Diving Hawai'i - wetsuit choices

[Scottri]

I use a 3mm shorty. I never get cold over there. I'm used to the Pacific Northwest where the water temp is 45 to 50 all year so 80 seems like bath water to me. It's all what you are used to.

 

[sharky60]

I've used 3mil. shorties, 3mil. full and 1 mil full w/a rash shirt under it and have been fine with all. (in April & May), I prefer the full suit for coral protection.

I'm still carrying coral scars on my knees from 20+ years ago before I even had a wet suit and would rather not add to the collection.

 

[sdr_adam]

Thanks for all the advice, folks. I was leaning towards the 4/3, but I just signed up for a night manta ray dive with Jack's, and the second dive of that trip involves kneeling on a rocky bottom while looking for manta rays. (Mmm, touristy!) They strongly recommend a full suit for this dive, so... there you go. 4/3 full suit it is.

 

[Scubagolf]

4/3 is a good choice. I always dive a 3 mm full in Hawaii, where the water temps are usually 76-78 degrees. BTW, the Kona Manta Ray Night Dive is no tourist event. You'll be wondering when the High Priestess from Close Encounters is going to arrive. May good fortune deliver many Mantas for your dive.

 

[mack50md]

Did a few dives in Waikiki last October, 3MM full suit with no hood worked out fine for me.

 

[scubamickey]

I agree that it depends. I dove in Late December off of Oahu in a shorty and was perfectly comfortable. Only a 2 tank dive, though and not below 60 feet.

 

[wetrat]

Thanks for all the advice, folks. I was leaning towards the 4/3, but I just signed up for a night manta ray dive with Jack's, and the second dive of that trip involves kneeling on a rocky bottom while looking for manta rays.

Just did the night manta dive in July with Kona Coast Divers (in a 3mm shorty BTW, but wish I'd had a full 3 mm). Scubagolf is right - it's a life changing experience I kid you not.

 

[ridindiver]

Ok, so a 4/3 was decided, but what about a 5/3? Is that too warm for Hawaiian waters? The temps I have been looking at are between 72-80 degrees F.

 

[tep]

We dove Kona area with Jack's earlier this year, bottom temps about 80F. I wore a full suit with hood the first dive of the first day, and switched to the 3mm shorty with no hood for the next 3 days.

Did the night Manta dive with full suit, and (I think) Jack's recommends wearing a hood in case a Manta scrapes too close overhead, but I might have that backwards.

We're from San Diego, so used to colder water, and one of us was a novice diver with < 10 dives at the beginning...

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Ok, so a 4/3 was decided, but what about a 5/3? Is that too warm for Hawaiian waters? The temps I have been looking at are between 72-80 degrees F.

Nicely researched! Cold water wet suit divers will be fine in a 3mm full for winter, shorty for summer. Dry divers would add hooded vest in winter and stay full in summer. Same goes for more insulated divers vs those with no personal insulation.

If you plan on more than 2 dives per day or many days in a row, thicker is better. I am fine in 3mm full in summer (diving every day). In the winter I prefer at least 5mm, currently looking for a 4/5/6 or so.

It depends on the time of year, for the most part ocean temps are the same state wide and vary only a little with depth. 72 is Feb deep, 80-81 might be April-October, some sites run a little warmer or a little colder. Global warming seems to have brought temps up a little in the last few years.