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

[dumpsterDiver]

You can definitely get too warm in a suit. It makes me feel terrible. South Florida can get in the high 80's and the gulf can get warmer still. 5 mm is too much for those temperatures, being way over heated underwater makes me claustrophobic.

Get a 5 mm for winter and then buy a cheap 3 mm shorty for the summer and also a dive skin. A shorty & hood and dive skin is pretty nice when the water is HOT and you can unzip it and pull the hood down if you get over heated.

 

[Jorgy]

We are big fans of the 5 mil Henderson suits - we have older version Titanium Hyperstretch.....

The issue about buoyancy..........

As long s you are properly weighted for the 5 mil, not overweighed then you should have no real difference between a 3 mil and 5 mil.........

Yes you will carry a few more pounds of lead with the 5 mil but it will just offset the extra buoyancy of the 5 mil.............

The trick is not the least weight, but to use the proper amount of weight for the exposure protection you are wearing........

As long as you can hold the safety stop with a near empty tank and no air in your BC (or BP/W......)............you will be fine.......

We love our Henderson suits.........

Hope this helps........M

 

[andrethediver]

You can definitely get too warm in a suit. It makes me feel terrible. South Florida can get in the high 80's and the gulf can get warmer still. 5 mm is too much for those temperatures, being way over heated underwater makes me claustrophobic.

Get a 5 mm for winter and then buy a cheap 3 mm shorty for the summer and also a dive skin. A shorty & hood and dive skin is pretty nice when the water is HOT and you can unzip it and pull the hood down if you get over heated.

Do you mean wear shorty 3mil over the lycra dive skin? Thanks.

 

[TSandM]

After diving Cozumel and Maui in a 5 mil with a 2 mil hooded vest, I don't think I'll ever use my 3 mil suit in open water again. I was never really COLD in the 3 mil, but I'd shiver on the boat. With the heavier suit, I don't, and I realized I was losing more core heat than I thought.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Do you mean wear shorty 3mil over the lycra dive skin? Thanks.

Yes. The skin won't help at all with warmth but using it with a shorty may help you keep stuff from irritating your skin. I always see shorties on sale in Florida for around 25 bucks give or take.

There are so many factors here. Generally though, winter temps in all the destinations you mentioned can be chilly in the upper 60's and mid 70's. That's chilly when drift diving or just puttering around for an hour.

Personally I use a three mil and a dry suit and nothing else. Above 78 or so and I am in a three mil with a hood. Below, the dry suit. If it's hot outside, drink water and put your kit on when you need to and not before. Pour some water over your head or a glass of cold water down your suit.

If you are basically average size or thinner and don't swim like a maniac, then chances are you will be chilled after an hour in the mid 70's in a three mil, especially drift diving. Most are, a few seem to be polar bears.

 

[scuba&golf]

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.

Yes, just pull down on the neck and open it to let water in. It's not all about warmth on the dive that you're doing, but about keeping your core warm throughout the trip. I had no problem with bouyancy, just added a little weight when I wore the hooded vest.

By the way, the water was 77-79F, and at no time was I overly warm. I also wasn't terribly cold on the boat after the dives.

 

[scubadobadoo]

You can definitely get too warm in a suit. It makes me feel terrible. South Florida can get in the high 80's and the gulf can get warmer still. 5 mm is too much for those temperatures, being way over heated underwater makes me claustrophobic.

What dumpster is explaining is also no fun and I have been there as well. Claustrophobic is a good word. Really horrible feeling to have underwater. And he is correct, even for me, 5mm would be too much for water in the high 80's in the summer.

Simply adding a hood and gloves can sometimes make HUGE difference too when using a three mil suit.

It takes some time but you will eventually work out what is best for you. Trial and error.

 

[DanBMW]

Get the 5mm as it is hard to be too warm, but very easy to too cold. Multiple dives in a day will make you wish for more neoprene in so called warm water. Occasionally it is nice to have the thinner suit, but overall, the 5mm will be better for most conditions.

 

[andrethediver]

Thanks, that was exactly what I was trying to understand...

 

[andrethediver]

What dumpster is explaining is also no fun and I have been there as well. Claustrophobic is a good word. Really horrible feeling to have underwater. And he is correct, even for me, 5mm would be too much for water in the high 80's in the summer.

Simply adding a hood and gloves can sometimes make HUGE difference too when using a three mil suit.

It takes some time but you will eventually work out what is best for you. Trial and error.

Thanks, I guess I'll do what someone else suggested - get a 5mil suit and maybe a cheap 3mil shorty if its too warm...