Blackbeard's Liveaboard

[Warren_L]

Normally good advise, but BB's typically does 3-4 dives a day ( 18 dives total on a 1 week trip ), and most of them are very shallow. ( <30' ). A 7mil really is way overkill.

Yep - if anything, a 5mm would be fine, but why not just get a 1 mm or a 0.5mm and you can wear the 1 underneath the 3 if needed. Works great for me. But as already mentioned, only you will know your own cold tolerance. This setup works fine for me, but others would argue that my idea of cold is much different than some.

 

[jhelmuth]

I just got back from a trip on BB last Friday (1/23) and the water temps werew mostly 75 (with a few 73). I wore my 5/3 full back-zip and was slightly toasty. I think a full 3 mill would be ideal. You really don't want to be cold when you are diving every day 3-4 dives per day. You might get away with less than a full 3 mil, but I think this is the best advice since you don't have any prior experience to go on. The 7 mil will work, but you'll be flushing it occasionally to prevent over-heating, and the water is really too cool to do that frequently without having regreted that you didn't bring the right thermal protection. Renting one for BB makes alot of sense if you don't want to own it. But consider applying the $25-30 rental fee toward one you'll own and use if a 3 mil is needed in your diving future.

 

[chrpai]

but why not just get a 1 mm or a 0.5mm and you can wear the 1 underneath the 3 if needed. Works great for me.

LOL, thats exactly what I said earlier.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=495112&postcount=3

 

[hantzu701]

You say that you did your checkout dive in a 7mm, does this mean you are just newly certified? If so, I would recommend sticking with what you know at this stage just for the comfort/familiarity factor.
You are going on a liveaboard, making possibly up to 5 dives a day including night dives. If the water is ~73F, you will feel the cold after a couple of days. There's no fun in being cold on a dive especially after paying good money for the holiday. Depending on weather conditions over there at the moment, it's not unheard of for the water temperatures to drop below 70F.

This is my first time diving in the Bahamas. I try to dive dry when I can b/c it can be pretty cold in the Midwest. During my last quarry dive, the water temp was ~42 degrees. I am not married to my 7mm, but I like to stay warm. 7mm sounds like it is too warm. I guess that I'll have to find a 3mm.

I recently switched from a jacket style BCD to an Oxycheq wing and travel backplate. I was at the pool for my "checkout" dive to figure out how much weight that I needed and to look over the hoses, etc for wear.

Hantzu

 

[Warren_L]

LOL, thats exactly what I said earlier.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=495112&postcount=3

LOL, that's what I said you said. (confused now??)

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=495112&postcount=4

 

[chrpai]

LOL, that's what I said you said. (confused now??)

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=495112&postcount=4

When you replied to me and said but why not just get a 1 mm or a 0.5mm and you can wear the 1 underneath the 3 if needed" I thought you were offerring it to me as a suggestion when I had already posted just that.

 

[Warren_L]

I was just re-affirming your suggestion as a reply to artcumming76, even though you were quoted in the reply, but the reply was intended to be directed at someone else. Ok, now is everyone thoroughly confused?? LOL.