Do you have to use a wet suit?

[Licensed to Creel]

A WS isn't necessary. We dive the Keys every August. The water temp is like bath water down to about 30ft. Deeper than that you might consider one. Skins are great protection but something to consider. July and August in the Keys can be brutally hot. Make sure you don't put them on too soon or you will be taking a chance on overheating before you enter the water. Shorts and a T-shirt work fine for me but that's me. Everyone has a different comfort zone. Regardless of water temp, after one or more dives the water will drain your body of warmth. Most Keys diving is pretty shallow. Take some skins along and adjust to your comfort level.

 

[coachpill]

Diving will chill you. Any water cooler than roughly body temperature will chill you to some degree so if doing 3-4 dives a day which is perfectly possibly you'll get gradually colder throughout the day, especially if the air temperature is low or its windy and so on.
I wore a 3mm full suit in the keys in July and was getting very cold by the end of dive 3 on a day. If i ever go there again i'll be taking my 5mm semi.

Don't underestimate how easily even "warm" water can cool you down.

Best advice - go to someone that has a good stock or offers made to measure and get a wetsuit that fits properly.

By the way...I almost broke the screen on my laptop trying to kill that bug!!!

 

[coachpill]

I dive the Keys in mid summer with what I'm wearing right now...swim suit and tee shirt. At 85-88 degree temps, I don't need anything. I wore a 3mm shorty in November in Key Largo last year and it was great (80-82 degrees). But summer? Sometimes I dive with a tee shirt...sometimes without.