill]

ReefGuy is the local expert on the Venice dives. The conditions there go from one end of the spectrum to the other. I've been there where the surface was smooth and Viz of about 20 + feet and a couple of weeks later the surf and viz was so bad you could barely get in. But it's still a nice dive site.

As far as spending time in the keys depending on how far you go it will take the better part of a day to drive there from Venice. About 4 +/- hours to the upper keys and about 3 +/- hours from there to Key West. The best diving is around Marathon Largo area which is about the middle.

So if you plan on going it will be more than a day trip.

Wildbill:cop: