Help deciding in wetsuit thickness

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Will it be too hot in a 7mm in Hawaii?

As other have replied, no one can answer this type of question for YOU or anyone else but themselves. Everyone is different. Having said that, you sound like my kind of traveler, so I'll share my experience.

Big Island in February: Spent 1 week - three 2 tank dives in 4 days. Water temps 75-76º F. Wore my 3mm and was okay.

Kauai in April: Spent 1 week - three 2 tank dives in 3 days (1 of those days was shore dives.) Based on what I was reading here on SB and elsewhere about water temps, I decided to leave my wetsuit at home and rent a 5mm. A plus was not lugging my wetsuit along with the rest of my gear; the negative was that the water temps were 76-78º F. Could have easily used my own 3mm instead of the ill-fitting one I rented - I'm 6'4", 225 lbs - and been comfortable.

Big Island in Oct/Nov: Spent 2 weeks - five 2 tank dives. Water temp 82ºF. Wore 3mm wetsuit and was comfortable. A shorty would have been fine for me.,

normally dive when I travel warm water areas like Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico (Cozumel, Cenotes).

As this is my type of diving, I have both a 3mm full wetsuit and a shorty. I like to travel light, so the only thing extra I take on trips that I could wear under my wetsuit if I felt a little cold is a rash guard. There have been a few times I've just worn a rash guard and swimsuit depending on the conditions and ease of dive.

is there an option for me to use the wetsuit for both warm and cold water so I dont have to have 2 set of suits?

All I think I know about Monterey, CA is that the water is colder. If I could only get one suit, I guess my thinking would be to get one for the conditions where I will do the most diving and rent for places I go where a different suit would be better. I would also consider getting a shorty (they are pretty cheap $$) for the Caribbean locations - I take mine most places and it's fine for me - usually traveling between the months of Oct. - April. Personally, I would rule out the 7mm for all of the places you say you travel to, but again, if you do 30 dives a year and 26 of them are where you live, get a wetsuit for those conditions.
 
I mostly dive California and comfortably dived one of my cold water suits in Hawaii. It's a custom 7mm fullsuit with 5mm at the elbows and behind the knees. In California I pair that with a hooded vest that's 3mm in the chest and 5mm on the head. For Hawaii I left the hooded vest at home.

It was definitely warm in Hawaii when the water was 78, but with nothing on the head it wasn't too hot, and the warmth was really appreciated on the fourth and fifth dives of the day.

Hope that helps!
Derek & JMJ
 
Hi, I live in CA and normally dive when I travel warm water areas like Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico (Cozumel, Cenotes). I also plan to dive in cold water areas like Monterey Bay.

I’m looking for a wetsuit for my upcoming trip to Oahu and Kauai in HI. I was thinking to get the 7mm so I can also use it for Monterey Bay but people say I’ll be roasted in 7mm in HI. That leaves the options of 3 or 5 mm. Which one should I get so I can dive all seasons in those warm places I mentioned above including winter year end around xmas and new year.

is there an option for me to use the wetsuit for both warm and cold water so I dont have to have 2 set of suits? Thanks

ONLY YOU will be able to tell what works for you and what doesnt.

“is this wetsuit good for those waters?” Nobody can tell, but you.

i did my full cave course in mexico (12 days) wearing a 3mm wetsuit and a scuba pro 2.5mm hooded vest. 100+ minute dives in 24C (75F) water and i was feeling great.

Another weird answer for you: if you get yourself a dry suit you can take it everywhere and will only need different undergarments.

last weird answer: maybe you should just rent wetsuits until you finally figure out how well you can handle cold.
 
Just to throw more noise in.

Last time I was in Maui, it was October and I was perfectly comfortable in a farmer John...

But I grew up swimming in the North Sea, which ranges from cold, to very bl**dy cold.

Now I dive in Monterey in whatever suit they rent me and I'm toasty warm no matter what.
I could probably go down to something thinner... Only tried no gloves the once though, gets uncomfortable after about 20 minutes.
 
I was hoping to get some creative solution for for both warm and cold water but there seems to be none. The Scubapro Everflex 3mm is rated for 60-75F. HI temperature is 65-80 so I thin the suit should work.

Forget the manufacturer's rating. They are just trying to sell wetsuits. It is a very rare person indeed that could dive 60F water in a 3 mil suit and be even close to comfortable.

The only creative solution for extending the versatility of a wetsuit is to pair it with another garment, usually a hooded vest. I've done that with some success, and been able to use a 3 mil with a 3 mil hooded vest in situations that would be better in a 5 mil. It worked for a few years, now I just bought a new 5 mil. Eventually you will spend the money you need to be warm, all it takes is a few cold dives.

Maybe the most versatile solution is to get a good fitting 5 mil and a 3 mil (or 5 mil) hooded vest. Then you might be fairly comfortable in cool water with the 5 mil alone, you'd be a bit warm in warm water but that's tolerable, and you'd be able to get through an occasional cold water dive. As everyone else has said, it's very personal.

Fit is everything, especially around the seals. That's why they make semi-dry suits, which are basically just wetsuits with better zippers and seals. Pair those with a good hood and you can stay pretty warm. Of course, depth matters. Shallow dives mean less wetsuit compression and more insulation, deep dives mean your wetsuit gets compressed and doesn't insulate nearly as well. This is a big advantage of drysuits.
 

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