Diving in a non-diving wetsuit

[Razmataz78]

My new wetsuit just arrived: An O'neill Reactor 3/2 mil

The fits is great (which is more a less a miracle when you are 6'7 and 200 lb) and I got it really cheap. I know that it isn't exactly top of the line, but I was still a bit surprised when I saw on the inside of the wetsuit: "This wetsuit is not intended to be used for the sport of diving"

I realize that the neopren is probably going to compress more than in a more expensive suit and hence not insulate quite as much - that doesn't really bother me since I'll be using it in the Red Sea in August - but other than that:

How is diving in this "Non-diving wetsuit" going to kill me?

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

It most likely doesn't have any seals at the neck, wrists, or ankles which will allow more water to enter the suit, but shouldn't be a big deal in the warm water.

 

[jefffalcone]

It won't keep you warm. I used a 3/2 designed for surfing diving in the warm waters of Belize, and I was cold. It isn't designed to perform under pressure and it will compress to the point that it isn't much better than a rash guard. If you have a high tollerance for cold, like those perple who dive in a tee shirt in warm water, then you'll be fine. If, like me, you don't like being at all cold, return it and get a diving wetsuit. If you hunt for deals, you should be able to find a good 3 mil for about $60.

 

[Noboundaries]

My wife dives tropical with the 3/2 O'Neill Epic, a surf suit. It is basically a thicker dive skin. What she really loves about the suit though is the additional flexibilily from the surfer designed panel construction as opposed to the fewer panels on the dive suits. 77*F and above she wears the suit and a skin or just the suit.

 

[mempilot]

The neoprene used in that type of suit is a different grade from that used in diving suits. I used to water ski in the Midwest, and when I moved to FL years ago, I used a 2mm shorty from my lake days. The ski suits are made to basically be splash proof to keep the cold water spray off the skin. When diving, you want minimal flow through the suit so the body warms the barrier layer. The drawback? You won't be as warm as if you used a dive suit. However, it will still protect you from 'rash'.

 

[Razmataz78]

Thanks for all the replies!

With two dives a day, I think I'll be okay in the wet suit when it comes to warmth. The Red Sea is really warm in august - The water is 79-84*F (26-29* Celsius) and air is around 100*F or more

Another problem I thought about was buoyancy: A cheap wetsuit that compresses more, should - in theory - mean that I would have to make more adjustments to my buoyancy when going up or down. But is that really an actual problem with a 3/2 mil wetsuit?

- Getting a nice dive suit for 60 $ sound great, and if that was a possibility, I would definitely do it. But, in my case that won't happen for two reasons:
1: I am tall (6'7) and fairly thin - You won't find many special sizes on sale - my local stores don't even have special sizes (which leads me to...)
2: I live in Denmark - Dive shops in Denmark are ridiculousy expensive. A cheap 3 mil wetsuit is more like 250-300 $ here (and I would have to order it without trying it on)

- Oh and I made a search (not that I would ever pose a question without doing an extensive search before :no) Turns out that quite a lot of people on SB have been using an O'neill Reactor - and liked it (I guess they never noticed the note about not using it for diving :blinking:

 

[Noboundaries]

So many factors affect buoyancy that the general guideline formulas are best supplemented by dive experience in your own gear. The compression of a 3/2, surf or dive, isn't going to make that big a difference. When you're diving your own gear you can really get it dialed in, but then you find yourself using less and less weight as you get more experienced. We're still subtracting weight.

 

[ektess1]

I use a 3 mil suit designed for kayaking to dive in south florida. I only use it in the winter. It is a farmer john with velcro shoulder straps and zippered legs. Plenty warm for me. Of cource I don't get cold easily. I have been in swim trunks for a month. It works well for me. I have not noticed a lot of bouyanyce problems. That may be because my suit is ten years old and already totally broken down. It works for me and I love the ease of getting in and out of itl

 

[Chewie07]

My wife and I just dove in the red sea in May with identical surface, water and weather temps as you described.

I used a o'neill 3/2 "hammer" which is at least 5 years old.

I was completely comfortable during all my dives!

 

[miketsp]

The compression variation with depth of a surfing 3mm or 3/2 is still probably far less than my diving 7mm or as many people dive 5+5mm. So don't worry about it.