At what water temp do you guys typically go with a dry suit? Is it a bad idea to use a 7mm wet suit in temps in the mid to upper 50's? Are all 7mm wet suits created equal? Are there 7mm wet suits out there that keep you warmer than the average?
Dry Suits
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David_57
Contributor
IHO I never use a 7 mil wet if I need more than 5 mil its a dry suit dive, having said that any time the water temp is in the 70's I use a 5 mil wet if it less than an hour.
ScubaSteve
Wow.....what a DB
I have hundreds of 7mm wetsuit dives ranging from 35° (HOLY EFF is that cold) to 77° (even without a hood and gloves this was too warm). 7mm at 50+ degrees is 100% up to your personal tolerance for the cold. I was comfortable above about 55° up to 70°. Below about 68° I always wore a hood/gloves. Now I dive dry and all you have to do is adjust your undergarments to match the water temperature. Any warm water travel diving will remain in my 3+3 wetsuit.
BTW, the reason I went dry is because I could no longer enjoy dives that were less than 50° and that is all year round at some sites/depths and definitely early/late year around here. So dry was the smart choice for me. Your answer may be different.
BTW, the reason I went dry is because I could no longer enjoy dives that were less than 50° and that is all year round at some sites/depths and definitely early/late year around here. So dry was the smart choice for me. Your answer may be different.
Dragon Eye
Contributor
For me, anything under 56 degrees or so is drysuit territory. In all honesty you can wear it all the time if you have a shell and can adjust your layers underneath according to temp.
BioLogic
Contributor
I'm kind of a cold weenie, but I go dry at about 68 F. Warmer than that, I'm ok with a 5 mm and hood. I often do multiple dives on these days, for total down times better than two hours -- it's not the first dive that gets me, it's the third one.
a22shady
Contributor
Its up to you. They're are people who dive wet all the time all temps and its doesn't bother them. Everyone has there own cold tolerances. I would think anything under 55F would requre a little more then just a 7MM wetsuit. Most people who dive colder have a farmer john style so it;s more like a 14mm in the core and 7mm in arms and legs. For me I dive dry all the time. If water is 80 or 40f I like my drysuit. and if its something you goin to use all the time you can either wear more or less under neath to match the water temp to your comfort level
First, all 7 mm suits are not created equal for a couple of reasons. One reason is the neoprene itself - there are varying qualities and some of the new super-stretchy varieties while easier to don tend to compress more at depth losing some insulation value. Secondly getting a good quality vs el-cheapo wetsuit will, in most cases, result in a better fit which, in turn results in less water flushing through and a warmer, happier you.
I've dived in a 7mm suit & hooded vest in 41°F water and it's an experience I'd rather not repeat. In the middle of June I dived the same rig in 58° water and was very comfortable (albeit feeling a bit bulky).
Now that I treated myself to a Whites Fusion I plan is to dive dry all year 'round (except if i happen to be in nice warm Caribbean waters).
I've dived in a 7mm suit & hooded vest in 41°F water and it's an experience I'd rather not repeat. In the middle of June I dived the same rig in 58° water and was very comfortable (albeit feeling a bit bulky).
Now that I treated myself to a Whites Fusion I plan is to dive dry all year 'round (except if i happen to be in nice warm Caribbean waters).
We have divers who dive wet in Puget Sound, although most of them eventually do move to a dry suit. They tend to use a 7 mm Farmer John type setup, so they have 14 mm of neoprene around their core. Our water temperatures range from mid 50's in summer to mid 40's in winter (you don't see very many wetsuit divers out in the winter, but there are a few).
From my recent experience on a SoCal liveaboard, I'd say that wetsuit divers can manage 50 degree water in a 7 mil suit, but they will do short dives, and they will not do as many of them as someone in a dry suit will do in a day.
Me? I'm dry at 81 degrees
From my recent experience on a SoCal liveaboard, I'd say that wetsuit divers can manage 50 degree water in a 7 mil suit, but they will do short dives, and they will not do as many of them as someone in a dry suit will do in a day.
Me? I'm dry at 81 degrees
Have you tried semi-dry?
They're a pain to get on and have an added problem of being pretty much dry during the dive, so can present a problem for pee'ing.
And they're super buoyant.
They're a pain to get on and have an added problem of being pretty much dry during the dive, so can present a problem for pee'ing.
And they're super buoyant.
Up until now the line has been the low 70s for me, but now that I have a DUI Tropical dry suit, which I haven't as yet had wet, that line might shift upwards. The 5mm was OK for a couple of hours in the cenotes this spring, which run a constant 76. Last week in Lake Ontario it was in the high 40s on the wrecks, and I was wishing for 400 gm Thinsulate.
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