7 mm Henderson

[silverfish]

I just purchased a 7mm Henderson gold core.There was a mix up,I thought I was getting a 3mm.It cannot be returned as it was purchased on Ebay.I am wondering if I will be comfortable in it when we dive Destin Oct 12.? I am glad to have a warmer suit for diving around here this fall and early spring.However,I do hope to get some good use out of it.Fortunatley I only gave 160.00 for it,but I still need some advice on waht conditions to use it under.

Also,knowing I will need a 3mm I was wondering if a shorty would be the route to go.Tell me your favorite brands while we are at it,I hope to not have to learn everything the hard way.

 

[pgraham11]

I have three wet suits, a Henderson Microprene, a Sea-Quest 3-5-3, and a Henderson Gold Core 7mm 2-piece. When the water temperature is above about 75 I wear the Microprene, when it's between about 65-75 I wear the 3-5-3, and when it's below about 65 I wear the 7mm. I'd say you could wear the 7mm in water up to about 75 and still be comfortable, but if the water is much warmer than that it's going to be a little toasty. I should note that 1) I don't cold very easily, and 2) I try to avoid my thicker suits as long as possible so I don't have to carry around the extra lead.

 

[silverfish]

Thank you for your input.I really had'nt thought about the extra weight.I am brand new at this and have lots to learn.In fact I just purchased my BC and have not even gotten the weights yet, don't know how much I'll need.I am trying to decide if I should rent a 3mm for the trip or just plan on using my 7. I hope to dive one of the springs while I'm in Destin.Will a spring be cooler than the ocean?

 

[pgraham11]

Yes, the springs in Florida are going to be a little cooler than the surrounding ocean. I should caveat that by saying that I am from the Midwest and do most of my diving around here in what we affectionately refer to as the Quarribean, so I'm certainly not an authority on Florida water temps. Having said that, there is a group of people, many of whom I dive with, who are going on a trip to dive some of springs around Panama City in a few weeks. They are expecting the water temps there to be around 70.

Today I was diving one of our local quarries and the water temp was about 65. In my 3-5-3 I was comfortable for the 45 minutes we were in the water, but I certainly would have been comfortable in my 7mm as well.

Weight is a heavy issue to consider (oh that was so bad), and it would certainly be worth you while to find a pool somewhere to see how much you are going to need before you do your dives (at least to get an idea and then try to account for the salt water if you're going to be in the ocean). If it puts it in perspective, I'm about 6' tall and weigh about 220 pounds (a little chunky), and I use about 4-6 pounds with my Microprene, 10-12 pounds with my 3-5-3, and about 28-30 pounds with my 7mm (don't forget it's a 2-piece). Then if I wear my 7mm hood and gloves I add another 2-4 pounds. Those numbers are all for fresh water.

 

[lildiver]

Hi silverfish
I dove in the Gulf out of Panama City last weekend and the water temp at 78 ft was 79 degrees. I dove in a 5ml wet suit was fairly comfortable in the water... (the water temp was actually warmer than the air temp). The springs water temps run from 68 degrees to around 72 degrees. Hope this helps.

~lildiver

 

[joewr]

Hi, Silverfish, from California (Where we never dive because the water temp is 65 or lower!). And that paranthetic sentence tells it all!

Wet suits are strictly a matter of personal comfort. I always use a full wet suit no matter where I dive. That is because I had a few encounters with jellyfish and coral that were less than pleasant. But I have been on dives when I used my 3mm Henderson Gold and others have dived in swim suits and t-shirts! And everyone seemed comfortable.

We(Barbara and I) tend to use 2.5mm dive fleeces in water above 80 deg F; 3mm Hendersons in 78-80 deg F; Henderson 3mm + 3mm Henderson vest in 74-78 deg F. We have 3mm shorties which we have not used in years due to the afforementioned jellies, etc. We seem to be doing more Pacific diving now and in water that tends toward the mid-high 70's and, so, we will soon be investing in 5's or 5-4-4's or 5-3-3's. These will be custom Hendersons.

As you increase the mm's you get reduced flexibility in the arms,etc. Also, as you have discovered, you need more wt. You will have to experiment with the amount of wt as you dive. With a new dive suit I always add an extra 2lbs more than I think I will need and try a buoyancy test before the dive. If I have too much wt, I can tan take back to the boat or leave it at the anchor or mooring line and pick it up on the way in.


Happy diving...

Joewr...who uses t-shirts and Levis to dive the net...

 

[silverfish]

So Joe...basicly you use a total of 6mm in water temps under 78f? Is that correct? I must say I tend to agree with wearing exposure suits under all conditions.There are some lessons I'd prefer not to learn the hard way.Took me long enough to fiqure that out lol!! Thanks for the tip on the weight check..I hadn't thought of dropping them at the anchor site for later retrieval.

ld...thanks for the info. on the water temps, all the info helps. You said you were fairly comfy in your 5m....fairly as in, a little warm or a little cool?? BTW did you dive one of the springs while you were there?

 

[joewr]

Silverfish,

Yes, that is 6mm, but I am not certain 3mm + 3mm separately equate to one 6mm suit. That is because water can penetrate between the two 3mm layers and water is a very poor insulater. A straight 6mm suit would not have a layer of water at 3mm!

One of the reasons that we are getting 5's is that it seems that the water is getting colder even when the thermometer tell us it is not or we are getting _____ (I do not like to write that word!).


Joewr

 

[silverfish]

All in all it sounds to me like maybe I should rent a 3-2mm I really want to be comfortable on this dive,and any other,but this is really kinda important to me.To be perfectly honest I am rather nervous about this...very excited and nervous.I don't want to spend the dive wishing I hadn't just learned to sweat underwater. It is my understanding we will do three dives Sat and two on Sun,what depths I don't even know. My dive instructor is "leading" this trip so I plan on (literally)"going with the flow".Thanks for the input.

 

[lildiver]

Hi Silverfish!

If you tend to get cool easily, I would wonder if the 3m would be enough. Just a reminder, water conduts your body heat away from you much quicker than air. So 79 water temp is much cooler than 79 air temp. I know you'll enjoy your dives in the Destin area.

~lildiver