wetsuit thickness

[etowndiver]

Being new to the area (Huntington, WV), what thickness of wetsuit should I be using. When I did my OW cert in April in a Pennsylvania quarry, I was very comfortable in a 7mm 2 piece wetsuit, hood and gloves. Will this be too thick for local diving. When the time comes, I'm thinking about buying a 7mm 2 piece, only because I have nothing to compare it against. If I get too warm, I can always open the wrists and let some water in the suit. Right??

thanks in advance,

joe

 

[Ber Rabbit]

The 7mm will be fine unless you're in a REALLY shallow body of water in late summer where the temp. can reach 78 degrees or so. Opening the wrists is an option as is diving without gloves or hood which will cool you off too. The deeper quarries may be as cold as 40-45 degrees at depth even in the summer, always keep those thermoclines in mind.

Hope you can come up and dive with the group sometime!
Ber

 

[ckharlan66]

I agree with Ber. You should be fine in a 7mm. It might be a little warm in the summer but with a 2 piece you could always just wear one of the pieces.

I would think about a drysuit just because of the bouyancy change that you get from the neoprene and then you could get a 3 or 5mm for the summer, but if cost is a factor the 7mm will work well for less money.

Good luck and I hope you can come dive with us soon.

Chad

 

[Big-t-2538]

If you are set on buying a wetsuit...yes, 7mil is the way to go in this area. I have seen temps in the low to mid 40s with my 6.5 mil 2 piece. I wasn't warm mind you, but it was bearable. The most important thing is to get a hood that fits well, and a suit that fits well. One that doesn't have a lot of air in it and fits snug all around.

However, if you have the $$ for a dry-suit...first, I'm jealous...second, it is well worth your investment. First you stay dry...second you stay warmer...third you can dive year round...fourth, Chad's right...the last 20 feet of your ascent in a wetsuit that thick is not the easiest thing in the world.

The only time it seems uncomfortably warm in the thick wetsuit is in the mid to late summer. Then what I do is dive with the top partially unzipped, or I dive without the john pary of my john & shorty combo. But be sure to compensate on your weight belt for the loss of half of your wetsuit bouyancy when you do that.

 

[cstreu1026]

I agree 7mm is definitly the way to go. The last weekend of June I was at Portage quarry in northern Ohio and it was in the low 80's on the surface with the first thermocline at about 18 ft. where it dropped to the low 60's. Somewhere between 35 and 40ft. it dropped into the low to mid 50's. I was not comfortable below the 2nd thermocline in a 7mm, but I was with out a hood or gloves and the head ache I got down there was too much. I am getting ready to get hooded vest to make the cold water a little more bearable.

 

[ScottSpencer]

I have both a 7mm two piece and a 5mm one piece and unless I'm diving deep (past 50') in a lake or quarry during the warm months I prefer the 5mm. It’s more comfortable, alot easier to move around in and much easier to manage from the buoyancy standpoint.

Between October and April I use the 7mm but it’s really not warm enough and I just bought a dry suit because of that reason.

I suggest you rent a 5mm to 7mm one piece and try diving with that during the summer period.