Alor October - How many mm?

[thesyntax]

Hello all,
we are doing a liveaboard from Ambon to Alor in early October. According to the tour operator the water should be 26-28°C in Ambon an Banda Sea. But it will be 2-5°C colder in Alor, where we spend 2 days.
We plan on bringing our 3mm wetsuit and dive with that in Alor as well. Alternatively we would have to bring our 7mm wetsuit as well for just 2 days in Alor, which would result in a much thicker/heavier bag.

Any recommendations for that problem? We uasually don't get cold that quick, but haven't dived in 22°C yet.

Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

[matts1w]

Alor is cold. I have seen 18 or 19 there. A 3mm wont cut it. I am convinced the minimum one should bring to Indonesia is a 3 mm (but a 5mm would be better), 3 mm hooded vest, and 2.5-3mm shorty to layer as conditions change from day to day. I am an admitted warm water wimp, but I dont care who you are... when diving all day every day, the more neoprene the better. When you plunge headfirst into a shimmering, freezing Indo upwelling at 15 meters and five minuets into the dive, you will thank me.

 

[Luko]

Alor is tricky.
You can have 26C in the north of the strait while it will be 21c on anemone city.
You never know.
Personallly I always dive with a 5mm even when it is 28C and bring a sharkskin that I put under my wetsuit whenever it comes colder than 25.
I prefer the onion peel technique than the 7mm thickness.

 

[billt4sf]

I'm on a trip right now through the Banda Sea including Alor and later I plan to go to Alor for 10 days.

I have two layers of sharkskin, a neoprene hooded vest, and a thick neoprene hood. I hope it will be enough!

- Bill

 

[matts1w]

I rolled into Anemone City in a 3mm and a hooded vest. I think they said something about woebegone sharks or... heck I dont know. I was back on the boat within ten minutes pretty much frozen.

 

[billt4sf]

I rolled into Anemone City in a 3mm and a hooded vest. I think they said something about woebegone sharks or... heck I dont know. I was back on the boat within ten minutes pretty much frozen.

 

[davehicks]

Bring layers. I dove there in June and used a 5mm most of the time, adding a hooded vest on a few dives where we headed further south or into the southern currents. The LavaCore hooded vest is a good choice. I also used a light 1mm hood on most dives which helps a lot.

 

[billt4sf]

I plan to go to Alor for 10 days.

I have two layers of sharkskin, a 3mm neoprene hooded vest, and a thick neoprene hood. I hope it will be enough!

- Bill

Should I buy more layers if I get a chance?

 

[matts1w]

Should I buy more layers if I get a chance?

I plan on heading to Alor in the near future... As a proud warm water wimp I will bring a 3mm, a full Sharkskin, 2.5 mm shorty, 3 mm hooded vest, a 1.5 mm hood. If I find a 5mm I like between now and then will bring that instead of the 3mm.

I like my Sharkskin, but am not a total believer yet.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Should I buy more layers if I get a chance?

We were there last October and I as totally fine in a 3 mm plus a rash vest. And I get very very cold.