What wetsuits do Floridians wear?

[Reel Crazy14]

depends on where, off jax- 3mm summer, drysuit winter. South florida- t-shirt summer, 5mm winter. Winter diving in my opinion is just as good, big critters come in the shallow waters off the shelf.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Wetsuit? bwahahahahaha

When the water drops below 70, I will don a 3 mm wetsuit.

Springs... no suit
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All year Tshirt (keeps the BC from rubbing flesh)

 

[Irene]

If its cool enough outside to suit up without having heat stroke, I prefer to dive dry in anything less than 80 degrees.

Generally: November - April: Dry
The rest of the time, its 5-7mm for spring dives (5 in July, August when its too hot to get dressed in a 7mm); 3-5mm for everything else, sometimes supplemented with a hooded vest or beanie.

Disclaimer: Most of my dives are over 90 minutes. I guess if I were doing a short 20-30 min. dive, I'd have a bit more tolerance for cold.

 

[scubafool]

3 mil full for water temps in the mid 70's. 2.5 mil shorty for 80ish temps (try not to dive in such bathwater, though). 7 mil semidry for spring dives. I have done 4+ hours in a spring basin with that, and I get cold easily.

 

[HowardE]

3mm full wetsuit in the Summer.
7mm wetsuit in spring and autumn
Dry Suit with lightweight fleece in winter (once the water dips below 75 degrees)

 

[idive2]

3ml shortie in the summer not too hot and offers some protection, 3ml full with beanie cap in the winter but this can even be a bit chilly on a long second or third dive.
May try hooded vest under 3ml before considering 5ml full.

 

[SFL_diver]

Do you think that a 3mm gold core vest, layered with a 3mm full Bare wetsuit (so 6mm on the torso), plus 5/3mm hood, 3mm gloves, 5mm boots, would be OK for Florida spring diving in the winter? That is my plan. Let me also mention that I have High Pressure 130s, so I'll probably be diving a long time in the Springs.

If it's not enough, then maybe I can snuggle up with one of the manatees in crystal river... just kidding

 

[HappyFunBoater]

Here is a link to the Florida buoy system. Most of the buoys have historical water temps.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Florida.shtml

For example, here is a year-round water temp chart for the Molasses Reef buoy in Key Largo. Unfortunately it's uses a bizarre measurement scheme called "degrees C". Anybody got a slide rule?

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/images/climplot/MLRF1_st.jpg

Water temps peak in August at 30C (86F) and drop to just under 24C (74F) in February. Of course other areas of Florida are much colder.

 

[Scuba_Dad]

Do you think that a 3mm gold core vest, layered with a 3mm full Bare wetsuit (so 6mm on the torso), plus 5/3mm hood, 3mm gloves, 5mm boots, would be OK for Florida spring diving in the winter? That is my plan.

You should be nice and warm. I normally dive with a 3mm full suit with a vested hood, and I'm fine for most dives. Now that I have a dry suit... I dive dry in the springs... with a sweat shirt and sweat pants....

 

[Walter]

Do you think that a 3mm gold core vest, layered with a 3mm full Bare wetsuit (so 6mm on the torso), plus 5/3mm hood, 3mm gloves, 5mm boots, would be OK for Florida spring diving in the winter?

Have you dived the springs in the summer? If so (assuming you were comfortable), wear the same thermal protection in the winter. The springs will be the same temperature. What you do between dives to keep warm is much more important when diving the sprinds in the winter. Take off the suit quickly, dry off and get into warm dry clothes ASAP. BTW, peeing in your suit does not warm you, it merely transfers warmth from your core to your skin tricking your body into thinking you're getting warmer, allowing more blood flow to the skin which causes you to chill more quickly.