5mm or 7mm?

[wjknobles]

my .02

during the course of the year I dive in temps ranging from 55F up to the 80's. All I have needed so far is a 3mm Waterproof Capri for the warmer water ... and for cold water I have a 5mm Waterproof Lynx. I always wear a hood. For the colder end of things I have a hooded vest on under the Waterproof and I am toasty warm.

When you look at wetsuits you have to think about how they keep you warm. The insulation in wetsuits comes from gas bubbles within the neoprene. Many stretchy suits have larger cell neoprene, so the bubbles compress considerably as you go deeper. A great example is the Henderson Hyperstretch suits. They are extremely comfortable, but by the time you get to below 80' they have compressed to about the thickness of a dive skin.

The Waterproof suits on the other hand are made from a small cell neoprene. While this neoprene is not as stretchy, the cut of the suit makes it very comfortable. I have never noticed much, if any, noticeable compression in my Waterproof suits even on dives where my max. depth has been nearing 200'.

Check them out Waterproof International AB

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

 

[fishyangel]

wjknobles, thanks for the recommendation. That makes a lot of sense about the neoprene cells. I am indeed tall and skinny so I'm glad to hear my coldness is in line with other women with my body type. I usually have great circulation and warm hands and feet, so this was a bit of a surprise. I think I'll start by adding a vest/hood combo for the Caribbean and then maybe get a 5mm to try diving on the East Coast. Luckily, we've got half a dozen shops here in the city, so I should be able to try on lots of brands. I already need assistance getting my 1.5mm undershirt on and off, so I may end up with an experience to contribute to that thread in the Near Misses forum.

 

[MJG2112]

Just want to thank everyone in the thread for their thoughts -- I was just about to ask a similar question and I'm glad I looked around first and found this! I've been diving this week in Cozumel and did the first two days in a 3mm shortie -- brrr. I'm 5'10", 150lbs soaking wet (hah) so not much "bioprene". Today they had me wear an additional 3mm wet suit over the first, and I only got a little cold at the end of the second tank dive. These were also long dives, though, 60m down times first and second both.

I don't own my own but I think on the basis of this thread, the way to go is a 5mm (I plan on doing mostly warm water diving) and then to be prepared to add a vest or hood or underlayer if the 5mm isn't enough, or if diving in colder water.

 

[spt29970]

One thing which people often fail to consider is the fit of the suit. I see lots of people on dive boats with suits that are way too large. Presumably this is because they are easy to get into at the shop. A suit should be snug. There should be no big wrinkles or gaps around the joints. If there are, they as pumps that flush water in and out of the suit every time the joint is flexed. The warmest suit in the world will leave you freezing if water flushes through it. One good option is to buy a stock suit and then have it tailored to fit better. This is a lot more cost effect than a custom suit, but very nearly as effective. I think a lot of people who get cold would do better getting a better fit instead of a thicker suit.

 

[Fathomer]

Steve is right. Unless it's a well fitting waterproof (ie. Instadry, Capri, Camaro) skip the 5mm and go straight for the 7mm if you're diving the east coast. You will need every bit of it, even in the summer time. In the winter, forgetaboutit. Go dry or die.

The 7mm will be great in the water. Just be aware of overheating before the dive in the summertime.

 

[TerrapinWetsuits]

IMO, a vest should be worn under a sleeved garment, if there's room. If you wear it the other way, water can get into the arm holes and if the two garments slide over each other, the water will exchange out and take the heat with it. You'd have better insulation with the vest underneath.

If your wetsuit is too tight to wear the vest inside, consider going up to the next mm thickness for an outside vest, and/or consider choosing a hooded vest instead of one without a hood. Both these options will probably make up for the heat exchange out the sleeves.

If your wetsuits is wwaaaaaayyyy too tight, consider having it altered, so you can breath again! Remember that the more a suit has to stretch, the thinner the insulating layer will be, and the colder you'll get.

cheers, Chris Summers

 

[diveprof]

I dive a 4/3 in the Caribbean and a 7mm fullsuit (with hooded vest in the winter) for everything else. The correct answer to how much exposure protection do you need is whatever it takes to keep you warm for the planned amount of dives. If you are tall & thin, you might want to look at the Bare line of wetsuits (Artic 7mm is a good value online). Bare offers a wide range of sizes - more choices than just small, medium, large, XL. A good fitting 5mm will probably do you for the Caribbean, but if tall and very thin a 7mm is not unheard of.

 

[meesier42]

Imo it all comes down to the amount of bioprene a diver has.
Reading your story,guess you don't have to much.For me when diving in the Red Sea water also round 80F
I allways take a 7mm,but I also don't have alot of bioprene.If it gets to warm I just open the zip for a while.

I would strongly disagree, I definately stay warmer the less "bioprene" that I have. The better shape that I am in the warmer I stay. Not to mention that the better shape I am in the lower my normal body temp. I am a cold blooded person to start with, normal temp for me now ~97.2F, when I am in really good shape that drops to about 96.8F. Each persons individual cold tolerance is just that, their. I normally dive a 3mm full suit down to about 68F water, sure, I'll add a hood below 77 or so, but that's all the rubber that I personally need. Now that I have a drysuit, below 68F I'll be going dry, before I would go to a 7mm Farmer John and Jacket.

Have you tried wearing a hood with your current configuration? Having your head covered makes a surprising difference in comfort level. Just a thought
Cheers!

Give this one a try, I highly recommend adding a hood, or hooded vest before buying a new suit.

The next thing I would offer, generally the more finning that you do the more water you flush through your suit and the colder you get. For me, I'll calm down and hold tight, fighting the urge to "try to make heat". Also, a properly fitted wetsuit is dramatically warmer than the off the rack rental that is probably stretched and worn pretty badly. I would look into getting yourself a full 3mm or 5mm and make sure it fits well. I personnally recommend Pinnacle suits, as I have found their stock sized suits fit me better than even the customs I have. Not to mention thier merino lined suits are fantastically warmer than the non-merino lined suits and you don't have to sacrifice any flexibilty.

 

[fishyangel]

Meesier, for me, thin doesn't necessarily equal more fit. I am probably lighter now than usual because an injury has kept me out of the gym. :sprite10: The thinner I get, I think the more heat I exude, no "bioprene" to keep it in. But I do run about 98F, max, and always have.

My current thinking is a hooded vest right away, which I could wear with or without hood to get me through multi-day diving in warm water. I can get an undershirt under my 3mm fullsuit, so I'm sure the hooded vest will fit under just fine. Later, a 7mm for up here or winter diving in the Caribbean. AquaFlite looks like it has a great price for 7mm and would ensure a good fit. Thoughts? I see some good reviews on searching ScubaBoard, but can always use more opinions, especially from people who have similar warmth issues.

 

[Colliam7]

Went down with a Henderson Thermoprene 3mm and after 3-4 days of diving two tanks every morning, I was getting to be really cold from the moment I entered the 81 deg water, though it would lessen a bit if I was doing a bit of finning. ... I plan to mostly do warm water vacation diving, but I might give the Jersey shore a try in summer (approx 70 deg). Given that I'm already diving with 4.5 on my core, 7mm seems like the logical choice, but then I read about people diving in 50 deg water with them and it seems like overkill.

Three comments. 1) A drysuit was mentioned, which ordinarily might be an ideal solution. But, the frequency of diving you imply in the post may not justify the costs. If the funds are available, that may be the best solution, however. 2) A full 7mm suit may be a bit more bulky than you will find comfortable, and less versatile. My diving daughter also lacks bioprene, and finds a full 5mm to be ideal for warm water diving, and NC coastal diving (mid 70s) in the summer. 3) Just as with street clothing, 'layering' might be something to consider, rather than a full 7mm. A full 3mm, or 5mm, coupled with a hooded vest (worn under the full suit), coupled with a Core Warmer (the Henderson term) or equivalent oversuit, which allows you to add or discard according to conditions, might be worth considering. Probably wouldn't go with a shorty and farmer john. I take a 3mm, Core warmer, and vest when traveling, and it doesn't add too much bulk to my travel bag, but allows me to mix and match as needed.