Wetsuit thickness for Maui in Summer.

[Porko83]

Hey everyone.
I'm doing 4 dives with Lahaina dives in June, at Molokini and Cathedrals (can't wait!!). I want to get an understanding of what people wear.
What have you worn/thickness at these spots during the Hawaiian summer? In Sydney the water is quite chilly and I usually wear a surf wetsuit 4/3 and I'm fine - while others get cold wearing a 5m with hoodie, and under top.

Do people dive with just a wetsuit top and board shorts? Or do I bring a 3/2 or 4/3 wetty?

I'm not renting a wetsuit because I know what people do in them lol.
BTW I'm bring all my own gear from Oz.

Thanks

 

[scubadada]

I dive my 5 mm in Hawaii, usually mid to high 70s. I generally do 4 dives/day

 

[Spudlet]

I just dived in Waikiki in January, yes I know what people do in wetsuits and I used theirs hahaha, was a 3mm steamer and that was more than enough even overs , If you don't feel the cold spring suit or boardies will do..

 

[diversteve]

Coastal Water Temperature Guide - at that time of year i'm in a t-shirt/boardshorts. My thinner budy has a full 3mil but unzips between dives and sometimes in the water. I've dove both inside Molokini (shallower) and 1st Cathedral that way - sometime in summer, probably July or later.

If you plan to do any shorediving, most of the entries are off a sandy beach so the lava is only a factor at a couple of sites to the south.

 

[mockney]

Hi,

I recently dived with Lahaina divers at Molokini. I used all my own gear. I dived in my Scubapro 1mm rasher and my tech shorts, no wetsuit needed but it was in early December so I don't know how that compares with the weather in June.

Either way I doubt you will need anything more than a 3mm at most.

 

[DiveMaven]

Plan for a water temperature of around 78 degrees. Everyone has different cold tolerance, so adjust accordingly for your needs.

 

[EricTheDood]

Did the same dives last August in board shorts and a rash guard.

Going again in late March and will bring a 3mm shorty. I was fine last time but I drowned my iPhone in my board short pocket. Took it down to 95 feet at the Carthaginian wreck. A wetsuit should help in preventing such stupidity.

 

[AZTinman]

I've never been to Maui, but on my three trips to the Big Island, I wore my 5 mil without a hood. I was comfortable. The first trip was in December. The other two trips were in July.

I saw a wide range of suits on all three trips. The range ran from skinny women diving in tiny bikinis to folks wearing 7/8 mil semi-dry suits. Water temps were in the mid-seventies. Like others have said, what's right for really depends on how you tolerate water temps in the seventies.

-AZTinman

 

[Porko83]

Thanks for all the replies! it appears warmer than I thought so I'm going to take a wetsuit top with a front zip, old school James Bonds styles. and some board shorts.

 

[Rustydiver]

I have dove the dive sites you mentioned in late April with a Bare 3/2 full suit. It was perfect for me.