Always wear a wetsuit?

[SlugLife]

I dive in Texas, and the water-surface temperatures are about 85-degrees up to about 30ft right now. However, I pretty much always opt for a 5mm wetsuit for anything below the thermocline, or if I don't know the depth. It's quite common I dive close to rocky-shores where it may drop like a cliff or be relatively shallow. Basically, if I don't know, I plan ahead as if it's a 70ft dive, even if it's almost always shallower than that.

Last week, I did 3x dives that all ended up being 30ft or less, and was absolutely roasting in my wetsuit. But I'll take that over being cold.

 

[divinh]

I pretty much always use my drysuit for local diving in the Great Lakes and a 3mm suit for warm water dives when we travel.

That is mainly because I don't feel like buying more suits...

There was a time when I would do dives in 72F water in 1 shorty wetsuit. On one dive (years ago), I was in my shorty and my buddy was in his bathing suit shorts at 72F and 120ft in the St Lawrence River. On that dive boat, there was literally everything from drysuits and full undergarments to just bathing shorts! I no longer have the tolerance for that, so would likely use my 3mm for that now, and drysuit for many repetitive dives.

I will always wear the 3mm in warm salt water just for sting prevention, etc.

I've also found tolerance to be tied to surface temps. In Thailand and Japan, it was hot above water so I warmed up quickly on surface intervals. In French Polynesia, I got cold on the boat and actually would have preferred staying in the water in shorts and rash guard.

 

[Doc Harry]

Summers in the Florida Keys -- it's too hot when I'm wearing just swim shorts

Summers in Cozumel -- long-sleeve shirt (rash guard) and swim short.

Yes, the jellies get me but I'm XY so I deal with it. The jellies usually get me in the face or lips anyway.

 

[JPEG]

Even in 80 degree water, your body’s core temperature will drop, especially noticeable after a few days, even if you are only doing one dive a day.

Divers with a bit of ”natural insulation” can handle no-wetsuit-diving better than other folks, I‘ve observed.

I recommend to everyone to always wear a wetsuit, at least until they have a lot of experience with the exact water and air temperatures they are likely to encounter.

I myself have limited experience with sea lice and such…but I always wear a wetsuit.

Expensive? Yes. Hassle to pack? Yes. Hassle to put on and take off? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Even in 80 degree water, your body’s core temperature will drop, especially noticeable after a few days, even if you are only doing one dive a day.
Divers with a bit of ”natural insulation” can handle no-wetsuit-diving better than other folks, I‘ve observed.

Very rare I would use a wetsuit. I am one of those with extra natural insulation. So for me 24c is cool and I would put on my sharkskin long sleeve stop but still wear shorts. I never use a hood or gloves. 26C and above I am in my element. Sometimes I dive in a long sleeved shirt if there are jellies or other things about. One thing about diving in shorts and a tshirt with bare arms and legs, you will pay attention to where your limbs are or suffer coral tattoos lol. I tend not to get as close to corals as divers in wet suits as they are not worried about getting stung by anything. I normally do 40 plus dives in 12 straight days of diving. Does help burn off some of my insulation though lol. Today I am sitting in my office where I have large windows open to the breeze from the mountains and it's 17C. It's cool but not chilly yet.

My summer here is around 24c - 25c so when I get to the Philippines or Indonesia Thailand etc the temperatures there are warmer than where I live so dipping into the cooler water on a dive is really nice for me.

 

[happy-diver]

Yeah always

Got hit by a jellyfish coming up one day, with about a metre of tentacle
running between my mask and reg along my upper lip like barbed wire
decompressing just had to not grin and bear it, decompressing waiting
waiting decompressing

 

[CT-Rich]

In Belize the water was 85F. I wore a wetsuit the first day and switch to a dive skin after that. It was so nice. near zero changes to trim once I got the weights dialed in.

The only time I got cold was when it rained and the water at the very surface chilly.

 

[Belzelbub]

Even in 80 degree water, your body’s core temperature will drop, especially noticeable after a few days, even if you are only doing one dive a day.

Divers with a bit of ”natural insulation” can handle no-wetsuit-diving better than other folks, I‘ve observed.

I recommend to everyone to always wear a wetsuit, at least until they have a lot of experience with the exact water and air temperatures they are likely to encounter.

As with everything, it entirely depends on the individual, and also the conditions of the dive. I dive in FL mostly, and can dive pretty much year round using just a 3mm. Actually, I think it might even be a 2mm. When the temp drops down into the 60s, I'll add a 1mm rashguard, and that's usually good. 50's require more.

Wearing just my wetsuit, I've been comfortable while I see others in 5 or 7mm wetsuits, or even drysuits.

In warmer water, I may skip the wetsuit but wear a rashguard for some protection against jellyfish, etc.

 

[TMHeimer]

I 've made one tropical trip (Panama). I used a full body suit (no thermal protection). If it's warm enough to not wear a wetsuit, it's warm enough that there'll be nasties in the water that will sting you.

 

[60plus]

Diving in Madeira last year 29 September to 9 October, water temp was 22 to 23 C and never used a wetsuit, just shorts and a T shirt. Never felt cold on any of dives which were up to 69 minutes. Going from Northern England Autumn where frosts have started to Madeira the air temp 27 to 29 C feels very hot, almost unpleasantly so at times, but by the end of 2 weeks when we have got used to it the evenings can feel cool.