Wet suit what kind

[sdexcalibur]

One peice, two peice, one peice with vest, vest with attached hood, hood by it's self.
What should I buy I dive or going to be diving in cold water maybe 55-65 degree.Thanks

 

[Welshman]

Sounds like a minimum of 5mm and maybe 7mm. You will never overheat in the water - it will always be colder than you and you never want to be cold in the water - if you get seriously chilled your judgement will suffer and you may make a wrong decision. As for whether one piece, two piece etc you need to assess what temperature(s) you'll be diving in. There are so many permutations. For what it's worth I have a full 3mm wetsuit for warm water i.e. 70f upwards and a 6.5mm semi-dry plus hood and gloves for anything colder.

 

[LilmanHSU]

I tend to agree with Welshman.

As you get more involved, you will change wetsuits like you change underwear.. =)

Warm suits, cold suits, full suits, short suits, semi dry, fully dry.. shesh so many options.

A lot depends on your own personal tolerance.. I know guys who can dive in California where it can get between 50-65 degrees in a 3 mil suit and be just fine.

Then there are those who swear by their 7 mil with an extra vest, and a skin underneath.

me personally. I dive semi-dry 7 mil year round and i've been perfectly comfortable. That also includes 3 mil gloves and hood. Never once had to scrub a dive because of cold.

A lot of divers will tell you to start with wet, then work your way to dry. Once you go dry, you'll probably never go back. Obviously that adds cost, but a larger percentage of comfort to your dives as well.

So don't be surprpised if your closet soon has 3 or 4 suits in it. As you do this more, you'll know exactly which suit to wear for which type of weather.

Happy diving!

Regards,

Paul

 

[DonnaS]

Hello,

I live in Southern California where the water can get a bit chilly.
I have a Henderson One Piece Hyperstretch, 7mil. I just love it. Does not feel like that neoprene stuff and goes on like a glove.
The best feature is that it is soooo forgiving when you put on a few pounds.

 

[art.chick]

I dive in water 56-65 (SoCal) & have recently gone from a farmer jane & jacket (7mm each) to a 5mm Hyperstretch, but here's my trick: I also bought a Henderson Triolifin skin (trilaminated fleece) to wear under it. I have the equivalent of a 7mm without the buoyancy of 2 more mm of neoprene. In fact, the fleece gets soaked & becomes negatively buoyant. I can take the skin off in the warmer months. If that doesn't do the trick for you, try adding another layer of hyperstretch, as they now make various components.

 

[pt40fathoms]

I dive in cold water almost all year long. Even under the ice. The first thing to stress is always, and I mean always, choose an attached hood. Whether you decide on a full wet suit with vest or a farmer john with a jacket, the one sure fire way to get cold is to have water bleed in through the neck seal. With an attached hood, this is far less likely to happen. Secondly, wet wuits with zippers at the ankles may be easier to get into, but they will also leak water up your legs easier. If you can handle a little cold on your legs, don't worry about it. If you are sensitive to the cold, avoid the zippered ankle variety. Now for your feet. Most people will spend time on looking for a good wet suit for cold water, and then give the feet a mere glance. Don't do this. Choose a good pair of boots, and use a pair of 2mm neoprene socks under those 5mm boots. Some people use wool socks, and it does help, but the neoprene socks are by far the best.

Of course the warmest is still a dry suit, but only if you can afford it. I still use a wet suit, and just purchased an new set. For what it's worth, after trying a few different makes and models of wet suits in 38 f water (4 c). I settle on a 7mm Mares with the 5mm overshorty with attached hood. Mmmmm warm. That silver something or other lining they call Z Heat seems to work.

 

[testdrv321]

Mares 6.5m semi-dry <- strongly reccomended
Got mine from Leisure pro w/ hood and mating boots for about $400. Very warm and actually stays almost totally dry!

 

[DivingGal]

What suit you want to wear will also depends on how YOU handle the cold.

Layering is a good thing.

For example, in neoprene: farmer john/janes + jacket + hood + gloves + boots --- use what you need to keep you warm.

If you have a drysuit - use what ever type of "undies" you need to keep you warm. For example in 40-50F I use my warm woolies, but by the time the water gets to 70, I'm in a t-shirt and shorts.

 

[Butch103]

my 2 cents are the following...I was a sure fire "I don't want an attached hood " diver until I bought a Henderson Gold Core Hyperstretch suit with an attached hood........best thing since sliced bread IMHO...I previously had a Farmer John and Shorty ( all 7 mil ). I also dive in water from 40 - 70 degrees.........so far the Henderson is great in all.......