I want to buy a wetsuit for my southern caribbean cruise coming up in December. My only other dive trip was to Cozumel last March and I rented a 3mm with a 2mm shortie over it. With only the 3 mm I was cold, especially on the second dive. The water temp. was 77-79 F and I have a slender build. What are the pros and cons with regards to weighting, buoyancy, trim etc. between buying a 3mm full suit with a hooded 3mm vest, versus a fullsuit that is 5/4 or 5 mm? Most of our diving will be in the Caribbean or Hawaii. I am deciding between a Hendersen or a Bare, whichever fits better once the Bare arrives in the mail (the Hendersen fits well). The dive shop owners selling the Hendersen are divided over their advice, as one prefers the two piece method and the other prefers the single piece 5 mm. Unfortunately, i don't have enough experience to make up my own mind, but I really don't want to show up without a wetsuit for this trip. Fit can be a real bugger! Hurry your advice and thank you..............
Buy a 3/2 or 3mm wetsuit with hooded vest or a 5mm?
- Thread starter jviolin
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
The 2 piece way, 3mm full and 3mm hooded vest will allow a little more flexibility when it comes to diving different temps. You might be fine in just the 3mm full in water 82 and warmer, so you wouldn't need the vest. If you go with the 5mm, you will still want a hood of some kind as a covered head will keep you quite a bit warmer.
Like you, I have a slender build, 6 ft tall, 165 lbs. I have a 3 mm full that keeps me warm enough down to about 79f. Below that I get chilled. I added my drysuit hood and the dives were bare-able, but not really comfortable at the end of a long dive. I'm getting a Bare 5/4 mm full suit for Cozumel this December. I though about getting just the hooded vest, but the Bare suit just looked cool (IMO). I'm getting the one with yellow trim for $165 from Scubatoys If you call them to order, tell them you are a scuba board member and you will get a 10% discount. Their shipping rates are the actual shipping charge too.
I would say the minimum I'd wear in Hawaii to be comfortable would be the 5mm and a hood. The water temp there at it's warmest is about 79 in summer only the lower 70's in late winter. I would wear the hood and consider a vest as well, but that is just me and my perception of temperature. Everyone perceives it differently. Some people are find diving in just a swimsuit, but I wouldn't be, even in 84 f water, I wore my 3 mm full. I've never been too warm during a dive, even in my drysuit.
Like you, I have a slender build, 6 ft tall, 165 lbs. I have a 3 mm full that keeps me warm enough down to about 79f. Below that I get chilled. I added my drysuit hood and the dives were bare-able, but not really comfortable at the end of a long dive. I'm getting a Bare 5/4 mm full suit for Cozumel this December. I though about getting just the hooded vest, but the Bare suit just looked cool (IMO). I'm getting the one with yellow trim for $165 from Scubatoys If you call them to order, tell them you are a scuba board member and you will get a 10% discount. Their shipping rates are the actual shipping charge too.
I would say the minimum I'd wear in Hawaii to be comfortable would be the 5mm and a hood. The water temp there at it's warmest is about 79 in summer only the lower 70's in late winter. I would wear the hood and consider a vest as well, but that is just me and my perception of temperature. Everyone perceives it differently. Some people are find diving in just a swimsuit, but I wouldn't be, even in 84 f water, I wore my 3 mm full. I've never been too warm during a dive, even in my drysuit.
Similar threads
