Coldest temperature on a Wetsuit?

[HowardE]

I'll Preface by saying, I'm fully a WWW

Temps given in Fahrenheit

80 and higher = 3mm full wetsuit
76 - 80 - 7mm full wetsuit
74-75 - 7mm + hood
< 74 - Dry

 

[Jimmer]

36 degrees last February on my ice dive. I only stayed under the ice for 20 minutes. My body was fine it was just my hands that gave up the ghost. Then the really agonizing part was getting out of the ice and walking across the ice in my wetsuit to the trailer to go change.

 

[drbill]

I did 48 F in mine and was fairly comfortable, but ever since I started videotaping I try to stay at 50 F or above to prevent camera shake. I have a 7/5 wetsuit with 7mm vest.

 

[j3rmzh]

Just got my OW cert here in Seattle waters are usually 40-50 degree's our dives last for 40-60 minutes at around 30-60 feet

I have a oneil one piece 7mil, its doubled up on the torso. I do ok, but by the second dive I am toast.

Started saving for my DUI already...

 

[Michael_Lambert]

It depends on your own body, many people are different. My first year of diving i dove all year round in my 7/5 henderson including my ice dives in 32 degree waters for 40 mins at a time. Now i am a big guy so i was well insulated to start with. I

have sense moved to steel doubles and a Drysuit and would never go back to the wetsuit.

 

[jimdiverman]

I was on business in Brazil a few years ago and wanted to go scuba diving down there. They took me to Arollo do Caibo. All I had was my 3/2 wetsuit. I had no idea the water was going to be 57 degrees Fahrenheit. That was the coldest I have ever been in the water with a wetsuit, but I still wasn't shaking. But it was a psychological thing when I glanced at the temperature on my dive computer during the dive (which I rarely do) because I could feel that the water was cold.

I did 2 - 50 minute dives.

 

[tridacna]

7 mil full suit, 3 mil heated torso, 7 mil hooded vest; 3 in the body, 7 in the hood, 6 mil in the booty and 4 mil in the glove; all Merino; Pinnacle's.
.

What is a 3mm heated torso? Is this a hooded vest? Why is it called a "heated" torso? Isn't it just an underlayer of neoprene? Just curious.

 

[Xaryo]

Just this morning, I did a 45 minutes long dive à 34 F. I was wearing a wet suit.

When I started diving in August, I wouldn't have tough I would be diving on the december 30th.

I was wearing a full body 7 mil, hooded7 mil vest, Aeroskin underwear, 7mil 3 fingers glove, 7 mil boot and noeprene socks. These socks are fantastics. I think I wont dive without them even in summer.

 

[Michael_Lambert]

Its all about preference,

Hell i just got back from a week in Cuba, The dive master on my charter doing two dives to 140 feet max at 140 feet the water temp was 81 degrees and he was still wearing a 3mil suit comming out cold! I was just mucking around in my bathing suit.,

 

[Curly]

I did the New Year's Eve dive at Dutch Springs in PA in my 7mm FJ with 5/7 hood.
Temp was around 42 degrees, dive time: 39 mins, max depth: 102 ffw.
The only thing that was bothering me were my feet (and, to a lesser extent, my fingers, but that's because I wore gloves instead of lobster claw mitts).
I use the same suit year round, and also dive Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire beginning in late April - early May, when the water ranges from mid-40s to mid 50s.

Two things I've learned:

1) Hoods with long bibs -- well-tucked -- are key to keeping water out.
2) A fast dive pace generates more body heat.

Also -- My buddy who has a lot more experience doing these very cold wetsuit dives wears a 2-3mm hooded vest beneath his 7mm FJ, and throws another hood on top of the thin one.