Ever "too cold" in the Caribbean?

[nvert]

I did a liveaboard in the Bahamas Dec 10-17, 2005. Air temps were consistently upper 70s-mid 80s but with the consent sea breezes I cooled off rather quickly after the dive. The water however was 80 at the surface and dropped to a mere 79 at depth (109' was my deepest reading).

However, I can say this, I get cold easily even with my 5/4 fullsuit with a 1mm hooded vest the chill hit me by the second day. Although I never got the cold shakes underwater while swimming, I did get them when I was hanging on my safety stops. Of course this is 5 dives a day 5 days in a row. You're bound to get chilled without proper exposure protection, especially if their is a breeze on the surface that will further cool you down which is typical for December. It was sunny all week except for one day of clouds.

I'm going again March 4-11. I expect the water temps to be a degree cooler due to the winter so I'm bringing a Bare 5mm zipped hood/vest combo and a 7/6 mm fullsuit to use *if necessary*. When diving this time of the year in the Carib, you need layers to suit the varied conditions. Although a PITA to pack, better be safe than sorry. I also suggest for you to bring warm clothing to change into once out of your wetsuit. But then again I do get cold easily and getting cold makes for no fun. Drinking hot herbal tea during your SI helps as well.

Happy diving!

 

[bertschb]

You'll be fine. Bring a full 3mm if you don't get cold easily. If you do get cold easily, bring a full 5mm. I'm leaving for Roatan tomorrow. The water is 78 degrees right now and I get cold at 78 degrees with the 3mm full suit so I'm bringing the 5mm this year. Should be perfect!

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Just got back from Coz. water temp was 80deg F. I skin dived on the sunny days but one day it rained and the air and water temp dropped so i put on a 3mm and I was really comfortable.

Diving Coz last October, it was WONDERFUL!! But one one dive, a squall came up and between being damp, in the wind, and the rain and sea spray, I began to shiver a little. Of course, the cure for that was to jump back into the bathtub-warm water for the second dive.

 

[dvrliz1]

Hi! Bonaire air temperature averages 82° F. Year round. Right now it is getting in the mid to high eighties, but the tradewinds make it extremely comfortable. Nights are terrific. Our water temperature right now varies for 82-84°F. In the summer months it can get as high as 86°F. In the winter months, because I get cold easily, I use an insulated skin and it works wonders. In the summer months, usually just a t-shirt with my bathing suit.

 

[devolution365]

I was in St Thomas in mid Jan and the water temp was 80*F. I was very comfortable in a 3mm shorty, even with a windy, overcast, cool SI.

2 days later we were in Nassau swimming (no wetsuit) from the beach and the water temp was more like 68-70. Brr...

-Erica

 

[mikerault]

I've dove in Turks and Caicos in Dec/Jan in just a triweight dive skin and in a 3 mm full. Both were comfortable in the water. The triweight was easier to don and dried quicker. The 3mm was definately hot when I was on the surface in the sun. Of course I have a bit of "insulation" (just a little fluffy) in fact my avatar is from a Dec dive in TC and I am just wearing the triweight. The answer is, it depends. If you are the one complaining the thermostat is too low, then do at least 3mm, if you complain it is too high, then a dive skin.

Mike

 

[Divebuddies]

My wife and I just got back from Bonaire where the water temps were 78-80F. I don't think the water temps have changed much, if at all, since Xmas. My wife runs cold so she brought her 5mm wetsuit and was comfortable during every dive. I wore a 2mm shorty for most of my dives and I was fine. One day, I decided to do a couple of shore dives with a 50min surface interval in a rash guard and it got a little chilly for me towards the end of the second dive. As others have said, how cold you feel is subjective, but many of the female divers I met on Bonaire were wearing full 5mm, 5/3, or the 3mm Henderson Insta-dry. I think if you need anything more than a full 5mm in 78-80F water, you might want to check out a dry suit.

 

[blawler1]

Unlike Bahamas and Cozumel that are far enough north to get winter "nortes" which can blow out dive days and chill the place down, the ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao lie at about 12 degrees N just off the cost of Venazuela and are primarily influenced by weather systems from S. America.

My wife and I have visited Aruba and Bonaire a combined 10 times between December and February and the lowest water temperature we have ever encountered was 79f, the warmest 84f and the usual hovering around 81f and 82f.

As far as the weather, other than quick moving short duration rain storms which blow through (typically in 30 minutes or less) during the winter months, you are guaranteed highs in the mid 80s, lows at night in the mid 70s and a comfortable trade wind of 12 to 15 knots

 

[aprils0909]

This is all GOOD STUFF! Thanks

 

[LavaSurfer]

This is all GOOD STUFF! Thanks

I dive the Carib in the winter with a polar fleece lined diveskin. It’s not Neoprene so its not very good at insulating. It works for me but there are times I wish I would have had a 3mm shorty over the skin.

I was in Roatan in January and the weather was rainy. The temps would go from 70 to 83 in an hour but underwater it was 81 degrees all the time. You could get a little chilled on the boat so take a nice jacket and keep it in a dry bag.

I was in Cayman in February and it was chilly. During the cloudy or rainy times it would drop to the mid 70's and cool down then the sun would come out and it was HOT! Hit the mid to high 80's and cook ya. Be ready for anything in the winter. The potential for HOT is there as well as cool. The sun will fry you regardless to have sunscreen.

Water temp in the Caymans was 78 Degrees (Coolest of the year) and many in my group got chilled after the first dives. I was OK under water but the boat rides get a bit nippy if it’s raining or the sun goes behind the clouds.

We got caught in a nasty downpour and 30 MPH winds coming back from the North Wall. It was only a 15 minute ride but I thought I was going to freeze to death. Had it not been for thousands of jellies I would have jumped in the water at the marina to warm up but the jellies won and I took a long hot shower later that day.

I hope my experiences help some.


Scooter