Exposure for Caribbean

[Samsee]

hi all.

I'm trying to decide what wet suit i should take with me when diving in the Caribbean. i'll be diving in Cozumel and Grand Cayman in early April doing two tank dives at both sites.

My options are :-
a shortie
3 mm full
or my mares 5/4/3 full.

I want something that will give me some protection from bumps and scrapes mainly as i know the water should be pretty warm.

What do you guys think? what are your experiences

Thanks

 

[BoltSnap]

3 mm full

The ^^^^^^ is what you will need.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The common reply in all of these "what suit should I wear" threads is "Do you get cold easily?" Some people are more cold-tolerant than others. Canadians on here wear next to nothing in the Caribbean, as far as I can tell. Me, I typically wear a 3mm at any time of year except in the dead of "winter" (Dec-Jan), when I would wear a 5/4. I ALWAYS wear a full suit, never a shorty, for the reason you mentioned: avoiding scrapes, stings, etc.

Another factor is how many dives per day and for how many days in a row. If you do four dives a day for a week, you'll likely find your cold tolerance decreasing as the week goes on.

 

[rongoodman]

Just doing two dives a day, I would take the 3mm. On a liveaboard I would be a little more careful checking out the water temps for that time of year in advance, because I would be planning on five dives daily.

 

[Bubblesong]

I thought I’d enjoy the easy to don shorty, but got terrible sunburn. I only use shorty for hotel pool workouts now. 3mm is the choice in cooler Caribbean temps, a full rashguard in warmer temps.
Also, if you go Jet ski or windsurf or something that will wash off sunscreen lotion, full rash guard is a good idea.

 

[seadweller]

I think a 3mm would be adequate , and a rash guard is always a good idea .
Sea Dwellers

 

[BertStevens]

I’m doing 2 weeks this summer in Cozumel. I plan on using a shorty but also taking my 3mm full suit in case I get colder the second week.

 

[mi000ke]

There is no way for someone to tell you what exposure suit to wear. Only you know what you should wear, guided by your experience in different water temps. In April the water temp in Grand Cayman will be in the low 80s. I have been on a dive boat in the Caymans (and I've posted this story in what seems to be about 30 other "what exposure suit should I wear" threads) where on the same dive with water temps in the 80s there were people diving in bathing suits, 3mm shorties, 5 mm full (me), and a dry suit! So I guess based on what others wear, you should wear something between nothing and a dry suit. Me, I get cold easily and always wear a 5mm between 70 and 88 degrees. (I don't dive in water colder than 70, and have never dived in water warmer than 88). And fwiw, I was diving with two buddies yesterday off Grand Cayman - water temp 81 - and one of our buddies ascended at 40 minutes (of a 65 minute dive for the rest of us) because she was cold, and she was wearing a 3mm full suit. Also, fwiw, I've done about 10 dives here over the last couple of weeks (water temp last couple of weeks has been 79) and have gotten a lot of "I wish I had your 5mm suit" comments from divers in just rash guards and 3mm shorties.

 

[KeithG]

There is no way for someone to tell you what exposure suit to wear. Only you know what you should wear, guided by your experience in different water temps. In April the water temp in Grand Cayman will be in the low 80s. I have been on a dive boat in the Caymans (and I've posted this story in what seems to be about 30 other "what exposure suit should I wear" threads) where on the same dive with water temps in the 80s there were people diving in bathing suits, 3mm shorties, 5 mm full (me), and a dry suit! So I guess based on what others wear, you should wear something between nothing and a dry suit. Me, I get cold easily and always wear a 5mm between 70 and 88 degrees. (I don't dive in water colder than 70, and have never dived in water warmer than 88). And fwiw, I was diving with two buddies yesterday off Grand Cayman - water temp 81 - and one of our buddies ascended at 40 minutes (of a 65 minute dive for the rest of us) because she was cold, and she was wearing a 3mm full suit. Also, fwiw, I've done about 10 dives here over the last couple of weeks (water temp last couple of weeks has been 79) and have gotten a lot of "I wish I had your 5mm suit" comments from divers in just rash guards and 3mm shorties.

Agreed. ymWv.

For years I used a 7mm long sleeved shorty. I then replaced it with a 5mm shorty. Current suit is a 3mm full length. Which I tossed aside and did a week of 3 dives a day in just my swim suit on a recent trip in Utilla.

It is all about cold tolerance, current water temps and length of exposure to water.

No size fits all.

 

[Damselfish]

I think a full suit is always a good idea. Beyond that, as has been said many times, only you can know what thickness you need. Personally I would be wearing a skin - 1mm neoprene, or lately sharkskin/lavacore. Maybe with my 3mm vest, or maybe not. It sounds like you are diving a couple days from a cruise rather than repetitively diving for a whole week in which case the "progressively getting colder" possibility probably doesn't apply..

Having a skin of some sort in your wardrobe, even just lycra or the thinner versions of sharkskin, might be handy if you are someone who doesn't need a lot. They're an easy thing to pack, and most places rent shorties. So you can wear the skin with a rental shorty over for more insulation if needed, while avoiding the ick factor of rental suits. Obviously you'd take your own suit(s) on a mainly dive trip, but for just a few dives on a cruise where you'll probably need to pack more actual clothes it's an idea.