water temps and correct exposure protection for end of September

[gianster]

Doing bde in 2weeks end of September and trying to decide on wetsuit configuration. Anyone know the current water temp? Is it windy topside? The op would only tell me the normal average that's on the website so trying to get actual numbers. I get cold easy.
Thank you in advance.

 

[moorish8idol]

BDE is hot hot hot this year (a bit warmer than usual) - and all the bleached coral is evidence of this. Was just there and water temps were about 30 degrees up top, only a few degrees cooler down at 40 m. I think the coldest I encountered was about 27 degrees below the thermocline and then moving back up on ascent it was positively steamy. Topside it was nearly 40 degrees every day - Daedalus was pretty calm but Brothers was chopping and windy - as per the guides there, "it is ALWAYS windy at Brothers" so I emerged from Dives 3 and 4 there a bit chilled but after a few minutes in the sun was fine. I run very very cold and was generally extremely comfortable in my 3 mm full-suit (with hood). Hopefully people can give you a better idea closer to your departure but I would bank on a few degrees warmer than the "average" seasonal temps this year. You are probably good with a 3 mm still.

 

[Sunn]

5mm wetsuit should be a maximum, considering 3 long dives / day... and must be with a possibility to open it because it will be much too warm outside water...

Just take a sweatshirt or polar for the night, just in case...

Wind is now 40 km/h and air temp 27°c (it's now 7 am), waves +/- 1.5m. Water at 29°c....

edit : prev for next week : constant temp +/- 29°c (in the shadow) and constant wind NE +/- 30 km/h

 

[outofofficebrb]

What boat are you on?

I’m on flight over now and will be diving Hurghada a few days before and then am also doing 2 weeks back to back, ZRD and BDE, starting on the 20th.

I’m a bit committed now as my wetsuit is in my luggage below. Looking at Port Ghalib, they are at 29C/84F. I have dived with a 5mm in many warmwater locations (Indo, Philippines) and the expected temps are within the window of other places I’d be wearing it at, especially if thermoclines are 27. Though, it’s probably more of a 4mm by now. I tend to run colder than most people and have yet to feel hot in a wetsuit on a dive. With so many consecutive days diving, I’d err on the side of warmer. Some other folks might just be in a skin!

 

[gianster]

Thanks everyone. We are on the Blue Horizon booked with Blue O Two and now the boat apparently owned by the Master fleet as the Red Sea Master. I'll probably bring my whole wetsuit arsenal just in case.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@gianster I’m in Hurghada now and have been diving the last 2 days. We dive one more day tomorrow then head down to Marsa Alam to get on a liveaboard for 2 weeks. The water temperatures have been a consistent 79-80F on all the day trip dives.