Galapagos Wetsuit-January

[itsjustme0770]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice from someone who has been to the galapagos. We are doing the aggressor in January and I'd like thoughts on what wet suit you have used. Better yet if it was during a January trip as I understand temperatures vary fairly dramatically. But all advice/info is welcome.

Haven't done much/any cold/cooler water diving, but dive Utila/Cayman/Bahamas/Turks without a wetsuit at all when I am there. I am considering some of the 6-7mm semidry's but would appreciate any and all thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

 

[Guy Carrier]

Trey,

When we were there in September (the coldest month - see General Climate conditions in Galapagos) we brought Hendersen 7/5 full wetsuits and Mares 5mm hooded vests along with 5mm gloves with (I think) Kevlar palms and wore our usual heavy (5mm) booties. In the southern islands the water was colder than Jacque and I had ever been in (64-68F) and I wore the 7/5 with a separate 3mm hood (no 5mm hooded vest) and the gloves. Jacque wore the full deal, 7/5 wetsuit, 5mm hooded vest, and gloves. I was comfortable once the initial water entry shock was completed and Jacque was as comfortable as someone who is always cold could be under the circumstances (she wears a full 5mm and beanie in 80 degree water in the Caribbean in the summer and gets cold by the third dive of the day).

Once we went north to Wolf and Darwin I switched to my 3mm full and ditched the hood (the water was 75-78F). It was great to be out of all of the neoprene and lead. Jacque kept wearing the same 7/5 wetsuit and hooded vest and gloves. We did one dive that was deep at the anchorage at Wolf so we could see the red-lipped batfish that hang out there and at about 80 feet there was a thermocline that dropped the water temp from 70F to 54F in about two feet of depth. I was in my 3mm full and that was a very short dive for us (15 min) once we saw our first five or ten batfish.

So, to recap, you really need some heavy gloves with a lined palm, other people's plain gloves were getting ripped to shreds while ours were unphased and there is a lot of just hanging on to the lava rocks on the shelf involved in Galapagos diving particularly at Wolf and Darwin. Very different than any diving we've done elsewhere. Also, depending on if you're cold or warm by nature anything from a 7mm wetsuit with a 5mm hooded vest to a 3mm could be suitable depending on if you're in the northern or southern islands.

I am very envious that you still have this very special trip in front of you. Please tell us about your experiences when you get back. Also what has been determined about the diving operations in Galapagos after the first of the year, dive tours only or land tours only??

Have fun in Utila before you go,

Guy

 

[beepbird]

7mm wetsuit even during their summer.

I was there in Jan-Feb (their summer) and I dove with my 7 mm plus hooded vest. I get cold. The air surface temperature could get as hot as the 90's but the Humbolt Current brings some cold upwellings which is why the area has so much interesting wildlife.

Lindy

 

[itsjustme0770]

Thanks to both you. This will be very helpful. We'll give you a full report when we return, but so far are told that the Aggressor will be permitted to go to Wolf and Darwin and also do land tours. We'll confirm on our return.