New to diving, what mm is best for Florida dives.

[Diesel00]

I wear a 3mm to 5mm in the summer and a 5mm in the winter but I get cold easily and often..

 

[Lorenzoid]

Obviously you want the thinnest suit you can get away with--that is, without being chilly during the dive. I could be comfortable on dives in a 5mm year round if it weren't for the fact that in summer in FL it can get uncomfortably hot in that suit when standing there in preparation to enter the water. Even if it's just 5 or 10 minutes I find myself sweating profusely in that 5 mm. So I prefer a 3 mm for FL in the summer (except at the springs, where the 72 degree water forces me to bear the heat until entry). Once at depth, the 5mm doesn't feel much different than the 3mm--either would keep me more than warm enough in the summer, and neither is so thick as to feel restrictive. So, out of the water is where the considerations come into play for me, as I not only don't sweat as much in the 3 mm as I would in the 5 mm, but it's also bit easier to don and doff a 3mm than a 5mm. Lastly, the 3mm weighs a little less and is a little less bulky in my luggage than the 5mm. In general, the less neoprene, the easier it will be for you topside ... but not so little that you get cold after 45 mins. at depth.

 

[islanddream]

Would you recommend buying a 3mm shorty especially since my husband and I are also planning a trip to Scuba Club Cozumel in December. Thoughts. This is really helpful. Buying equipment is hard especially when there is so much out there and trying to buy what best fits our scuba travels.

I was cold in November in Cozmel in my 3mm so I bought a 5mm for this November. Did you buy a skin to go under your wetsuit? If not, you might want to consider one. It will make putting on your wetsuit a whole bunch easier!

 

[darushin]

I'm new to diving and just bought my first wetsuit, a 5mm Bare Fit. Love it and wondering if I need to buy something for under my suit to dive in the ocean in Fort Lauderdale, where I am heading for vacation and plan to dive. Is that the right mm for the region. I know in the Fresh waters in Il in the summer I need a 7mm.
please help, trying to prepare for my trip.
scarlet23

As a Floridian I use the following rules.

Springs = 5mm
Ocean winter = 5mm due to thermocline
Ocean summer = 3mm

I always wear 1mm gloves and a hood to protect me from stings.

Daru

 

[Damselfish]

You often see shorties for rent in warm places, but when buying a suit I think more people go with full suits. I think full is usually a better idea than a shorty, except perhaps to use a shorty as a layering piece. Full coverage is good.

As far as the thickness, you'll get a range of preferences and no one can really answer that for you. You may notice a tendency for people that live in FL and other warm places to express a preference for thicker suits than people who live in cold places. There is a certain amount of acclimatization that occurs.

If you're talking about going soon, this time of year in the ocean in Florida I'd be wearing my 1mm skin - which is what I wear almost all the time - but I could dive in a t-shirt.

 

[Just_Me]

I learned early, I can always flood a suit that's too thick to cool down but it's impossible to add layers at depth. I get cold easily, so where most people wear a 5 I wear a 7. The only one that can answer this for you, is you. I also recommend gloves, boots, and head covering for open sea. Get stung once and they will also become mandatory.

 

[Croomrider]

My neighbor went to WPB around the beginning of July. He said there was an up-welling that day and the temp below 20 feet was 66 degrees. He froze his butt off in his 3mm full. However, the very next day it was back to normal and he was fine in his 3mm. I've seen water temps here in the ocean anywhere from high 50's to low 90's, so it really depends on when and where you are planning to dive. I've been seriously considering getting a dry suit for diving the gulf in the winter!

Mike

 

[rongoodman]

I just finished a course in Pompano Beach and the 5mm was fine. I had a hood with me but didn't wear it.

 

[corvettejoe]

I'm headed out to Ft Lauderdale tomorrow for a 3 day weekend of lobster diving... I don't wear any wetsuit while shore diving. I may throw a skin on just for sun protection or to prevent rubbing up on unseen stuff at night while lobstering. Usually I just throw on a long sleeved shirt and dive in that and my swimsuit when shore diving during daylight hours.

For deeper boat dives, I will bring my wetsuit just in case, but usually never need it. At most, a 3mm is all you need in the summer time. A cheap 3mm shorty should be fine at most. Above 60ft its usually not too bad in the summer, below 60ft you may hit upwellings and thermalclines that can get quite chilly (going from mid 80F to mid 70F in just a few feet of depth, coming back up a few feet will cure that though, but may not be where you want to go (wreck diving deep, etc))

During the winter, the waters around West Palm to Ft Lauderdale only drop to the mid to low 70's so.. just dress for that (I only use a 3mm full suit myself for low 70*F waters)
If you do any spring diving, waters are 72-74*F all year round, so dress appropriately for that.

Note: I don't get cold very easily.

Hope that helps!

 

[luscioman]

I dive in Miami and in the summer i only wear a rash guard. In the winter i use a 3mm shorty. I dont get cold easy so i prefer not to wear much.