Aruba - exposure suit in august?

[merrypig]

Hi,

I'm hearing conflicting theories on whether we'd need a shorty/full suit etc when we go to aruba diving in early August.

The temp is claimed to be an average of 78F in august - which according to my OW guides would suggest a full suit. Yet the tour operator (red sail) suggests it's entirely optional and down to preference, and the ow course instructor also reckons we'd be fine without.

So what's the real world feedback? any of you dived in aruba and care to share your experience of what kept you comfortable? I admit, I don't want to turn up in 7mm dry suit if everyone's in a t-shirt and still sweating it ! I'm tempted by some kind of suit just for protection from abrasions etc but can't decide how thick a suit would be enough.

We've seen some cheap lycra shorties for 40 bucks which seem ok if we really don't need much thermal protection - or we'd be tempted by a 3mm shorty I guess.

(Long term we'd be getting a better more expensive outfit, for our first dives though we're looking to keep luggage and expenses low for now until we can research the best stuff for us and we're sure we want to invest a lot in it.

Is there any reason NOT to get a lycra shorty for what we have in mind?

(FYI, we're in aruba aug 4-12th, and would be diving not more than 60ft anyway).

Thanks in advance
Ian

 

[DocVikingo]

If you would be comfortable doing multiple dives a day for multiple days wearing just a Lycra skin in 78 degree water, then you're a pretty hardy sort. In any event, you probably were slightly misinformed about the scuba water temps, as you will see.

Of course, such thermal comfort is rather idiosyncratic. To put it in perspective, below is a piece, in part, from my June '00 "Ask RSD" column in "Rodale's Scuba Diving":

"Have you ever been out on the street in the spring or fall and noticed people wearing everything from shorts & T-shirts to full coats with hats & scarves, all apparently in comfort? Well, things are no different underwater. This comfort is highly variable among individuals depending on such factors as percentage of body fat, age & tolerance to thermal discomfort. Other determinants, like how many dives a day over how many days you are planning, are also important. When you ask "What wetsuit should I wear?, you'll get answers ranging all the way from "just a bathing suit" through "5 mm full."

The question is better asked: "What water temps can I anticipate at my destination?" You'll receive a pretty accurate answer to this, and then can decide what's best for you based on your personal thermal comfort needs.

It's always a good idea to come thermally prepared, just in case."

That having been said, expect Aruba scuba water temps in early Aug of ~80 degrees plus/minus a degree. Personally, if was doing multiple dives over multiple days at that temp, I'd take a 3mm full. If you get a bit too warm during a dive, you can always let some water into the suit. Much harder to warm up. Whatever you decide, make sure that you at least wear a full dive skin for protection against scrapes & bites.

Have a great time.

DocVikingo

 

[herman]

Like Doc says, it kind of depends on you. We dive Bonaire in July and all I wear is a Lycra skin for the most part. I also take a fleece lined skin for night. We found a bennie cap is also a lot of help,esp on night dives after 3 day dives. The 3mm is up to you but I would also wear the skin no matter what else you decide on for protection from jellyfish and other minor scrapes. It also provides much better sunburn protection than any sun screen and if it washes off, you got bigger problems than sunburn.

Here is a site you might find interesting, it is on Bonaire. If you look at the lower left picture, it has the current UW temp on Bonaire. I would thing it would be very close to that of Aruba. http://www.BonaireWebCams.com/TheWorks.php

 

[sigelr]

I agree with Doc. I've been to Aruba and (particularly if you do the deeper wreck dives) you might get cold after a while. I virtually always dive with a 3mm full because i can always unzip a little or let water in to cool down but there's no way (short of ending your dive early) to warm up if you're cold and it's no fun when everybody else on the dive is fine and you're thinking about how long until it's over because your getting cold.

 

[merrypig]

Thanks all! You guys might just have helped us avoid making a rather unfortunate choice and then not enjoyed our first real dives as best we could!

Appreciate the info!
Regards
Ian

 

[navy85]

I've been vacation diving in Aruba for the past three years...have always worn a 3mm shortie. I also haven't done more than 2 dives per day nor dived more than 3 days. Most people seem to wear shorties from my observations, although I have seen full wetsuits and I have even seen someone dive with just a t-shirt and swim trunks. As noted in earlier posts, a lot depends on the individual. You are probably better off with something a little heavier than something too light.

I recall water temps being in the low/mid-80s in April, which is when I usually go. Not sure about August.

Have fun!