Wetsuit Question???

[adigerol]

Ok, I usually only cold water dive but for T-Giving this year the wife and I are going to Jamaica. Water temp is 84. Am I ok with a spring shorty or will I need a 3/2 full suit? Sorry for the stupid question.

 

[Jax]

Hey, Adi; need a little more info.

Are you cold in regular AC? like 74-75F? Do you often wear sweaters in AC?

Do you like 80F? Does being wet in 80F make you a little chilled?

I am all of the above and was comfortable in a 3mm full in the same conditions.

If the other does not apply, you might be happy with the shorty or even shorts and a Tshirt.

My frozen .02psi.

 

[Garrobo]

80 degrees is the temp of the local swimming pool.

 

[adigerol]

No I run a little warm so I'm thinking I'll bring a shorty and if I have to, I'll just rent a full. Thanks for the tip.

 

[JohnB47]

At 84, I would think a shorty should be plenty. At temperatures over about 85, if you swim energetically, you can get overheated without a wetsuit. You might want to bring a dive skin in case the shorty gets too warm.

 

[spectrum]

How intensively do you plan to dive?

If you're tolerant and make 1-2 dives a day then you could may do OK in the shorty. If you are dive intensive then I'd lean to the full suit. Also the full suit will provide full body scrape & sting coverage.

How well the given suits fit will have just as much to do the the thermal requirement.

Pete

 

[spectrum]

At 84, I would think a shorty should be plenty. At temperatures over about 85, if you swim energetically, you can get overheated without a wetsuit. You might want to bring a dive skin in case the shorty gets too warm.

Diving should be anything but energetic, that's the catch.

 

[oreocookie]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I've got pretty much the exact same question as the OP. I'm headed to the Bahamas in a month for a week on one of the Blackbeard's boats (3-4 dives/day). Their website says temps july to september are 81-85 with "none required" as their wetsuit recomendation, but I've been in a couple of 84-86F swimming pools recently and found myself getting chilled after an hour or an hour and a half. Local diving is in a 7mm farmer john (14mm on the core, with hood and gloves), and I was fine at around 50-55F last week. Shorty or 3/2 full? Thanks and sorry for the hijack.

 

[orm]

Down to personal prefs.

Do you do long dives?
Do you chill easily or do you have personal insulation

I´d say if you´re only doing a handfull of dives, under 1hr, go for a 3mm shorty.

If you´re diving twice a day most days, you´re probably gonna be best taking a 2/3mm long.

You´re not going to overheat (under water) in a 2/3mm long. It´ll conserve your energy for the evening due to less heat loss and it´s added protction against jellyfish or stingers/firecoral and such.

I´d say 82 is boarderline. If it gets any colder, you´ll be cold in a shorty, but if it gets any warmer, you won´t be too hot in a long.

 

[fjpatrum]

When in doubt, take a full suit. You're very unlikely to be "too warm" in a full suit, but you're quite possibly going to be too cold in a shorty.

I used a step in jacket with a hood in the Bahamas (albeit in May) just for snorkeling because I was too cold with just my 1mm top. I get cold very easily though and will now always carry at least a full suit.