5mm? 7mm? 3mm? Crazy Wool Thing?

[O2BBubbleFree]

IMO you can't get too warm underwater. if you felt uncomfortably warm (never happened to me) you just flush some water through the neck.

With my 7mm john/jacket, I usually end up diving with the jacket partially unzipped...

 

[georoc01]

IMO you can't get too warm underwater. if you felt uncomfortably warm (never happened to me) you just flush some water through the neck. I used to own a wetsuit in pretty much every thickness - 1mm, 3/2mm, 5mm, 7mm. now i do all my diving in a 5mm henderson gold core including in 80+ water. when i need more warmth i add a gold core hooded vest. if that does not do it i wear my drysuit. while i understand the argument to just own a thin wetsuit and go dry for everything else it does not work for me when travelling. the drysuit is just too heavy and bulky to pack and there are plenty of great destinations where a 3mm will not do (Galapagos, Fiji...).

I did my OW certification at the Homestead Crater in Utah. 96 degrees at the platform. No suit and was still very warm. It depends upon the water temp. But most places you are correct.

 

[all4scuba05]

When I started diving I started with a shell drysuit(NexGen). Under that you can wear whatever you feel is necessary for the water temp.

 

[meesier42]

I have a pinnacle Seal (3mm Merino lined) and I dive the exact conditions that you are speaking about. I have found that with this suit I can dive the quarry's (if I stay above the thermocline) and dive NC most of the year with this suit, say 60-80 F water. I have a 7mm Farmer John/Jacket and then some other random gear, but its a rare day that I use them.

 

[Flightlead]

bare has a combo called the arctic. I bought mine from scubatoys after trying a couple of different combinations this last winter. the arctic is a 7mm full jump suit with a back zip that has a tight neck and has mid-calf and mid-forearm baffles to reduce flushing. it comes packaged with a 7mm step in vest with an attached hood. It is around $200 at ST which is a great deal. note: some other places split up the combo and tried to sell me two separate pieces, it comes as a package deal from bare. I dive with both pieces, 5mm gloves, 5mm booties down to the high 40's water temp. below mid 40's its cold even with that suit. it warmer water I can wear it without the hooded vest and just a separate 5mm hood or without as needed. I suppose I could also wear the hooded vest with a 3mm suit, giving me a hooded 10/3 suit. I found this suit the best deal and the best way to keep warm for decent $ until I get a dry suit this xmas.

note: its not the greatest neoprene - the standard stuff that most major vendors use - so it compresses a fair bit at depth. this winter I am buying a dry suit and a custom 5mm suit and hood made from Rubatex which hardly compresses above 100'.