3/2 or 5/4 wetsuit for 75 degree water

[dvleemin]

Hi,
We're heading to Tenerife for 2+ weeks in July. The water temp is around 75 degrees. Currently all we own are dry suits and 3 mil shorties so we're going to buy new suits. What I'm not sure about is if I should get a 3/2 or 5/4 suit. We're looking at either of those from Bare (the velocity's).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Darryl

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I'd go with the 5/4.

I was just in Dominican Republic for a couple of weeks. I was diving a 1mm suit and felt fine the first few days. Eventually I had to add a 5mm jacket because I started to get cold, especially on the second or third dive of the day. That happened even though I dive in Maine in the winter in wet suits.

Most of the dive masters and instructors there were diving 5 or 7mm suits, plus skins.

The other possibility would be getting 2mm suits and then jackets you could add later in the week when the water stops feeling warm. That would give you more flexibility, and cost about the same as a regular 5mm suit.

Jeff

 

[Rick Inman]

I'd go 4/5. I just returned from Hawaii's 79 degree water. I dived a 2/3 with a hooded vest, 7mm booties and gloves and I was just warm enough.

 

[mike_s]

Our local quarry gets up to 76 in the warmth of the summer and I'll wear a 3mm full in it and usually I'm ok, but I get a little chilled by the end of the dive.

So seeing how thats similar in temps (with no thermocline then), then I'd go with the others suggestions and go with the 5/4mm for those water temps.

 

[texdiveguy]

I own BARE and they are great!!! Go the 5/4 suit.

 

[djanni]

75 degrees... I would recommend the 5/4.

Just a caution.......... My wife and I both have Bare Velocity's (5/4) and I would say they tend to run toward the small side. I also have a SeaQuest 3/2 and an O'Neill 2mm shorty. All three are size "Large." The Bare is really tight. Of course the 5/4 doesn't stretch as much as the others do. It is toasty and otherwise, I like it.

 

[nescubasteve]

Just returned from Maui. Despite Rick's previous post, my computer had temp of 74 and 75 degrees (maybe the water around Oahu or the big island is a little warmer?). Anyway, I dove seven straight days and didn't get chilled at all in my 5/4.

Steve

 

[Charlie99]

Just returned from Maui. Despite Rick's previous post, my computer had temp of 74 and 75 degrees

I just returned from Hawaii's 79 degree water.

My computer read 76F both at surface and at depth during today's dives at Molokini, off of Maui. That also agrees with my favorite Dive Conditions Forecast webpage.

Lot of divers, particularly new divers are happy with just a 3/2 in 75F. I don't move much, have low SAC, and tend to longer than normal dives. I change from 3/2 to 5mm full around 78F. In both cases, I wear a beanie, which helps a lot.

The downside to a thicker wetsuit is more lead, and more buoyancy change with depth. New divers thrash around more and don't get as cold, and they have shorter dives, and a thinner suit makes buoyancy control easier. So generally newer divers should go for the thinner wetsuit, more experienced divers for the thicker.

 

[Cacia]

Charlie, are we a degree or two cooler over here on Oahu? I'd say we are running
74-75F.

I think we might have talked about this before....

I'd say 5 mm, I wear 3mm on the first dive and a dry 5mm on the second dive. both with hood, vest. I think Henderson may compress more than other brands.

 

[Charlie99]

Charlie, are we a degree or two cooler over here on Oahu? I'd say we are running
74-75F.

Temp measurements of dive computers are notoriously inaccurate.

Usually when looking at sea surface temperature maps, Oahu and Kauai are a degree or so colder than Maui. Right now they are running pretty close:
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/him.html They show 75F both Maui and Oahu.

The water around Molokini and S. Maui is pretty well stirred up, so there isn't any shallow thermocline like you will find in lots of areas back on the mainland. So satellite and buoy sea surface temps are reasonably good indicators of what you are going to see when diving.