Wetsuit thickness question...

[Capt.JimDavis]

I am looking at a Pinnacle 5mm Elastoprene Merino lined wetsuit... In the product description Pinnacle claims that it is as comfortable as a 3mm regular suit and keeps you warmer than the most 7mm wetsuits do.

Does anybody have any experience with the above wetsuit model?
Thanks in advance guys.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I just got one, but wasn't planning on using it until the water cools off a bit. My co-workers seem to like them. Doubtful that it's as easy as a 3mm to get into, sure it's warmer than my 5mm Aquaflex summer suit

 

[Doc Harry]

I've heard a lot of good things about them from my friends, although I've never had one myself. If I need 7mm I'm in a dry suit.

 

[openhelix]

It's a good suit but I've never found much use for a 5mm. For warm water diving a 3mm is standard and in cold water you usually want a 7mm (or 7mil +vest/hood + gloves...) What temps are you planning on diving? mid-40s through high 60s I'd say 7mm, warmer than that 3mm. Colder than that, dive dry.

Are you in NorCal or SoCal? I know the coastal waters (and temps) fairly well. If you're planning to dive locally you'll need something completely different than if you're planning to dive Maldives, for example.

 

[Capt.JimDavis]

I am in SoCal. Catalina Island and 90 % of my dives will be local and less than 60 ft in depths.

10% of my diving will be between 60F - 65F

90% of my diving will be between 65F - 75F

I need the warmth of the 7 mil which this one seems to provide and the buoyancy of under 7 mil so I can minimize the weight of my belt. That's why this 5 mil seemed like a good idea and the best of the both worlds. But I may be wrong.

 

[ligersandtions]

I am in SoCal. Catalina Island and 90 % of my dives will be local and less than 60 ft in depths.

10% of my diving will be between 60F - 65F

90% of my diving will be between 65F - 75F

I need the warmth of the 7 mil which this one seems to provide and the buoyancy of under 7 mil so I can minimize the weight of my belt. That's why this 5 mil seemed like a good idea and the best of the both worlds. But I may be wrong.

I admit that I don't dive Catalina that often, but those temperatures do not sound right at all....if you're going to be diving year round and/or deeper than 10 feet, you need exposure protection that will keep you comfortable down to mid to low 50's (I've seen 49F in socal a couple times even).

If you want to be comfortable year round, doing multiple dives a day, your best bet is a drysuit....a lot of people in socal seem to reject the idea of a drysuit (and I cannot figure out why), but it certainly makes diving far more enjoyable.

If you're particularly set on a wetsuit, I believe the warmest suits are the farmer johns with integrated hoods....no zippers. You get double the thickness around the core and nowhere to let water come dumping in.

 

[Blackwood]

I was in Catalina a couple weeks ago, and it was about 63° (I'll be generous and call it 65°).

I was perfectly content in a 7mm wetsuit with a 2/3 hooded vest.

 

[rstofer]

I have been using the AquaLung SolaFX 7/8mm semidry wetsuit at Monterey. In water temps around 50 deg F, it works quite well. A couple of weeks ago the water was up to 62 deg F and it was too much. The thing really does stay pretty dry and with no water circulating, I was burning up.

We were all starting to talk about getting 5mm suits for the summer months.

I have about $3000 reasons why I am not thinking about a drysuit. That, and I supply the funding for 4 divers.

Richard

 

[ruready7]

I dont have the Elastoprene suit but I have a Pinnacle 5/4mm Fusion with the Merino lining. I have been warm in water in the 5/4mm while others were warm in 7mm. I have since switched to a drysuit for colder water.

 

[ligersandtions]

I was in Catalina a couple weeks ago, and it was about 63° (I'll be generous and call it 65°).

I was perfectly content in a 7mm wetsuit with a 2/3 hooded vest.

You went out in a wetsuit again??? What is getting into you?