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I seem to have a higher cold tolerance than many folks (bioprene, sigh), but I'm starting to change my mind about diving with any exposed skin. A bit of surge helped me to lightly brush some (fire?)coral with the back of my hand last week, and the nasty big red bumps still itch like crazy. OK, maybe I was too close for the conditions, but I barely brushed it... I don't want to think about a week with itchy red welts all over my bare legs. I'm thinking about adding a full leg rash guard and very thin gloves for warm-water dives.Every time I see people on the boats here in my locale diving in shorts / exposed skin they always surface with either stings or cuts
To further make the point, I use the standard shorty for our pool classes--that is about 2+ hours in 68F water, then a hot shower with the students, then another 2 hrs. I thought I was the KING of cold. One instructor I assisted used only bathing suit and didn't in my recollection even come out of the water the whole 5 hours. Hats off to him.OP--I hope you got the point that RJP made. There is NO correct answer to your question because every body is different.
I recently did 12 dives in New Calidonia. thermal protection was teeshirt/shorts for dive 1 and sharkskin/shorts dive 2
Yet every diver around me had 5mm suit -some even had a hood.
Im no superman but it shows the point.
To further make the point, I use the standard shorty for our pool classes--that is about 2+ hours in 68F water, then a hot shower with the students, then another 2 hrs. I thought I was the KING of cold. One instructor I assisted used only bathing suit and didn't in my recollection even come out of the water the whole 5 hours. Hats off to him.