Hawaii winter exposure

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Ready4Launch

Contributor
Messages
221
Reaction score
56
Location
United States
# of dives
200 - 499
What are winter water temps? Most concerned with Oahu diving. What is everyone wearing? I'm arriving to Oahu on Thursday for 4 weeks. I'd prefer to NOT bring my 7mm suit.

I've been diving in Hawaii in November previously, and I cannot for the life of me remember what I was wearing. Also not sure if January temps will be a dip below early November temps too.

Thanks!
 
Just got back from Big Island and a 5mm worked great for the Kailua-Kona area. Temps showing around 78F.
 
77 degrees off Lahaina, Maui. I was in 3/4 mm, my daughter in 3 mm. Other divers were in shorties or t shirt and shorts. But no currents and our dive was single tank, shore dive.
 
Simply put - when in comes to exposure protection you'll never go wrong with a little extra. Here on Kauai rental suits are commonly 5mm year round. To be fair, a rental 5mm will often be more compressed and not as warm as a personal 5mm as it will be a little compressed. There are numerous factors that determine what the best suit is for any given diver. Newer divers tend to move considerably more underwater and use more energy which will lead to more warmth. Experienced divers who move very little (and slower) underwater create less body heat and tend to get cold quicker. If a given diver typically does 35-45 minute dives - this is considerably different (at least potentially) than a diver underwater for an hour on 2-3 dives in a day. Another factor is the location(s) of experience diving. If you have been diving in the Caribbean or south pacific, the cooler subtropical Hawaiian waters are certainly cooler. Temps here will drop to the low 70's in the winter months. A great suggestion for anyone concerned with staying warm is the addition of a lava core or sharkskin to your diving equipment. These thin fleece lined layers are easy to travel with and add considerable warmth without bulk. They also don't compress and will be good for years. For surface intervals it is also a great idea to bring a windbreaker or a hooded sweatshirt for in between dives. Many forget just how important it is to stay warm in between their dives.

Kauai is a degree or two cooler than diving Big Isle as well during winter months.

Good luck planning and stay warm.
A
 
What are winter water temps? Most concerned with Oahu diving. What is everyone wearing? I'm arriving to Oahu on Thursday for 4 weeks. I'd prefer to NOT bring my 7mm suit.

I've been diving in Hawaii in November previously, and I cannot for the life of me remember what I was wearing. Also not sure if January temps will be a dip below early November temps too.

Thanks!
better to have and not need than to need and not have.....water is going to be cold....I expect it to remain so until late march, hopefully.....
 
A 5 mil suit has always worked well for me in Hawaii. I've never worried about wearing a hood. I usually take my long dive coat to wear between dives. I've seen some dive guides wear board shorts and t-shirts while some of the guides are wearing 7/8 mil semi-dry suits.

-AZTinman
 
I've seen some dive guides wear board shorts and t-shirts while some of the guides are wearing 7/8 mil semi-dry suits.

-AZTinman

Yep - saw the same this weekend gone by. 1 DM in boardshorts and a rash guard. Another with a different outfit was wearing a semi-dry.
 
The coldest I see in Oahu is 73 but 75 is more typical for winter months. We have no real thermoclines here, so top to bottom is the same temp. I always dive in shorts and a rash guard. Most of our guests are comfortable in a 3mm and pros dive in everything up to and including dry suits. Really it depends on your tolerance, but if you are used to cold water, your 7mm will be a bit over kill here.
 
I've found a 3mm full suit and a beanie to be quite adequate in Jan-Feb diving in Hawaii.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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