Drysuit recommendations for Florida?

[Divin'Papaw]

Let me throw in my thoughts. I'm not a native Floridian but I've lived here full time for 5+ years now. My blood has thinned as much as all the locals! I get cold easily and hate being cold. I also own two perfectly usable drysuits from my days diving up north. I've worn a drysuit in Florida a grand total of once in 5 years and that time it wasn't really necessary. I wore it as much to keep up my drysuit diving skills. I honestly have no plans to wear one again. I've been thinking of selling them actually.

I dive wet 100% of the time and I layer as needed. I have a 3mm and a 5mm wetsuit as well as a Sharkskin hooded vest. When the water gets down into the mid 70s and lower I will be in my Bare 5mm with the hooded vest underneath. I find that works well for two 60 min dives down into the low 70s. The Sharkskin hooded vests are nice because they are neutrally buoyant and have a wind-resistant outer layer. That helps slow adiabatic cooling between dives. I may eventually get a 7mm for when the water is even colder, but given the current supply chain challenges, now is not a good time to buy anything made out of neoprene if you don't have to.

Also, as has been mentioned many times, a boat coat is a MUST. They make a HUGE difference between dives and after your last dive. I don't board a boat in the fall-winter without mine.

 

[CosbySweater]

A 5mm with a 5/3 hood or a 7mm with the same hood should do you well in the winter in S. FL, and for far less than a drysuit. Pair them with a nice fleece hoodie/jacket/boat coat and you'll be fine during the SIs. Staying warm in S. Florida doesn't have to cost $4,000......

 

[formernuke]

Geez 2,000 for a suit?! Seems a little overkill 0_0

For that kind of money I'd be best just sucking up the cold lmao

That includes the undergarments, plan 400-500 for those alone including a good base layer.

My personal MTM suit was 4.6k alone and cost have gone up. You can get suits for less as pointed out but either way plan 2k with the undergarments on the low end. You might be able to go less.

 

[lexvil]

As a 95%+ dry suit diver let me recommend avoiding a drysuit if possible! Go rent some of the better semi dry suits and see if 5 or 7 does the trick. I have a Hollis neotek 8/7 semi that I don’t use much unless I hit SoCal, a wet suit offers so much more freedom of movement, less bulk and just a lot less crap to haul around.

do the s I mitigation strategies discussed earlier to keep as warm as possible between dives.

 

[Marie13]

That includes the undergarments, plan 400-500 for those alone including a good base layer.

My personal MTM suit was 4.6k alone and cost have gone up. You can get suits for less as pointed out but either way plan 2k with the undergarments on the low end. You might be able to go less.

@SubNeo

FormerNuke and I are pretty much year round serious cold water divers. He’s in New England and I’m in the Great Lakes region. That makes a big difference in what one is willing to shell out for exposure protection (and gear).

 

[formernuke]

@SubNeo

FormerNuke and I are pretty much year round serious cold water divers. He’s in New England and I’m in the Great Lakes region. That makes a big difference in what one is willing to shell out for exposure protection (and gear).

And I thought it was just because it came in purple.

 

[SubNeo]

@SubNeo

FormerNuke and I are pretty much year round serious cold water divers. He’s in New England and I’m in the Great Lakes region. That makes a big difference in what one is willing to shell out for exposure protection (and gear).

Haha, I'd die in water that cold.

 

[SubNeo]

Wait there are semidry drysuits... I truly don't think the water is cold enough in Florida for even me to "need" to dive dry...

Maybe this is an option if I can't survive in a 7mm. Plus, I would only need to buy more weight. No training, no additional hoses, no "managing another air bubble."

 

[formernuke]

I'm expecting a nice warm 55 degrees tonight.

In all seriousness I would try a 7mm with hood and gloves first for those temps.

Don't get me wrong I love my drysuits but might be overkill in your region. If the 7mm doesn't work then go dry.

 

[SubNeo]

I'm expecting a nice warm 55 degrees tonight.

In all seriousness I would try a 7mm with hood and gloves first for those temps.

Don't get me wrong I love my drysuits but might be overkill in your region. If the 7mm doesn't work then go dry.

I see some semidrysuits online that people are claiming keep them warm at 40 farenheit. Are semi-drysuits good? Seems a good "mid tier" semidry is about $600, and I would only need to buy some more weight.

Do the hoods follow the same mm patterns as the wetsuits? Right now I have 2mm gloves.