deciding which wet suit to take

[Winterpeg]

thanks, we're pretty good at packing, always take the reg/computer and camera stuff in carryon. last year when we went to hawaii, we did a week of diving at kona, then the island-hopping cruise for a week, so had to pack cruisewear on top of all the dive stuff - boy, that WAS close on the weight limit. we will be taking minimal stuff to bonaire, so it may be possible for me to take both wet suits. my husband says he is fine with just his 3 mm, so i guess it's just me whose blood is thin

 

[sullivan]

The wife and I were in Bonaire last Christmas and she often gets cold so she dove with her 5mm full wetsuit with a rashguard layer. For dives later in the day, a hood was added as a lot of heat escapes through one's head. I'm fine with a full suit in 3mm thickness but I wear a rashguard layer and like to put on a dry rash guard so we always bring 2 rashguards to swap morning and afternoon dives.

 

[diver 85]

I'd bring the 3/2 suit with a 2mm chicken vest(has a hood)......that would do it for me.......

 

[Nwcid]

I was just there the beginning of the month. I ordered a new Bare 3mm to take with me. I dove it the first day and and was too warm. I broke down and bought a long sleeve rash guard which I used for the other 16 dives that week. Water was 82*. GF was in her 3/2 the whole time.

 

[Tunaman68]

I was just there the beginning of the month. I ordered a new Bare 3mm to take with me. I dove it the first day and and was too warm. I broke down and bought a long sleeve rash guard which I used for the other 16 dives that week. Water was 82*. GF was in her 3/2 the whole time.

I had the same experience this last July. I take a 3/4 plus a vest to Coz, and after one day in Bonaire, I bought a lined skin Akona 10oz Polyolefin Dive Skin Jumpsuit AKSS156 with reviews at scuba.com at the Caribe Inn shop and used it with my vest on 24 hours worth of bottom time over a week.

YMMV. It was so hot and sticky gearing up and walking to the water that we were quickly overheating trying to make the entries. We dumped cold water on ourselves to cool off, but the skins were just way more comfortable for us.

Have fun!

 

[diver 85]

I was just there the beginning of the month. I ordered a new Bare 3mm to take with me. I dove it the first day and and was too warm. I broke down and bought a long sleeve rash guard which I used for the other 16 dives that week. Water was 82*. GF was in her 3/2 the whole time.

Problem with that is you never know when a tongue of cool water(?upper 70's) will come thru.......Has happened several times to me when we owned on Roatan & visited some in the spring of the year.....

 

[Winterpeg]

@ tunaman - thanks, i didn't really think about the issue of overheating.
luv your photo - looks like the manta ray night dive in Kona? we did that last year

 

[Reidkon]

My wife and I are in Bonaire now and did our first three dives today. Normally in Cozumel and Akumal I wear a shorty in summer and my wife wears a a 3 mil. Today I wore a full 3 mil and my wife wore her semi- dry 5 mil (which he hates). I was getting cold towards the end of all three dives but my hon was plenty warm. Tomorrow I may wear my skin under the 3 mil.

Loving the the diving here BTW!

 

[Doctorfish]

Does the skin provide any additional thermal protection or just help getting the wetsuit on and off?

 

[lmorin]

My wife and I are in Bonaire now and did our first three dives today. Normally in Cozumel and Akumal I wear a shorty in summer and my wife wears a a 3 mil. Today I wore a full 3 mil and my wife wore her semi- dry 5 mil (which he hates). I was getting cold towards the end of all three dives but my hon was plenty warm. Tomorrow I may wear my skin under the 3 mil.

Loving the the diving here BTW!

What are the water temps?