Is it chilly in Cozumel?

[robbcayman]

I've been to Cozumel many times, but it's almost always been in April thru July. I'll be there pretty soon and I'm a little worried about the temps.

I saw that it's been around 75 or so and the averages are normally 82. I mean, 7 degrees could make a lot of difference in water temps. I also noticed it has gotten into the lower 60's at night. My question is, is this a fluke.. or normal for this time of the year? I'm just hoping this is a cold front that will pass. I only have a 3 mil suit and don't want to freeze. I've never had to bring a light jacket to Cozumel, but I may have to if the nights are in the lower 60's. :depressed:

 

[Ron Lee]

Look here:

Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Resort - Cozumel, Mexico

I just saw a guy wearing a parka.

 

[judydivescoz]

I can be a bit chilly at night. Bring a fleece for going out at night. You may not need it but its good to be prepared. While out diving, I bring 2 wetsuits so I can put a dry one on for my 2nd dive. I also wear a dive parka between and after dives. It's nice to be warm and toasty on the boat. The water hovers around 80 so a 3mil works, I add a beanie and then a vest on my 2nd dive. Let's hope for no nortes!

 

[rainmaker]

I'm in Coz now. It's not unseasonably cool, but it's been raining hard and the wind is blowing about 30 mph right now. However, the days have been warm, water temp has been about 80. I always bring a rain-jacket with a hood, and that's all I've needed. I was very happy to have it today. Based on the assumption that a worn-out 7/5 wetsuit is warmer than a worn-out 4/3, I brought my old 7/5 on this trip. I got a little cool last year in my 4/3, but warm as toast this year in my 7/5. But I get colder than most divers. Before anyone accuses me of being a wimp, the DM on the boat yesterday put on a shorty under his full-length wetsuit and wore a hood.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I will gladly admit that I am thermally challenged. At 6' 1" 180 lbs. I don't have a lot of fat reserve. And when I'm diving I move pretty slow. So it is common for me to dive in a full 3 mm the year round and then add a shorty and my drysuit hood this time of the year in Cozumel.

Even when I'm teaching in our heated pool with the temp at 87 I'm in a shorty. If I'm in springs in Florida I'm in my drysuit. You just have to be comfortable diving or it's no fun.

We just got back from Cozumel after a 10 day trip and in the mornings I would put on a wooly pullover and by 8 it was off and the weather was beautiful. In the evenings it would get cool again. Not a drop a rain during our trip.

 

[Mayor]

Unlike Jim I have a little extra body fat on board and still only use a 3mm full. Also use a rash guard shirt / shorts under for easy on and off of the suit. Every trip the hood comes along but never makes it to the water. I don't move around much and just hover along with no movement other then kicks. If the waters going to be bellow 76 then I'm thinking about my dry suit.

 

[mstevens]

"Chilly" is all relative. It was -12F (-24C) where I live yesterday morning and water temperatures mean you bounce right off.

I'm usually in Cozumel at the end of February and sometimes there's been enough of a Norte that I can see that some people might be legitimately chilly (e.g. in the 50's F). It always feels tropical to us, probably because it's in the tropics. It's worth having a lightweight windbreaker since the wind could feel chilly if one is wet (e.g. from a cloudburst).

Nobody in my family has ever needed more than a 3mm plus a hood for the less-insulated members. I usually dive in just a Lycra skin, and my wife often adds a hooded vest to her 3mm if she anticipates a dive going over an hour. This means, counterintuitively, that shallower dives can require more thermal protection than deeper ones - since temperatures at recreational limits are no more than a degree or 2 cooler than at the surface, depth doesn't increase need for neoprene, but a 50-60 foot dive of 80-90 minutes can really cool you down even in the summer.

 

[macado]

This is pretty normal temps for Cozumel this time of year. I usually bring a sweatshirt and/or fleece for topside after diving or for walking around town at night. It can get downright cold at night if it's windy. Water temperature around 78-79f. After third dive, I'm usually sufficiently chilled. To be honest though, I dive with a 3mm shorty. I often wish I had brought my full 3mm or even hooded vest but I seem to make that mistake everytime I'm in Cozumel December or January.

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Was at SCC last week and the water was 76F. (Even saw a 75F on a shore dive)

Thank goodness some wonderful person here on SB told me to buy a beanie. Great tip as I was warmer than hubby who said he didn't need one. :blinking: Plus I also brought a fuzzy to wear between dives. Mon & Tues were cold; Wed & Thurs warm and sunny and Friday was bad on one of SCC's small boats. It also started to rain.

Go prepared and hope you don't need it.