3mm vs 5mm suit - which is more versatile for tropics/FL?

[andrethediver]

I am on the fence selecting between a 3mm and 5mm Henderson H2 full suit - the price difference is not that great and I am trying to get the most versatile suit. I dive primarily in the tropics - Cozumel but I also have plans for the Red sea, Florida and NC. I realize that not one suit is going to be perfect for all conditions and you can get a core warmer for a thinner suit and all that. All things considered - is 5mm a good choice for multiple days/multiple dives or is it simply going to be too warm during the summer/fall? Thanks.

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

5mm will not be too warm , 3mm may get too chilly . I am sold on 5mm for tropics

 

[elan]

I am on the fence selecting between a 3mm and 5mm Henderson H2 full suit - the price difference is not that great and I am trying to get the most versatile suit. I dive primarily in the tropics - Cozumel but I also have plans for the Red sea, Florida and NC. I realize that not one suit is going to be perfect for all conditions and you can get a core warmer for a thinner suit and all that. All things considered - is 5mm a good choice for multiple days/multiple dives or is it simply going to be too warm during the summer/fall? Thanks.

You will not be too warm underwater. I can dive a dry suit with the same undergarments I use in 40F water and I do not get overheated

The main concern here would probably be buoyancy

 

[andrethediver]

You will not be too warm underwater. I can dive a dry suit with the same undergarments I use in 40F water and I do not get overheated

The main concern here would probably be buoyancy

True - last fall in Cozumel I needed like 13lbs wearing nothing but a thin skin...Is there a big difference between 3 and 5mm in that respect? Thanks.

 

[Wildbill]

Everyone gets chilled at different rates. So you just have to experiment and see. I would rent a 3mm and 5mm to see what meets your needs. Here in FL I personally use a 3mm full for most the time and will put on a 2mm shorty for a 5mm core when I dive in the FL springs at 70 degree water and I'm fine. BUT, then again that's ME....... you will have different cold tolerances

 

[scubadobadoo]

I also suggest the 5mil. Remember, Fl in the winter can get into the 60's even in the south. Cozumel lazy drifting can get very chilly in the mid 70's in the winter. You can always find a very cheap shorty for those nasty warm summer days when the water approaches the upper 80's.

 

[scuba&golf]

I dove in Cozumel in January with a 5mm, and if doing 4 dives a day added a 3/5 hooded vest and was never overheated. In fact, I was comfortable the entire time. I'd rather be a little warm than cold.

 

[Damselfish]

You gave the answer yourself, no suit is perfect for all conditions. Seriously, think about multiple suits and/or layers. When you start to talk about going on a number of trips, the wetsuit is such a small part of the cost it's worth being comfortable. Being warm enough is only one part of comfort. Not boiling on the surface is another. And I'd argue being able to use a thinner suit and less weight when it's all you really need is also more comfortable. Not having to pack a much bulkier suit than you really need is also a win given more and more baggage restrictions.

But this is a question no one else can answer for you, we don't know how easily you get cold, and you don't give your location (people from colder climates usually find they need less wetsuit for the same conditions than someone who lives someplace warm all year.)

 

[andrethediver]

I dove in Cozumel in January with a 5mm, and if doing 4 dives a day added a 3/5 hooded vest and was never overheated. In fact, I was comfortable the entire time. I'd rather be a little warm than cold.

So do you just flush the suit with water when you fell you're getting overheated? Does this really help? I was in the full body skin the last time in Cozumel even though I had a 5 mil Thermoprene suit with me - the water was 82F the whole time...Should have used it for cenotes - I froze my a.. off in a rented 3mil...Is bouyancy a problem for you? Thanks.

 

[andrethediver]

You gave the answer yourself, no suit is perfect for all conditions. Seriously, think about multiple suits and/or layers. When you start to talk about going on a number of trips, the wetsuit is such a small part of the cost it's worth being comfortable. Being warm enough is only one part of comfort. Not boiling on the surface is another. And I'd argue being able to use a thinner suit and less weight when it's all you really need is also more comfortable. Not having to pack a much bulkier suit than you really need is also a win given more and more baggage restrictions.

I know what you mean but I figured since I am spending much more than I did on that 5 mil Thermoprene suit (which I have since returned back to my LDS unused) does it make sense to get a 3 mil or a 5 mil for a little more... I guess with multiple layers - core warmer or anything else I am worried about trading off the stretchability of the setup (especially when we're talking about new generation of Henderson hyperstretch)... Thanks.