Always wear a wetsuit?

[Centrals]

Other than thermal protection suit also keep anything nasty from touching you.
I have been stung on numerous occasions on my unprotected body eg face and back of my hand.

 

[myself]

I always wear a wetsuit unless I am diving in one of a few hot springs that are somewhat near me because the water everywhere else is never much warmer than 60 degrees at best.

 

[myself]

For temp, though? Not other protection?

We found 78 degree water in Aruba and I was happy in a rash guard and shorts. In Key Largo we found 71 and I was juuuuust a little chilly in a 3mm.

I would rather put on a suit than me cold. Let's be honest, in spite of all the complaining that I've heard, wetsuits aren't that hard to get on and off, it maybe takes an extra 2 minutes before and after the dive.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

You know, it kinda depends upon how much body fat you have. A long, long time ago, I dove on the Warm Mineral Springs Underwater Archaeological Project in Florida, and wore the top of my wetsuit. I had a very warm one, 1/4 inch at that time (1975), and the water temperature of the warm spring was 89 degrees. It was used as a spa to heal people, but there were artifacts on the bottom too. But at 89 degrees, on decompression (it was over 200 feet deep for the deep dives) people still got cold. Saying that, I am a bit fatter in my old age (76) and I can tolerate cooler waters (like Maui) with only a rash guard. But my wife needs two shorty wetsuits to stay warm (she's very thin). The photo shows one of our female divers with a wetsuit top on in Warm Mineral Springs.

SeaRat

 

[Scubagolf]

I always wear a full suit: 1mm, 3 mm, or a 7/5, depending on the temp, except in the hot tub after diving.

 

[Astrobratt]

I always wear a wet suit for protection from the bites and sting of the ocean things and just because even in 80-degree water, after several dives I can start to get cold, and that can make it easier to get DCS

 

[happy-diver]

Yes and if cold slows the process of nitrogen leaving the bloodstream
does it not then also slow the nitrogen getting in, to the bloodstream

 

[Hoyden]

I dive in shorts and a rashguard unless the water is cooler than 75 when not at work. At work I am required to wear a wetsuit or full skin. I find the fullskin to be about the same as a wetsuit comfortwise so I generally dive a 3mm at work as it is more durable than a skin.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

When I was in the U.S. Air Force in 1968, diving off Okinawa, we didn't wear wet suits or rash guards (they had not been invented yet. But you had to be careful.

Now, with concerns for things like sunburn, coral scratches, etc., I recommend some sort of skin protection even when you don't need it for thermal protection.

SeaRat

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’ve never had the pleasure to dive anywhere warm enough that a wetsuit of some sort was not required.
My local place to dive is cold water 48-53 degrees and I use a two piece 7mm farmer john with attached hood, 3mm-5mm gloves, 7mm booties.
I despise drysuits, so even occasionally freezing my ass off in a wetsuit is better than diving one of those rechid contraptions