How many wetsuits to bring?

[potato cod]

A few years ago I went on my first liveaboard in Australia, which was also my first dive trip ever. Not knowing any better, I only brought one swimsuit, and quickly realized that having a couple more so that I wouldn't have had to keep putting on the same cold, wet suit would have been nice.

Now, I am heading off on my second liveaboard (to Belize) in January and, having learned my lesson with regards to swimsuits, I'm wondering if I ought to bring a second wetsuit for the same reason. My husband already has a couple appropriate wetsuits, so no problem there.

I currently have a 3mm jane + 3mm jacket combo, plus a hooded vest, but I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to pick up a 5mm for cooler dives later in the day and so that I have a nice dry wetsuit as I get cooler after multiple dives. On the other hand, I'd actually rather get a 7mm suit because it would be more useful for local diving also.

So, what do you think? Do most people bring more than one wetsuit on a liveaboard, or is that overkill and too much bulk?

Is a 7mm suit for diving in Belize in January ridiculous? I am quite thin and get cold easily, but maybe that's overkill too.

cheers,
Cod

 

[chrisski]

Depends on how cold you get . I'd bring the seven an unzip it if it was too warm, thats just me. Or, loose a glove for a while that'll surely cool you down.

 

[DeputyDan]

When We did the PH liveaboard in July my daughter brought both her 3 and 5 mm wetsuits and ended up diving the 5 all week.

She does get cold easily. I was fine with a 3 mm all week!

 

[Darnold9999]

I dive with three suits. One is always dry. Great padding for camera gear.

Everyone is different re cold. I was happy in a 1/2mil shorty in Belize and then a 3 mil full for night dives. One trip my buddy was in a t-shirt most dives. Another trip different buddy wore a 5 mil and a hood and our dives ended when she was cold - 60 min dives so no issues.

Take a hood - if you get cold it will help alot.

You can always unzip the 7mil to cool off and then you have a usefull suit for local dives.

 

[didi440]

It depends on how cold you get. Everyone is different. One of my buddies dives in a t-shirt and another will wear a 5mm, with a 3mm hooded vest and gloves when we travel to the Caribbean.

I dove Mayaguana Bahamas last April and spend the majority of the week in my 5mm, of which I have only 1. I had brought it just in case along with my 2 3mm suits. We had had different reports on water temps -- and I HATE being cold.

I bring 2 suits so I have a nice dry one to get into. Well....at least the inside is dry because I hang my suits wrong side out to dry the inside first. I travel with 2 suits because I have just scene people have suit blow outs and other emergencies. I hate hoods, but use a reef hood for night dives. For me, I find that I stay warmer if I wear gloves.

That all changes if I'm diving at home which is the Northeast. I wear a dry suit year around with heavy hood and gloves.

 

[Brodydog]

If a 7 mm would be more useful for your local diving then I would get that and take both it and your jane with jacket combo. I am also thin and get cold very easily. In fact we were in Roatan (which of course is just south of Belize) this past August. I took a 3mm and 5mm with plans to alternate between the 2 so I would always have something dry and warm to get into. In the past I have found this to be very effective on my liveaboards trips. We did 4-5 dives a day while in Roatan and after the first 2 dives I used the 5mm and never went back to the 3mm for the rest of the week. Even though the water temp was 82, I was perfectly fine in my 5mm.

Some of us just colder than the rest so who cares if everyone looks at you strangely when you pull out a 5mm in the tropics...at least you are not shivering and uncomfortable in the water. And I would not hesitate to take a 7 mm to that area in Jan when temps will be a few degrees colder than when we were there in Aug.

I most always take my 3mm and 5mm on my liveaboard trips in the summer so if I did a trip in Jan I think I would bump it up to a 5mm and 7mm. Have fun!

 

[billmosel]

My wife brings a 3mm, 1mm and a 3/5mm hooded vest. She starts out the day with the 3mm for the first 2 dives then puts the 3mm over the 1mm for the afternoon dives. If she does the night dive thats when the 3/5 comes in handy. Its all a matter of preference. I Just use my 3mm and depending on how the weather is going to be ( cloudy or sunny ) after the dive, I put on my 3/5. I've always felt that layering is better then just 1 suit. But like Tammy said that if you are going to do a lot of local diving that requires a 7mm and you get cold quickly, then that would be my recommendation.

 

[ewaiea]

I'll put in my 2 cents.....

I always come prepared - on the wopping 2 liveaboards I've done

I did the Kona Aggressor II in Aug '09 and wore my full length 3mm in water that was between 78-80 degrees all week. There was only one time where I layered my 3mm shorty on top and even that was not necessary - but nice to have. I definitely have to say if you don't have a hood, adding a bunch of layers around your body won't do much since your head loses so much heat so easily.

In PNG this past April, I wore a rash guard and swim trunks most dives and brought along a 1mm full wetsuit for the shark dives and the night dives. I had a 3mm shorty just in case but never needed it.

Bottom line, everyone is different and NO bringing more than one wetsuit along is not a bad idea. It provides padding for your fragile gear so therefore it serves an extra purpose in that regard as well.

 

[potato cod]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like a new 7mm wetsuit is on my holiday wish list.