Question Versatile exposure suit system

[Omoplata]

I have a sharkskin suit (Australian brand, neutrally buoyant apparently 3mm equivalent) and on my last trip a few weeks ago at lady elliot island I was a bit cold in the torso.


I'm wondering where to go from here for warmth - some options I was considering to go over the sharkskin:


3mm or 5mm neoprene hood
3mm or 5mm neoprene hooded vest with zip
sharkskin equivocal hood/hooded vest
3mm tech shorts
3mm or 5mm neoprene steamer
5mm neoprene shorty


I love how easy the sharkskin is to get in and out of and how fast it dries, so I am tempted to get T2 CHILLPROOF FULL ZIP VEST WITH HOOD - MENS + tech shorts to go over the top but maybe it's warmth is too limited?

I'm a relatively new diver in Australia, so most of my diving will be around Australia and SEA for a while, but being able to dive in the cooler months would be good.



Am I on the right track in thinking I should be layering? Or am I better off with a separate 5 or 7mm wetsuit?

 

[rjack321]

The sharkskins are "neutrally buoyant" but they are definitely not "equivalent to a 3mm". In the water they really only prevent water from exchanging over your skin, they provide nearly no insulation of their own since they only trap a boundary layer of water against your skin.

I would get either the 5mm full suit by itself or a 5mm shorty to go over the sharkskin.

 

[Mobulai]

3mm or 5mm neoprene hood

A hood was the best (1st) upgrade I did; the heat lost through the head is quite a lot, I felt its impact
I now use a 2.5mm hood all the way from rashguard (31c 40min dive) to drysuit (19c 2hr deco dives)
Colder waters need a 5mm hood (YMMV)

my personal limit for a 3mm wetsuit (19c 90mins); beyond that drysuit as I dislike the tightness around the joints from 5-7mm

I’d say start with a “proper” wetsuit, 3,5 or 7 according to your preferences (your personal limits and the type of “regular” diving you do), a hood, and maybe add a vest if you feel later that some dives need just an extra push in warmth

For tech shorts: I had mine a bit “flappy” so they provided no real warmth; just the storage space that I needed; I sold them since I moved to sidemount; but I’d consider getting shorts again that are a bit more skin tight if I find something light enough (travel weight)