3mm Alternatives (layering)?

[kommisarrex]

My local diving has been shorts and a thin rash guard. I'm heading on a liveaboard trip a location where I'll need a 3mm full suit. I have been debating between just buying a 3mm to have for the trip and occasional dives locally (but not a ton) or getting some kind of layering that can give me some flexibility locally. I have basically no desire to dive where I need anything thicker than a 3mm-I just hate the restriction and I can get away with no weights in shorts and lycra rashguard.

So, I figured some kind of dive skin or lavacore-type pants/shirt coupled with a 2mm hooded vest (or 2mms shorty) might give close to the same thermal protection as a 3mm full and give me some options for even warmer water and keep my whole body covered without impacting buoyancy too much. Am I off base in this? Anyone use light layering in tropical conditions?

 

[kgilb]

I would find one of the newer flexible 3mm wetsuits. I have found layering is usually insufficient and you will probably end up spending more trying to buy lycra/lavacore/2mm wetsuit than you would a proper 3mm and would end up with more hassle & worse thermal protection.

If your local diving allows shorts and a rash guard then I would just bite the bullet and get a 3mm to have when you need more thermal protection.

Edit: If you keep at this sport long enough, you'll end up with all sorts of wetsuits from shorty to 3mm and 5mm. If they recommend a 3mm for the trip then go for it!

 

[Dan]

Layering is the way to go on liveaboard diving. After 3 days of 4x/day of a 7-12 day liveaboard diving in 78-84F water in Indonesia (Raja Ampat & Komodo) with 3mm full wetsuit that hardly got dry overnight, I get cold & start to layer up (either putting the 3mm wet-wetsuit over Lycra or putting 2mm shorty over the 3mm wet wetsuit for the remaining 4-8 days of the diving trips. Similarly in colder water of Galápagos (61-72F), I started with 5mm wetsuit & hood for the 1st 3 days & ended up layering over with 2mm shorty to make a 7mm wetsuit over the main body core, upper arm & thigh, just enough to keep myself warm without getting to stiff to move around for the remaining of 4 days of diving.

I carry Lycra, 3mm full wetsuit & 2mm shorty to go liveaboard diving in > 78F water. For colder water (60-78F), I carry 5mm full wetsuit + 2mm shorty & hood. Never have any desire to go diving in water below 60F, so I don't have (need) 7mm wetsuit or drysuit or semi-drysuit.

 

[kommisarrex]

Thanks. Sounds like I may just get a cheap(er) full 3mm and a 2mm hooded vest in case I get cold (or if it's warm enough for just that).

 

[Hank49]

Yazbeck Carbone Wetsuits » Yazbeck

A two piece 2 mm with a full farmer john bottom and a hood gives you some flexibility. A vest over the farmer john. Leave the hood off. A 2 mm vest over the top of that.

Yazbecks aren't cheap per unit. But they outlast anything I've ever used by almost double. Well made.

 

[stuartv]

Yazbeck Carbone Wetsuits » Yazbeck

A two piece 2 mm with a full farmer john bottom and a hood gives you some flexibility. A vest over the farmer john. Leave the hood off. A 2 mm vest over the top of that.

Yazbecks aren't cheap per unit. But they outlast anything I've ever used by almost double. Well made.

That looks like a freediving suit. If considering those, I would also have a look at the Mako suits:

Wetsuits | MAKO Spearguns

They are supposed to be really warm, because they seal so well. And they are certainly fairly low priced.

 

[kommisarrex]

I like those Mako suits, but don't think I can pull off the camo wetsuit look and the two-piece black 3mm means it's effectively a 6/3, right?

 

[stuartv]

I like those Mako suits, but don't think I can pull off the camo wetsuit look and the two-piece black 3mm means it's effectively a 6/3, right?

I think that's right. @MAKO Spearguns can answer best. But, it looks like the black one would only overlap around your stomach area...

I also don't understand why the black one is so much more expensive than the camo ones. Maybe Dano will give us a clue on that, too.

Personally, I have not done a liveaboard, but if I were planning to do that much diving in that short a time, I would plan to start in the warmest gear I could that wouldn't be so warm as to be uncomfortable. You didn't say what temps you'll actually be diving in. I dive my 3/2 full suit down to about 70 degrees, if I'm just diving 4 dives over 2 days (i.e. weekend charter for me). If I were doing a week in the same temps, I would at least start in my 5/4mm. Whatever you start in, it's only going to get colder. I would rather be almost, but not quite too warm on the first day, to try and avoid ever feeling chilly, even on the last day.

As for using only Lavacore or similar, I have been in the pool in only my Lavacore. Mine is tight on me and it still balloons out too much for my liking if I don't have a wetsuit on over it.

Based on what you said and without additional info, I'd would think a good 3mm or 3/2 would be a good investment for you. If you get a quality suit that fits you well, you might find that you really don't mind wearing it at all. And being quality and fitting well doesn't necessarily mean expensive. My wetsuits are all ScubaPro EverFlex. They are good quality and they fit me really well and the most I paid was for the 7/5mm, at $200. The 3/2 was $160 (buying New Old Stock).

 

[kommisarrex]

Should have mentioned water temps. 26-28 celsius, which the internet tells me is about 78-82 Fahrenheit.

 

[stuartv]

It's hard to imagine anyone being TOO warm in 28C water in a 3mm or 3/2. Warm, for sure, but not too warm, I wouldn't think. I would definitely just go for a good 3 or 3/2. With those temps, I probably would not use anything else all week, but I know there are others with a lot less natural insulation than I have that might still want more - at least by the end of the week.