Kona Wetsuit question

[potato cod]

Hi all,
Packing for a trip to Kona. We were planning on diving, but my spouse came down with influenza. He'll be okay to travel, but not dive, at least until the very end of our trip. So, we'll be mostly (maybe entirely) snorkeling.

I was planning on bringing my nice 5 mm suit, but is this overkill for snorkeling? I could bring an old, compressed (so not that warm anymore) 3 mm farmer jane with long-sleeved shorty and my 3 mm hooded vest to give me more flexibility--i.e., I could just wear the long-sleeved shorty without the farmer jane underneath. But if we do get to dive (will depend on my spouse's congestion), I will be sad not to have my cozy, Waterproof 5 mm suit. Also, we are planning on the manta snorkel since we can't dive and I know we just hang there, so maybe the 5 is better?

I am thin and do tend to get chilly pretty easily. So, I'm torn between the flexibility and the warmth. I honestly haven't done that much snorkeling since I became a diver and don't know how much wetsuit I'd want in the 77 degree water for snorkeling. Any thoughts?

 

[inquis]

I would recommend the 5 mm. I did the manta dive/snorkel in June and most people were shivering in spite of provided 3mm suits. Winter diving in Hawaii can be chilly.

 

[Litefoot]

I agree with the 5mm. Also, plan to go snorkeling in the mornings as the winds pick up and the water gets a bit choppy in the afternoon.