1mm or 3mm for Thailand/Indonesia/Philippines in winter?

[chillyinCanada]

Take the 3mm and a beanie. If you get cold put on the beanie.

I've been diving in SE Asia for the past number of winters and normally my 3mm is enough but in Bali, I not only had to layer underneath with a Sharkskin but my beanie wasn't enough. Fortunately, I had my 3mm bibbed hood along.

In North Sulawesi, I've generally been comfortable in my 3mm and adding the beanie on multi-dives.

Thailand, for me was in the Gulf but in October and I was comfortable in my 3mm, no beanie.

 

[Centrals]

Keep in mind that winter depends on which side of the equator you're on.

Indonesia is sitting on both sides of the equator.
The actual distance from the equator does make it different. There is NO winter in Darwin but you can going skiing in NSW at this time of the yr.

 

[D_Fresh]

I live here in southern Manila and dive year round. I use a 3mm full all year long. If I'm diving really deep in the thermoclines, I can add my 2mm hoodies vest, but I don't use it very often.

 

[Lriemann]

Thank you all for the input!

 

[vovanx]

I'd recommend not less than 3mm, or even better 5mm
The temperatures can be VERY different even at the same area, for example I've just returned from the trip to Indonesia, Bali: near Candidasa temperature was 22°C, near Amed: 25°C, near Tulamben: 30°C, and these cities are within 30km to each other. And e.g. in Thailand, Phuket it could be 30°C at the surface and 24°C at 40m depth.

 

[eelnoraa]

It is really personal cold tolorance dependent. My recommendation if if you are doing a lot of dives in consecutive days, maybe night dives, then no less than 3mm.

 

[Schwob]

4 Data points:
I dove a 2mm (Mako) in December / January in the Bohol & S. Leyte area. I am on the end of the people spectrum with more than wanted natural insulation (well, for me that is). I would have wanted no less than that 2mm on 3 dives a day days and augmented with a hood at night. A 3mm and hood or beany for in case would have been just fine for me. A 1mm would have been too chilly. I was not cold enough to bother with augmenting with a 3mm hooded vest and work out my finely dialed in trim again, but on very cloudy days (with less warming up between dives, that would have made sense.
My son, a skinny young man was quite cold at times in his 2mm. My daughter, a young and trim woman, was fine in her 3mm. So was my wife, but she also only dove 2 dives a day, if that.
Water temperature was 79 +/- 1 deg. F. (26 deg. C).

 

[outofofficebrb]

I would do a 3mm and would even consider a 5mm. I haven’t ever been too hot on a dive in SEA but I imagine if that does happen, you can flood your wetsuit purposefully to help.