Which suit and how thick?

[jiveturkey]

I need a wetsuit that's more versatile than my 3mm. I live in korea where the water temp is around 21c/70f in summer and much colder in the winter. I can't afford 3 suits and I'm pretty sure I won't be doing much winter diving. I don't have any experience with semidry suits but I understand it's a much warmer option. I'm thinking a 5mm semidry might be what I'm looking for.

Ideally I'd like it to be warm enough to use as much as I can in the spring and fall and still be ok for the summer. I guess using it in winter is out of the question. Would this suit be right for me or would I be way too warm in the summer? Seems to me that pulling on the seals and flushing in some water would solve that problem. Or, maybe I should even go for the thicker semidry and have the option of using it in the winter? I saw one post from a guy who said he uses a 6.5mm semidry in temps as low as 7c/45f.

 

[MechDiver]

A "semi-dry" is a wet suit that costs too much.

If you have a full length one piece suit, you can get a vest to wear over it. That will give you more protection over your torso. You might also consider using a 3mm hood.
There are lots of options available. Given the temps you talked about, a 5mm would work pretty well for me, with possibly a hooded vest in winter. Can't say for you, you have to decide that.

MD

 

[chiara]

I'm not sure I would be able to survive in 7° water with only a 5mm or even a 7mm.

We were diving dry on Sunday in 5° water, I had a dry suit and dry gloves and I was pretty cold.

 

[MechDiver]

chiara once bubbled...
I'm not sure I would be able to survive in 7° water with only a 5mm or even a 7mm.

We were diving dry on Sunday in 5° water, I had a dry suit and dry gloves and I was pretty cold.

I've done 40 degF in a double 7mm. After 2 dives you don't really care anymore :upset:

Dry is much better.

MD

 

[j-valve]

I have also been in 40 degF with a double 7 mm. The only thing that got cold was my hands... even with the warm water treatment.

J

 

[Conor]

What is the warmest and coldest you would actually be diving in ?
How much do you wan't to spend?

I bought a 5mm 3 piece, which included a 5mm semi dry long suit and a 5mm shortie and hood. I have used the long suit in water around 20c and the shortie in warmer water. The main suit would probably be fine down to about 18c I guess and then below that I would have to pu the shortie on top (giving 10mm ion torso and upper legs and arms). The price was £175 ~ $270
Hope this helps

 

[JDostal]

Scubapro's little system for adding pieces together actually works fairly well. I'm not a fan of the Silver Skin lining in their suits, but I've found that by smearing some hair conditioner on your legs you can slip into it easier.

I wore my 7mm steamer with a 3mm shorty over it and was pretty warm in 50F water. I like my drysuit much better now, but it was doable.

 

[Shadow]

Omicron once bubbled...
smearing some hair conditioner on your legs you can slip into it easier.

Don't petroleum based products cause rubber to break down? Would the oils in hair conditioner speed the deterioration of neoprene? Perhaps a water-based lubricant would be a better choice ...

Just wondering ...

 

[jiveturkey]

I have't dived here that much but I want more experience in colder water. I'm not sure of the temps in the spring or fall but I don't think I'd really want to be in water much colder than 10C. It's hard enough to find dive buddies here for summer diving. I didn't really consider buying a suit that would fit over my 3mm full length. I guess it'd be pretty much useless without the 3mm under it. How do you go about the fitting for this kind of setup? Just have my 3mm on when they are measuring me? I'm getting this suit made by a friend who doesn't speak english very well. I hope he understands what I want.

 

[JDostal]

I never thought about that. I rinsed the suit out very well after the trip. We were on a Blackbeard's trip, and after putting the suit on 4 times a day for a couple of days my fingers hurt. I remembered someone mentioning it here on this board.

It would be something to keep in mind - now that I have a drysuit I won't be using my wetsuit much at all anymore.