Florida springs - No wetsuit or 1mm skin

[The Wanderer]

Do any of you dive the Florida springs without a wetsuit, or maybe with only a 0.5 - 1 mm skin? Or perhaps a 3 mm shortie?

I am a big guy and kinda hard to fit with an off-the-rack wetsuit and as a new diver I don't really want to buy a whole closetfull of wet suits.

What is your experience in the springs and/or what have you seen other big guys wearing? :06:

Edit: My main problem with buying a wetsuit is my large ex-football player type shoulders that are hard to fit with the off-the rack wetsuits. Too tight... too tight.... won't zip up.

 

[mgdive]

Do any of you dive the Florida springs without a wetsuit, or maybe with only a 0.5 - 1 mm skin? Or perhaps a 3 mm shortie?

I am a big guy and kinda hard to fit with an off-the-rack wetsuit and as a new diver I don't really want to buy a whole closetfull of wet suits.

What is your experience in the springs and/or what have you seen other big guys wearing? :06:

The north florida springs are around 68-72 deg year round which is alot colder than most people think. I've never seen any diver be comfortable in anything less than 3 mil for any reasonable duration. When not diving dry, I use a 3.5 john and top. The nice thing about the john is you can wear the bottom or the top individually if you don't need as much exposure protection, or both for situations when you are more apt to chill.

 

[baitedstorm]

Every summer when I was a kid we went to my Aunt's farm up in High Springs, Fl. and I'll tell you, I dont know the name of the spring we all swam in, but that water was freezing cold... Beautifully crystal clear, I remember standing on the rocks looking down and it seemed like it was just a few feet deep but once you hit it, the water would be well over head. Know that this is the preception of a child (since I've not been there since I was a kid) we could only stay in the water for a short time before feeling like we were gonna freeze wearing just our bathing suits.... I couldn't imagine wearing only a skin...... brrrrrrrrr!!!

 

[norymeoreason41]

eeekk...I can't imagine diving the springs around here with no wetsuit. Unless you have skin WAY thicker than mine, I wouldn't recommend it!

 

[scubaranger]

I dove with 3MM in a spring in Dominican Republic it was cold but not unbearable. I also use this wet suit for my dives in they keys and it gives me the protection I like.I'm glad I didn't buy a shorty this 3mm has been very versatile for me.

 

[Pauline]

I second the opinions here. Definitely 3mm shorty or more, or you won't be so comfy after some time.

(I even got chilled in the shorty, so next time I'm bringing my full 3mm.)

 

[Gibbon]

Last weekend at the Ginnie springs SB party, there were 2 people who dove with just swim trunks on.
They were larger people, and seemed to do just fine with no "additional" thermal protection.
You may or may not be good with just a 1mil, or just a bathing suit, but I'm not. It's all a matter of you.

 

[Wendy]

Even if you are a big guy and can tolerate the chilly spring waterI would worry bout hypothermia, is that the right one, i get hypo and hyper mixed up, but you know what I mean, getting too cold and causing problems. Once you get in the water you will get used to it without any exposure protection. I usually wear a 3mm farmer john with a 3mm long sleeve shorty and I can spend 2 hours in the springs before I get really too cold.

Invest in a custon made wet suit if you have to, if you live here in Florida and plan on going to the springs then it would be a good investment.

 

[scubafool]

I get cold in my 2.5 mil shorty underneath my 3 mil full in about 30 minutes if I am not very active, but I can get 50 minutes or more if I am really active. As far as diving springs without a wetsuit, if you are large you might get away with it. As Gibbon noted, there were two of the group @ Ginnie diving without neoprene. Not me, tho! I am thinking of buying a 5 mil with a hooded vest befroe I take my cavern class.

 

[CBulla]

I resemble being called a larger diver, in what respect do you mean?! :lol:

I dove in a swimsuit and very much enjoyed my dives without the need for any of that neoprene cowboy outfit stuff, the water was quite comfortable and I never registered anything below 72 degrees!