Which Wetsuit to choose?

[merjo91]

Hello, I'm new to diving. I am taking a course at my school and getting certified. We are going on a trip to a lake in houston in April and do several dives through out the day and could be under between 20-30 min. The water temp is like 50 degrees now and my teacher is saying i need a 7mil suit or rent out two 3s and stack them. My friend he has dove about only five times but says the 7 mil i probably wont end up needing for my other dives that i do b/c of the temperature. So... My question is i guess what suit do you think i should get for diving in this lake but then being able to have one that i will be able to continue to use and not get to hot when diving in different waters. So a pretty all around suit. Also... an option i thought of was maybe getting a 4 b/c i was going to get a seperate one of those for surfing and then use my guy friends 3 over it. So what do yall think about that idea? (I cant even imagine trying to get two of those dang things on though). I'm 5ft2 about... 140 pounds... and I like the cold and can get over it pretty quick but i guess if im totaly under for 30 min. that may not work to well.
Thanks Sorry so much writing
Meredith

 

[Spg01]

I am good down to the mid 50's in my 7mm full suit with hood/gloves/booty's. Low 50's is too cold for multiple dives in a wet suit for me. I have done it, it just was not a lot of fun by the 3rd dive. I also have a 3mm shorty that I dive in warm vacation waters.

If this will not be a "normal" dive spot for you just rent a suit. You could also rent a suit for your other diving and try whatever thickness suits they have to find the right amount of warmth for you. You can get a vest that will fit over/under a wet suit also.

From what I have heard a surfing wetsuit's do not work well for diving, something to do with the material I guess. But I have never tried one.

 

[RonFrank]

I am of the belief that if the water is below 75F, dive dry!

You can NOT purchase one suit that is comfortable in all conditions.

My advice ~ rent a 7mm suit for the CheckOut dive. It will run maybe $20 a weekend, so not much. If you are able to select the suit you rent, try and find one that looks newish, but ensure it fits (it should fit tight without cutting off circulation).

Purchase a 3mm suit for your travel. You can also surf in a 3mm suit.

If you are one of the few, the proud, that actually dives in your area, then you can go dry or get a 7mm. However your first objective is the get certified, and you do NOT need to buy a suit to make that happen.

 

[Brian Sharpe]

Whether or not you buy your own wetsuit right away depends largely on where you foresee yourself diving after getting certified and your personal cold tolerance.

In water in the 50s I'd be diving in my drysuit or 7mm full wetsuit with a 7mm hooded vest on top - especially if multiple dives in one day were involved. In December I was in DR diving with a 3 mil full suit & 3mil hooded vest (multiple dives in 75F water) and I was toasty warm. Into the 80s I'm happy in my 2 mil shorty (but even then found myself getting chilled on dive # in Cozumel)

Assuming your dive shop has a wetsuit that fits you well that you can rent I'd go that route first.

 

[j yaeger]

i recomend a 2 pc 7mm to our students up here
if they are going to own only 1 suit
$2oo more or less and you can dive in half in the summer

our check out dives have wetsuit rental included in price of course
50 * definatly hood gloves and thick boots
good luck with the course!!!!
have fun
yaeg

 

[Colliam7]

my advice ~ rent a 7mm suit for the checkout dive. . . . Purchase a 3mm suit for your travel.

Ditto !!!

 

[Minion_Diver]

I agree with renting a wetsuit for your checkout dives. whenever i did mine this past fall i rented mine which allowed me not to worry about the extra gear that i have to keep track of whenever going and leaving the dive spot. But it is a good investment. Wait until you have gotten your certification to look for a wetsuit and when you start looking for a wetsuit also try to figure out where and how cold the water temps are going to be where you are diving. I just bought a 7mil suit that i was warm in in 60 degree water and from where i am from that will be plenty enough for me. You also have to look at how much you plan on diving this coming up year and to see whether or not you need to invest in a suit.

You also talked about having a wetsuit for surfing as well. Think about how much you are going to be surfing in the warm waters and diving versus diving in colder waters. It make sense to buy one that you are going to use more. So if that means that you are going to be diving in warmer water and surfing more it makes sense to buy a 3mil suit vs a 7mil for colder waters. And it is not like if you find yourself in a cold water situation the likelyhood of you finding a dive shop to rent from is very high. So really think about the diving conditions that you plan on diving before you invest money into a wetsuit that you may possibly not use or end up selling to get thinner/thicker one.

 

[Bowzer]

I am normally fairly warm, that said I prefer a drysuit when it gets into the mid 50s. If renting (or buying) a suit, be sure it fits well. I can't stress this too much. a lot of water flowing through your suit will chill you quickly.
Not all suits are the same. Some are made of fairly stretchable rubber which can provide a better fit especially if you are not a "standard" size. They can also be put on and off easier. Look for descriptions like Superstretch, Hyperstretch... If they don't make mention of it then they are probably standard rubber. High stretch can cost a bit more but not too bad. I dive a 7/5 mm Tilos Superstretch or a 3/2. The first number is the thickness over the core where you want the most warmth. The second number is the thickness over the arms and legs where you want some flexibility. Tilos is a fairly inexpensive brand but has held up very well (one of the knocks on the high stretch is that they break down more quickly - all wet suits will break down as the cells rupture), our family has 6. My daughter is tall with long arms and legs. We just got her another brand as she had her wrists and ankles sticking out. The suit is very nice, but not a high stretch rubber, She is colder in the new suit than the old.
Other features are semi-dry (a smooth interior that fits well around the wrists, ankles and neck to restrict water flow as much as possible) and Titanium coating which is supposed to reflect heat (I have seen nothing from impartial sources that says it works so it may just be marketing hype)
Personally I look at a wetsuit as personal gear and would recommend purchasing one that fits correctly before acquiring other items like regulators, BCs, etc.. This is a piece of comfort gear and you will enjoy your dive better in a good suit. I have dove 7mm in the summer. If you go deep enough (up here 30/35 feet in July) you will come across a thermocline or two and glad of the extra insulation. BTW, if you are too hot, many suits can be unzipped a bit

HTH

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

I agree totally agree "rent your 7mm for your check out dive" Then think where you are going to be be doing all your diving and buy a suit that best fits that water temp. You like all other divers will end up having more them one suit. Check out craigslist for used wetsuits.

 

[g1138]

Two choices:
1) Either rent your 7mm unless you're not a stock market size (ie. stock suits flood like crazy on you and never keep you warm).
If it barely fits you, you can always buy a 5mm hooded vest, that usually solves the issues with one piece 7mm that are a sliver too big.

OR

2) Buy a 4/3 mm suit (surf or dive doesn't matter for this) and a 7mm-10mm jacket (either beaver tail or jacket)
If you can I'd get a jacket or beaver tail with an attached hood.
You're legs will be 3mm but your core will be 10-14mm.
As long as your kicking your legs probably won't get too cold.
Get some nice 5mm-10mm booties and you'll be fine.

The real upside I like about this is that your arms will be stuffed with 2 long sleeve neoprenes and pretty much excludes water flow. You'll still get water in the sleeve, but it pretty much stays in there until you exit the water. Then you have a nice hot trickle coming out of your arms.

In addition you'll then have a 4/3 for tropical water usage. This is useful if you get cold during prolonged periods in a pool or underwater.

I am of the belief that if the water is below 75F, dive dry!

You have a really good chance of sweating in 65F waters in a 7mm farmer john, especially if you pee.....I'd say tropical waters have pampered you a bit. ;D