Cozumel--thickness of wet suit

[diveborg]

WOW! What is with you guys? (we like to keep warm) I was in Coz in October and dove in swim trunks (you are the one who is nuts) except for the first dive of the trip, the wreck we penetrated, the devil's throat and the 2 night dives.

So, I did bricks, Dalilah, garden, cedral wall, cedral pass, etc.. in swim trunks. In October. 79 degree water. 12 dives in 5 days.

I was there in December 2004 with water temps around 78. I was cold by the end of an hour + long dive in a 3 mm full suit and hood. I was there in December 2005 with water temps between 77-79. This year I wore my new Bare 5/4 mm full suit without hood and was quite comfortable on every dive and even in between dives riding in the boat.

Different people have varying tolerance to cold. I'm 6 ft tall and weigh 165. I get cold easily, probably much easier than someone who has more built in thermal insulation, not that I'm implying that you are that sort.

 

[DivingCRNA]

Well, this is certainly not the first time I have been called nuts!

I do have more built in insulation than I used to, but not much. I am 5' 10" and 190#. But most of it is what I call a deflated spare tire in the middle. I do not have much fat on my arms and legs at all. I was neither cold on the water or on the boat when diving in swim trunks.

I probably was not cold because I grew up and took my OW instruction in Minnesota. This is where a 7mm suit is the norm for most of the year, if not a dry suit. Maybe I wasn't cold because your body does adjust by altering capillary constriction based on what the usual temperature is like.

I was a little cold at 49 degrees at 90 feet on New Year's Day in a hood, 7mm suit, gloves, and booties.

BTW-do not think that I look down on the folks getting cold. Dive what feels good and safe! I, like most divers, am very live and let live. I was just VERY surprised at the number of folks that said the need a 5mm suit down there. I would overheat.

 

[yak]

As Charlie said, use a 3mm beanie. You can stuff it in a pocket and put it on over your mask strap during a dive if you start to get cold. I've dove in a 3mm shortie and 2 mm full suit in 82 degree water and have been fine without a beanie. I'm 5'10'' and 170.

I wore the 2mm and beanie in the 77 degree cenotes and was just borderline warm.

In Key Largo I was a bit cold after repeated dives in 78 degree water in the 2mm but 3mm and a beanie was toasty for me.

It depends how active you are during the dive. Drifting along doesn't keep you as warm as finning.

personally, I would die of heat stroke in a 5mm. I couldn't wait to peel off the 3mm shorty in 82 degree sun on SI's.

 

[DiverSteph]

I am going there in 2 weeks . When i diving in ontario i wear a 7 ml farmer john and in the summer time here water 72 and air is 27 and i still get cold. so i was thinking of bring my 7ml under part and my 3 ml short for over that. Should i be warm with that?

 

[boulderjohn]

As many have said, it is very individual.

I have always used a 0.5 mm and been just fine, even with multiple dives on multiple days.

Most people I know use a 3mm.

On one dive the last time I was there, a new diver used a 3 mm farmer john on his first dive, got hot, and just used the top on the second dive.

A friend of mine, a very experienced instructor, always uses 7 mm and is happy as a clam. (BTW, he is a vegetarian, and I read somewhere a long time ago that animal fat stokes the inner fires, and vegetarians may need more thermal protection. I don't know if that is true. Sounds like a good new thread.)

Last year, during a surface interval, we heard someone speaking on the boat radio in Spanish, and the skipper and DM burst out laughing. There was a lot of laughing going on over the airways, and we asked what was up. Apparently there were two divers on the Santa Rosa Wall with dry suits on.

 

[opalobsidian]

I just got back from COZ, where I did my OW cert. dives and 6 other dives. Water temps were about 75-78 degrees, and it was raining quite heavily at times....

The first day I wore a 3mm and seriously, I practically got hypothermia-shaking uncontrollably.

The second day I wore a 2.5 shorty underneath a 4mm full suit- still too cold-no fun at all!

The third day I added to the above two layers a lovely hooded vest, which was 3/6, and finally I was warm enough and could enjoy myself! @#$% being stoic, being warm enough makes all the difference between an ordeal and a great time!

 

[DivingCRNA]

I have no idea how I did it in swim trunks when y'all are so cold. The water was 78 degrees when I was there and dives were all 45-60 minute drifts guided by the DM.

?????

 

[diveborg]

I have no idea how I did it in swim trunks when y'all are so cold. The water was 78 degrees when I was there and dives were all 45-60 minute drifts guided by the DM.

?????

Wow, you could probably dive in the Puget Sound in only a 3 mm shorty.

There is just a huge difference in people's cold tolerance. During my week there in December with water temps between 77 and 79 Aeris degrees, I had 2 different DM's. Javier would only dive in shorts, where as Pedro wore a wet suit and thought Javier was nuts. I wore a Bare 5/4 mm full suit and was very comfortable and another diver who was slender, like me, wore a 3 mm full with a hooded vest. If I could feel warm wearing less, I sure would.

Something that hasn't been discussed is that different brands of computers will give different temperature readings on the exact same dive.

 

[DivingCRNA]

Well, I did just buy a used dry suit on Ebay.... LOL:errrr: :errrr:

I was a little chilled, but pretty narced in 48 degrees at 90 feet. I have gotten to the point where I am thinking I should be dry if I am yanking on the 7mm suit....

 

[jawfish]

I wear a 3mm and am very warm.