comfortable water temp?

[jhanna]

Hey everyone.. I'm new here and have a question regarding comfortable water temperatures for a 5mm wetsuit..? I did a bunch of diving up until about 5 years ago including a 3 week trip to Fiji, and multiple dives on the St Lawrence but during college I was too busy to get out much and have pretty much lost the little knowledge I had. I am getting re-certified in a couple weeks and would like to get into the St Lawrence this spring/early summer and was wondering your experiences with what's acceptable for a 5mm suit? Just trying to do a little planning because I have a good idea on the water temps there throughout the year.. thanks!

 

[spectrum]

It's a highly varriable topic what with personal cold tolerances and variability in suits. It also depends on how deep you plan to dive since dept will compress the suit and diminish the insulating properties.

In general a 5mm is good down to around 70F with a hood or at least a beanie. Depth, length of dive and number of dives and spacing will also play into what works for you. There are divers on the New England coast that swear by 5mm suits for Memorial day to Columbus day diving. The 5mm suit will let you dive with quite a bit less weight (than a 7mm) and you will have a lot less bouyancy fluctuation with depth. I'v used my 5mm in freshwater and it was a joy.

As for your near term use forget it. Rent or buy somehtng that will keep you safe and warm.

Pete

 

[GDCB]

The St. Lawrence is about 70 degrees in the summer. Near Ottawa, I think Brockville I hear is great wreck diving and 50 feet of vis. 5mm would be a bit warm for me there but might be perfect for you.

Carl

 

[H2Andy]

for a comparison, a 3mil farmer john and a 3 mil vest and hood kept me warm
enough in 68-72 degree water in Florida

but this is going to vary by body type and cold tolerance. our very own CBulla
dove those very same waters in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt

 

[jhanna]

Thanks for the replies.. I will be staying relatively shallow, definitely above the thermocline. The St Lawrence is typically around 50F on Memorial Day and doesn't break 65F until late June.. would a 7mm suit give me much more leeway? I could go for one of those (or other alternatives?) but a drysuit is out of the question..

 

[m3830431]

I would rather be warm than cold. If you get to warm with a 7mm just unzip it a bit.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

What about wearing a 2mm shorty under or over a 5mm suit for more core warmth?

Has anybody done that? I'm asking because I'm planning on doing that if needed instead of investing in a 7mm suit. I'd rather save the money and apply it to a dry suit in the future.