Bonaire-Late March-Wetsuit??

[Diver DennisP]

OK, even though I have a little bit of time to plan, is a 3 mil wetsuit enough, too much, not enough for diving in late March?

 

[Boat Chick]

Dennis, it really depends on your cold tolerance. I wear a skin and a 3mm on Bonaire regardless of the time of year. I also wear a beanie ;-) My husband could wear shorts and a t-shirt, but opts for a skin to avoid the stinging critters he's encountered over the years. I've found it's really a personal preference.

Have a great trip!

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

I take 3 and 5 mm suits on my trips . My rule of thumb is 80 degrees and warmer is 3mm , 79 and lower 5 mm . I always use a beanie . In March the water will probably be below 80

 

[DiverVince]

DD..Depends on how many dives a day you plan on doing and also how many days diving.
In Feb /March I use a 3 mm and a beanie and am comfortable.
In July I just use a skin. We average 1 to 2 dives per day.

 

[Boat Chick]

I take 3 and 5 mm suits on my trips . My rule of thumb is 80 degrees and warmer is 3mm , 79 and lower 5 mm . I always use a beanie . In March the water will probably be below 80

It SHOULD be around 81-82 in March. January is a little cooler (79-81).

Vince makes a good point. We usually do 3 dives a day.

 

[DiveMaven]

Considering the water has been 80-81 in July the past 2 years we've been there, it would amaze me if the water was the same temperature in March....but I could definitely be wrong.

 

[Mossman]

Even in the warm waters of Bonaire, the average human body is still going to react to "cold" at some point when the ambient temperature is 92 or less. In warmer waters, there might not even be a physical sensation of being "cold", but the hypothalamus will still be working behind the scenes to warm up the body via physiological means, which means more energy will be expended, which means the circulatory system will be consuming more oxygen. As a newish diver, air consumption might already be of concern, hence keeping the body warmer with a wetsuit could lead to longer dives.

On the other hand, since Bonaire tends to be quite warm topside, even in the winter months, I find that keeping the body's core temp cooler by repetitive diving with inadequate thermal protection makes the heat much more tolerable. Still, once I've acclimated myself to the topside heat, I find myself adding a layer by the end of the week.

Since you probably don't have enough experience diving in various water temperatures to know how your body will react over a week of it, I'd suggest definitely bringing the 3mm for starters. You can always "cool off" if overheating by flushing the suit, but I doubt you'll be doing that after 5 or 6 days of diving in March. If the 3mm leaves you too cold, bring a hood or at least a beanie to conserve a bit more body heat. I can't stand wearing a hood, so my "cheat" is layering a 3mm "core warmer" over the 3mm full suit when I start to chill and that tends to keep me nice and toasty.

 

[Mossman]

Considering the water has been 80-81 in July the past 2 years we've been there, it would amaze me if the water was the same temperature in March....but I could definitely be wrong.

I'd be surprised too, since most dive locales in the northern hemisphere tend to be chillier in March than in January. But Bonaire is closer to the equator and might have different patterns than Carib spots further north or dive locales in the Pacific.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

The temperature will vary from winter to summer:
Winter months (approx. December-March): 78-80 degrees F. / 25-26 degrees C.
Summer months (approx. April-November): 81- 84 degrees F. / 27-29 degrees C.

I will not be bringing a wetsuit or a skin. I dive nekkid in Bonaire. I average 3-5 dives per day and have never been cold. Our last trip one of the guys wore his 3mm on the first dive (so, we knicknamed him Nancy) and he said he was hot in the wetsuit on the first dive... He never wore it again on a dive while we were there (we still refer to him as Nancy... lol)

 

[Boat Chick]

I'd be surprised too, since most dive locales in the northern hemisphere tend to be chillier in March than in January. But Bonaire is closer to the equator and might have different patterns than Carib spots further north or dive locales in the Pacific.

Bonaire is 3 miles from the sun:cool2: At least that's the joke amongst some of us FBT (frequent Bonaire travelers).

I've been January, March, June, July, September, and October several times. January has always been the coolest 79, 78-81. March was "warmer"...maybe 81-82? lol ;-)