Rules of thumb for comfort at various water temps??

[Scott]

I only own 3 suits so I make due with what I have.

This is taking into account multiple dives

Above 88 rash gaurd and swim trunks
80's .5mm full
75 up 3mm full. Maybe add the .5mm 3-5 mm hood reef gloves
60 up dry suit with 200 gram garment 5mm hood 3mm glove
40 up dry suit with 300 gram garment 7mm hood dry glove
Anything requiring both garments and I stay home.

 

[faster7581]

I thought a shorty would be fine for 70-75 degrees, Guess that is not the case. I do have a full 3mm setup that has a 3mm top that over laps to give me 6mm on my core, and 3mm everywhere else.

Highflier

that set up should be pretty good. thats about what i wear in the gulf at those temps, I do also have a 5/3mm hood/chest i wear with it. keeps me toasty for 2-3 dives.. and i'm a www too

 

[Hank49]

83-84, full 1.5 mm with hood
80-82, two piece 1.5 with chest high pants, hood
77-79, full 3.5 mm with 2 mm hooded vest underneath.
below 76....are you kidding me? People dive in water that cold?

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I follow a schedule/rule of thumb very much like eponym, with a few variations. Gloves go on only below 70 degrees f. and a hood goes on at the same temperature. In water 75 degrees and above we follow an informal custom of doing the last dive of the trip in swimwear and a rash guard only. I also think the comment on surface sunlight and air temperature is important to factor in when selecting exposure suits for a dive outing, especially in water cooler than 70 degrees. Over the years I have acquired quite a line up of exposure suits, but the most versatile single set up is a 5 mil full wetsuit with a separate 2 or 3 mil hooded sleeveless vest. Using or not using the vest expands the comfort range of that set up from 60 degrees to the low 80's.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Doc Harry]

>90 degrees -- T-shirt
85-90 degrees -- Shorty 3mm
80-85 degrees -- 3mm wetsuit with hood
75-80 -- 3mm wetsuit if it's not raining, drysuit if it is raining
<75 degrees -- drysuit

 

[highflier]

Crap.... I want to try out my new gear so bad... but...
NDBC - Station LONF1

Brrrrrr.....

Oh and wife just has a 3mm shorty

Highflier

 

[TracysaCADiver]

---SNIP---

I thought a shorty would be fine for 70-75 degrees, Guess that is not the case. I do have a full 3mm setup that has a 3mm top that over laps to give me 6mm on my core, and 3mm everywhere else.

Unfortunately, I have to say I do not have much bio-prene. 6'3" 180 LB

Highflier

Highfligher - I am about the same build as you - not much "bioprene," as Jax calls it, but also I would think that it also has to do with your metabolism. I'm 6'4", 195 or so (give or take a few lbs), and I've been in a low 70's water with my 3/2 shorty on and all was good. Like the others have said, It's all a matter of preference. Also, I've been in a 40 degree water as well with a full 7m suit, hood and gloves, and it was a little chilly in the beginning, but it warmed up really well.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

40s - mid-70s (°F): drysuit + hood + drygloves
70s: full 7mm wetsuit + hood + wet gloves
80s: full 3mm wetsuit +/- hood or hooded vest +/- wet gloves

Even in the summer, at depth our local water here in SoCal ranges from the mid-50s to the low-60s. That's why I end up diving dry year-round.
On warm water dive trips, I like diving in a wetsuit.

I don't have much bioprene at all. I also spend a significant amount of time hovering on most dives, so I'm more susceptible to getting cold than others might be.

Exposure protection is a personal preference thing, though. Take what others say with a grain of salt. Wear what is most comfortable for you.

Something else to keep in mind is that, with use, most wetsuit neoprene loses some of its insulating capacity. For example, a brand new 5mm wetsuit might keep you warmer than an old 7mm wetsuit. You might also have to wear more lead to be properly weighted with the new 5mm (vs. the old 7mm).

 

[Imla]

simple question...
Summer - 2 layers of merino wool 200g undergarment and 7mm hood
Winter - 2 layers of merino wool and 7mm hood.. and of course a super hi-loft undergarment.

All this under my shellsuit.

(Oh... is it possible to dive without a drysuit??)

Now.. it should be said.. the highest temperature I have logged is 52F (The lowest being 33...)

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I will add one comment about: hoods....


A diver will generally try to wear the least amount of bouyant wetsuit that is necessary for the dive. The more wetsuit you wear, the more lead you need, the more buoyancy change you will experience and more restricted the diver will be. Most people will agree with this premise, although people with big steel tank may NEED more wetsuit..

When thermal protection is a consideration, keeping your head warm is of the utmost importance, since it is poorly insulated with fat, the neck blood vessels are close to the skin surface and it is necessary to keep your brain from cooling to any significant degree.

For these two reasons, it makes sense to wear a hood on most any dive. It is more efficient to put on a hood that might have 1 lb of bouyancy than a thicker jacket that adds 4-5 lbs. I could probably dive without a hood in maybe 65 degree water, but anything below 82, I am generally wearing a hood. I hear many people complain that a hood is restrictive, uncomfortable and blocks their hearing.

Can't do much about the hearing, but if people would choose 2-3 mm hoods that are somewhat loosely fittiing, I think they would find them reasonably comfortable and provide more than enough thermal protection and worth using in cool waters... maybe 68-80 degrees.... Colder than that, you probably really do need a really well fitting and thicker hood.

I like a hood also because it protects from stinging stuff, banging my head, trigger fish and sunburn.

Another issue that most cool water surfers know about, but I rarely "hear" discussed by divers is the following malady, which a hood almost defintely helps.

Surfer's ear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia