1mm wet suits?

[dpspaceman]

I've been diving with a 4/3 through winter and summer here at home. Great wetsuit, have never felt 1oz of cold diving from blue heron to spiegel grove in the keys. I was wondering if now that water is warming up, a 1mm would be too cold? full body. trying to lose some of the weight I usually carry (12-14 lbs, weigh 145) and the wetsuit takes a bit of work to put on.

 

[jimw]

I use a 1mm equivalent polyolefin cloth suit in warmer weather and water. Henderson makes one now, but all of mine are Aeroskin of California. Since it's cloth, basically a thick diveskin; there is no additional lead needed to sink it. My wife has one of the newer Henderson suits and likes it. When it gets colder, I add some Lavacore garments--again no additional weight needed..........

 

[sportxlh]

It's all personal preference. I have a friend that moved to Denver, but when he lived here and dove regularly, he wore a .5MM (half of 1MM) and felt fine. The minimum I wear is a 3MM but I get cold easy. I saw people wearing 3MM shorties this winter in Jupiter.

Steel tanks make it much easier to get down. I carry a pony bottle and along with my steel tank, need no weights when I wear a 3MM wetsuit with a 2MM vest and I'm quite a bit heavier than you.

 

[djtimmy77]

I use a dive skin and hooded vest all summer, for exposure protection. Also much easier to get on and off and SI's on a hot day are much more palatable. (just take the vest off and then still have sun protection.

During the winter (and summer tech dives) I add a 5mm full suit, which requires 10lb of lead to sink! haha

 

[reefman]

It's all personal preference. I have a friend that moved to Denver, but when he lived here and dove regularly, he wore a .5MM (half of 1MM) and felt fine. The minimum I wear is a 3MM but I get cold easy. I saw people wearing 3MM shorties this winter in Jupiter.

Steel tanks make it much easier to get down. I carry a pony bottle and along with my steel tank, need no weights when I wear a 3MM wetsuit with a 2MM vest and I'm quite a bit heavier than you.

agree on the personal preference and the HP steel tanks. wore a 5MM full suit with a somewhat worn 3/5 hooded vest and was comfortable today on two 100+ minute dives, water temp 80F and only 2LBS of lead. the minimum I wear is a 3MM full suit as well(zero lead) , usually by early june. I also chill easily and would rather be a tad on the warm side than cold,,,,,i also highly recommend the Henderson thermaxx wetsuits, not cheap but worth every penny if you dive often, super easy to take off and on,,,,

reefman
key largo

 

[scubadada]

I'm with reefman, I prefer being on the warm side. I dive Boynton Beach and Jupiter year round. Drift dives can be on the colder side when you're not doing much work, particularly if you're doing up to 4 a day. I have a 3mm, a 5mm, and a 7mm full wetsuit and wear them all with or without a 5/3mm hooded vest to fit the water temps. I was diving the 7mm at he end of January and the beginning of March when it was in the low 70s. By summer, I'm wearing the 3mm, the lightest I go.