Taking a trip to Cay Sal in a month

[Knavey]

and was at my LDS looking to buy a skin for exposure protection (ok, ok not for warmth, but those inadvertent and unintentional bumps that can happen). They talked me out of the skin, and into a 0.5 mm wetsuit.

Will this be adequate for the dives that I am making? Or is it overkill? Certainly it is not underkill, but is it possible to overheat in one of these?

My bet is that it is fine, but just seeking some opinions.

Thanks,

 

[Ber Rabbit]

We went in 2001. I wore a skin with a 3mm shortie over it in August and was comfy (I get cold easily). My computer logged the water temps between 85-89 degrees just to give you an idea of our August conditions. If you don't get cold easily you'll be happy in the .5mm, I was glad to have the 3mm over my core especially on the night dives. I did note in my log that one dive had a thermocline at 60 feet but it wasn't a severe change in temp.

Saw a bunch of jellyfish at some sites while hanging on the safety stop bar. Beautiful to watch but I'm glad I had full body coverage as protection from the parts and pieces that were also floating in the water.

FYI some of the sites had a current running and one site was so bad divers were getting out of the water as soon as they got in. If you're on the Nekton you have to wear a snorkel (don't know if a folding snorkel in your pocket is acceptable--you might want to ask), I recommend you get one that's as low profile as possible to make your safety stop bearable if the current is running.

Have a great time!
Ber

 

[Big-t-2538]

I am the other extreme....

I'm usually not cold in almost any condition, but ber gets cold in a hot-tub I think.

For me a .5 mil would be overkill if it was anything other than a shorty

 

[Knavey]

To be honest with you, I was thinking more along the lines of keeping me safe from stings and such, but I hadn't considered that you might get a little colder during night dives.

I think I will be satisfied with what I have, and if I need more, hopefully they will have something to rent there.

I don't anticipate needing more, just like to try to be prepared if we need it.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

While an unusual method this worked on the trip to Saba we just returned from. Take a Canadian with you :idea:, for some reason they attract the things that sting and you get left alone. Diving Gal went with us to Saba and she was nearly "eaten alive" by "no-see-ums" but no one else had a mark on them. Must be that sweet Canadian blood :slick:

Naturally you should probably pay her way since she is going to get stung on a regular basis :tease:

Based on a true story and I didn't bother to change the names to protect the innocent

Safe diving!
Ber

 

[diveski01]

Knavey once bubbled...
To be honest with you, I was thinking more along the lines of keeping me safe from stings and such, but I hadn't considered that you might get a little colder during night dives.

I think I will be satisfied with what I have, and if I need more, hopefully they will have something to rent there.

I don't anticipate needing more, just like to try to be prepared if we need it.

Thanks for the input.

Major league jellyfish at several Cay Sal Banks dive sites - especially the one near Dog Rocks. A thin wetsuit would make your entry/exits MUCH easier to get through the fields of jellies.

I usually take a thin lycra or polartec "beanie" for multiple dives x multiple days. It doesn't make you too hot but keeps in just enough heat loss from your head to keep you comfy.

Rent at Cay Sal?? From where? It's nothing but a bunch of rocks out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You'd have to rent before you leave the port city. If it's a live-aboard then you really have to plan ahead. Some don't even carry spare dive lights for customers. What you bring is what you have to dive with for the entire trip.

 

[Knavey]

I was thinking more along the lines of renting from the liveaboard. Are you saying that they don't have stuff like that to rent?

I am planning on bringing everything that we need (except for the tanks and weights) but I would have thought that they had stuff like that to rent.