3/2mm vs 3mm

[tdallen]

As I'm getting used to diving and thrashing around a bit less, I also find myself getting a little cold. For warm water diving I typically use rental 3mm shorties, which range from newish to threadbare. For my last trip in a decent wetsuit I consistently was getting cold on the 2nd dive with 74*F bottom temps.

So I think maybe it's time to purchase my own suit. The next step up appears to be a choice of 3/2mm and 3mm full suits. Any thoughts or recommendations on the differences between a 3/2mm and a full 3mm suit?

 

[Stoo]

Getting cold is always very personal, but I can tell you that my last suit was a Bare 3/2. My replacement was a 3mm Pinnacle. There is a significant difference in warmth... whether it's the brand or style I can't say.

The "loss" of flexibility in my limbs wasn't an issue at all.

 

[CT Sean]

I got a 3/2mm Bare Velocity with flatlock stitched seams a couple years ago. it's a nice suit and it works well enough but when I replace it, it will be with a full 3mm with glued seams. I can always let a little water in if i'm a bit warm. i can't do the opposite.

 

[stuartv]

The next step up appears to be a choice of 3/2mm and 3mm full suits. Any thoughts or recommendations on the differences between a 3/2mm and a full 3mm suit?

I am skeptical that it makes any difference whatsoever.

I think what makes MUCH more difference is:

- fit
- stitching
- seals
- lining

The best 3mm with glued-and-blind-stitched seams, seals all around, and a nice lining is not going to be as warm as a crappy 3/2 if the 3mm fits poorly and the 3/2 fits really well. That is possibly a slight exaggeration, to make the point that fit is the most important criteria (in my opinion, anyway).

GBS seams are definitely way better than flatlock stitching.

Some suits have nothing to really seal any of the openings. Some have seals at some of the openings but not all. The best suits have some kind of seal at the ankles and wrists, the neck opening, and something behind the main zipper.

Some suits have no lining. I.e. they're just nylon-covered neoprene on the inside, just like on the outside. Some have a fleece-like lining on the inside. Of those, some have the lining only in the chest or torso. Others have a lining that covers nearly all of the inside of the suit. I'm not sure how much difference the lining makes to warmth but my personal anecdotally-based opinion is that it does help.

I have been diving a ScubaPro EverFlex 3/2 for over 3 years. I have found it to be adequately warm even in 70F water. It has glideskin (aka smoothskin) seals at the wrists and ankles, and the inside of the neck, and has a nice pad behind the main zipper to help seal there, too. It has GBS seams. The newer models have a DiamondSpan lining that covers most of the inside of the suit. I have some boots with the DiamondSpan lining and it does seem to make them extra warm. The current EverFlex 3/2s also have a short zipper at the front of the neck, so you can unzip a bit if you're too warm in the water. If it fits a given person well, I expect it would just as warm as any 3mm suit out there.

I'm not trying to push ScubaPro. I'm just offering an example to illustrate that there ARE good quality, warm 3 or 3/2 suits out there. Other companies make suits that seem to be totally comparable. But, if you want a 3 or 3/2 suit that gives maximum warmth for its thickness, you will pay more.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I got a 3/2mm Bare Velocity with flatlock stitched seams a couple years ago. it's a nice suit and it works well enough but when I replace it, it will be with a full 3mm with glued seams. I can always let a little water in if i'm a bit warm. i can't do the opposite.

Same with me, to the letter: I love my 3/2 Bare Velocity (fits perfectly and the price is good), but 2 mm in portions of the arms and legs is kind of pointless. Next time, a 3 mm.

Then again, I bought the 3/2 when I was a newer diver and was afraid 3mm would be too warm for the tropics and/or feel unnecessarily restrictive. Nowadays, I just as often bring my 5/4 to the tropics. I'm not sure I would even bother with a 3 mm anymore. The older you get, the colder you get.

I'll add that, as far as I know, all neoprene degrades over time due to being repeatedly compressed and decompressed (not to mention having being dried in the sun now and then--tsk tsk). The 2mm portions of my old 3/2 are now probably not much thicker than a sheet of paper.

 

[stuartv]

Same with me, to the letter: I love my 3/2 Bare Velocity (fits perfectly and the price is good), but 2 mm in portions of the arms and legs is kind of pointless. Next time, a 3 mm.

Then again, I bought the 3/2 when I was a newer diver and was afraid 3mm would be too warm for the tropics and/or feel unnecessarily restrictive. Nowadays, I just as often bring my 5/4 to the tropics. I'm not sure I would even bother with a 3 mm anymore. The older you get, the colder you get.

I'll second that. To an extent. If I am really lucky, I will be going to Coz in 2 or 3 weeks. If that happens, I will definitely be taking my 3/2 and not my 5/4. Warm is good. But, in 78 degree water, a 3/2 is PLENTY (for me, of course). And lighter and less bulky in my luggage.

But, if I had to live life with only 2 suits, they would be my 5/4 and my drysuit...

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'll second that. To an extent. If I am really lucky, I will be going to Coz in 2 or 3 weeks. If that happens, I will definitely be taking my 3/2 and not my 5/4. Warm is good. But, in 78 degree water, a 3/2 is PLENTY (for me, of course). And lighter and less bulky in my luggage.

But, if I had to live life with only 2 suits, they would be my 5/4 and my drysuit...

Last couple of times in Coz I brought the 5/4, if for no other reason than a little extra buoyancy to offset the steel 120 I was using. I never felt too warm. The main advantage of a thinner suit is greater mobility; donning a 5mm does take a little more muscle and wriggling than donning a 3/2. My 3/2, especially now that it's a little worn, almost feels like a diveskin. And then there's the weight and bulk savings in luggage, true.

 

[stuartv]

The main advantage of a thinner suit is greater mobility; donning a 5mm does take a little more muscle and wriggling than donning a 3/2.

Funny the different priorities people have. I use some diluted baby shampoo as lube, even in my 3/2. My 7/5 is still a PITA to put on, but I don't really find my 5/4 to be any more difficult to don than my 3/2 (when it's lubed well). But, I feel like I'm more comfortable during a SI in warm weather in my 3/2 versus the 5/4. That and the weight/bulk issues are why I would take my 3/2.

When I go to NC for the Wreck Shark Shootout in June, I'll be driving, so the weight/bulk won't be a factor. Then, I will definitely be using my 5/4. The water will be cooler than Coz. Low 70s versus high 70s. My 3/2 is okay in low 70s, but the extra warmth of the 5/4 is definitely welcome at the end of those dives. My 3/2 probably hasn't gotten as thin as yours yet...