Thanks @Snoweman, @ChuckP and @ReefHound - I wore rash guards last month in 84-85. I'll bring my 3mil beanie for just in case.
A beanie would probably be a good insurance policy.
Cozumel diving today
- Thread starter ColoDale
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A beanie would probably be a good insurance policy.
GirlonFire
Contributor
Everybody is different but I dive my 3mm even at 84-86. I've never regretted it and don't recall ever being too warm anywhere except the boat and even that changes as the dives and days of diving progress.
My Covid belly is taking up extra space, makes me rethink the hassle of getting into my suit lol.......
deepsea21
Contributor
Thanks @Snoweman, @ChuckP and @ReefHound - I wore rash guards last month in 84-85. I'll bring my 3mil beanie for just in case.
Started with a 3MM full suit, then added a 3MM tropic beanie, then added a 5MM suit. Seems I've needed more and more insulation as I've grown older for given water temps (I've not yet had the reason to try and cram myself wearing my 3MM into my 5MM for a total of 8MM but I probably couldn't move if I tried that). I absolutely HATE being cold/chilled and there's no such thing as too hot for me. My latest addition is a Lavacore vest that I can wear under the 3MM or 5MM when I need a bit more (available in women's as well). I actually purchased mine at a LDC in Hawaii in Feb when my 5MM wasn't quite cutting it for me in 77-78 degree water on 1HR+ back-to-back dives with air temps in the upper 70's to low 80's.
The price with a local friend's 15% discount was slightly less than on Leisurepro but I'd pay $90 for it without a 2nd thought. It made a significant difference and adds no buoyancy. Also kept me warmer during SI's leaving it on. Also, if interested buy the next size smaller than the chart calls for as they loosen up at depth. What may feel too tight on the surface will be just right at depth. When trying this stuff on there's tight (which is normal and you want it tight), and then there's a bit too tight. You want the "bit too tight" size in these as they change at depth. I will say it is not rapid drying for how thin it is... Takes about as long as my wetsuits to fully dry.
LavaCore Vest
I completely agree about feeling the cold as we get older. I used to dive with only a bathing suit in 86 degree Caribbean waters. Now I’m in a 5mm full Lavacore for Cozumel temps, with a 3-5 hooded vest on some colder days.
I'm the polar opposite - pardon the pun. The older I get, the less I like the hassle of getting into and out of a bunch of neoprene.
deepsea21
Contributor
Diving is expensive... Thermal protection that makes diving enjoyable is cheap when compared to the total cost of diving and dive vacations.
I watch people come out of the water shivering cold, huddling under boat coats during the SI on cooler, cloudy days and getting more chilled on the surface if it is cloudy, lower humidity, lower air temps, etc. At that point the water that made them chilled in the first place feels like a bathtub when they put their hand into it and they can't wait to get back into it = more chilled on and after the next dive!
In my opinion, all that nonsense can be remedied by buying and wearing the right amount of thermal protection for the given diver. A 2 week dive vaca to Coz on a budget when it's all said and done will run around $4,500 for me and my wife. The expense of additional thermal protection that will last for years is negligible when the overall cost of dive travel is considered. Money spent on thermal protection is $ well spent that delivers the return of warm, comfortable and enjoyable diving for years.
Perhaps, the older you got, the more “insulation” you acquired...
