HELP Need Dive skin and bikini recommendations

[jonb347]

Hi guys. Im new here. My girlfriend and I are divers, I am more of a beginner however. Regardless, she is going to Discovery bay jamiaca for an undergraduate research program for coral reef ecology. They told her a dive skin is a good idea and she has never had one, just gone without a wetsuit or a thick one. She wants some reccomendations for a dive skin and also a better bikini to wear underneath, one with good clasps instead of a big knot. She dives with a ladyhawk bcd. The skin will need to stand up of two and a half weeks of continuous diving. Thanks!

 

[DiveMaven]

Tell your GF to check out Landsend for a great swim suit. The tops and bottoms are sold separately, so she'll be able to get a good fitting bikini. Lots of choices for strap styles, prints, and colors. The quality is outstanding and will last her for many years.

 

[jonb347]

okay thats a good start, what about an affordable but reliable dive skin?

 

[TracysaCADiver]

What about what's offered here? I bought one here and it's very comfortable. However, I have no experience in Jamaica, and I'm a male, but these skins are unisex that they offer.

Dive Skins

 

[Wookie]

My wife (full time liveaboard deckhand/Divemaster) gets all of her suits through the Venus Swimwear catalog. Although she isn't "stacked", no one likes to be exposed while trying to perform a diver rescue. All tops and bottoms are separates, so if your GF isn't shaped like a perfect 4, she can buy larger tops than bottoms or vice versa. If she is all torso, she can get high waisted suits and if she has no ass at all, she can get boy shorts.

I use a rash guard and bike shorts for all diving except for heavy duty working dives like hydraulic drilling where I can expect the reef to come up and meet me. I wear a long sleeve Colombia rash guard (brand doesn't matter) and Aeroskin shorts, which reach almost to my knees. That combo is way better suited to Caribbean diving than a one piece skin. YMMV.

 

[parzdiver]

Mares makes a very good skin (Coral) in .5mm or 1mm. My wife and I both have one and they have served us very well. They have a wide range of women's sizes (4-16), and are stretchy enough to fit different shapes.

 

[asha]

Victoria's Secret also does bikini separates and frequently has a lot of stuff on sale. I have a Pinnacle lycra skin that has held up nicely over the years.

 

[drl]

Title Nine is also a great source for bathing suits (all kinds--one piece, tankinis and bikinis) that are designed to stay put in active use. Athleta is another. Both are catalogs but have retail stores in some areas.
Can't help with the dive skin, sorry!

 

[Splitlip]

My wife (full time liveaboard deckhand/Divemaster) gets all of her suits through the Venus Swimwear catalog. Although she isn't "stacked", no one likes to be exposed while trying to perform a diver rescue. All tops and bottoms are separates, so if your GF isn't shaped like a perfect 4, she can buy larger tops than bottoms or vice versa. If she is all torso, she can get high waisted suits and if she has no ass at all, she can get boy shorts.

I use a rash guard and bike shorts for all diving except for heavy duty working dives like hydraulic drilling where I can expect the reef to come up and meet me. I wear a long sleeve Colombia rash guard (brand doesn't matter) and Aeroskin shorts, which reach almost to my knees. That combo is way better suited to Caribbean diving than a one piece skin. YMMV.

Frank: I'm going to respectfully disagree. There is more to exposure protection than just water temps, fire coral and bristle worms. The greatest danger IMO is uv rays. There are also sea lice and jellies, but the sun is the enemy. I've been diving the Keys since the early 70's and actually married a real live conch of English Irish decent. Redhead. She and her mother have been getting carcinomas cut out as long as I've known them.
As a new resident, be careful.
Constant fight to get my daughter to wear protection.

 

[Wookie]

Didn't think about that, Tim. I'm about as ginger as they come, and my long sleeve rash guard has an SPF of 57. I don't seem to burn much on my lower legs, but I'm inside most of the day. My dermatologist is a true sadist. He cuts about 5 of those pesky buggers off every year. He smiles when I whimper.