Explorer Ventures - Bahamas Question

[DeputyDan]

What thickness wet suit is needed for this liveaboard trip in December?

I am thinking of taking my daughter - I know she will wear a 7mm (she gets cold)

I was wondering about myself - I can dive a 3mm in Bonaire/Honduras/Caymans for a week (5 a day) and be fine!

 

[robint]

I would recommend you take at least a 5mm. The reason is that the Bahamas are far north of Roatan and there is a water temp difference from winter to summer there (air temp and water temp). Plus doing 4-5 dives per day drops you core temp more than you think. By the 3rd or 4th day you will be cold. Hoods and hooded vests are nice to take to layer with a 3mm if you don't have a 5mm or 7mm.

Just my 2 cents.

robin

 

[mrlipis]

Dan, I did the same trip in January of this year and I took a 5 mil. For the most part I was comfortable, however as the week went on I found myself chilling on the later dives. I started wearing my full hood and that made a dramatic difference. 7 mil suits SUCK and I would avoid at all costs. I just picked up (today) a new vest. It's a Gold something, but it keeps the water off your skin and it is very small and packable. I am going to incorporate it for dives with my 3 and or 5 mil suit. I am headed for Roatan next week and will take my 3 mil and the vest.

You will love the explorer and crew.


Bruce

 

[Darnold9999]

In a 3 mil no hood in January I was starting to get cold at the end of the second one hour dive on Grand Bahamas. I would go for the 5 mil. On Nekton in Belize I dive a 1/2 shortie until the night dive then I switch to a 3 mil full suit and am comfortable at 5 dives a day.

 

[DeputyDan]

Thanks to all!

 

[fishi]

I did the same trip in January 08. I started with a 3mm then went to a 5mm and ended with 5mm + 3mm hooded vest. I want to go next year if I do I'll leave the 3mm home, the 5mm+ vest worked well. Temps were 70-77. The diving there is some of the best I've seen. I've been to Coz, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Turks & Caicos, St John, Virgin Gorda Aruba and Providence. You will be really impressed with the diving at San Salvador. We had a good Captain he didn't screw around with check out dives at Long Island. He headed straight for San Salvador and had us there Monday morning. We stopped at Conception along the way. Conception is good but San Salvador is the highlight of that trip. I dove with mrlipis we had a great time.

 

[scubamickey]

Well, I'm a woman who gets cold very easy--I know, big surprise. I did this trip last June and I was freezing in my 3/2mm. I would have been comfortable in my 5mm. If I did this trip again in the winter I would take my 5mm Goldcore and my 3mm vest, plus my separate beanie just in case. The water temp. in January should around 75-77 degrees. If it's windy topside it will feel like 65