How cold with a 7mm?

[longshotgene]

I just bought my 7mm wetsuit. What temperature of water would you feel comfortable diving in with this suit? The seams are all taped and sealed. It has the double seal in the legs and arms. I want to hit the quarries, but I don't want to freeze if this suit is no adequate. Also, should I stick to 7mm gloves, hood, etc?

 

[tbone1004]

I dive a 5mm down to mid 50's for OW. It's miserable but oh well. With a 7mm like what you're describing I'd easily take it down to mid 40's and be comfortable. I don't like thick gloves, but thick hoods are awesome. I use 3mm gloves down to 40 ish. Northeast Scuba Supply had and may still have the DiveRite drysuit hoods for like $15. No collar to deal with but still really warm.

 

[Crush]

I dove a 7 mm two-piece with thick gloves and a hood in water ranging between 1 C (34F) and 10 C (50F). You won't be able to stay in as long as someone in a drysuit, but you can do the dive comfortably enough. Initially when you jump in the water entering your suit to fill the voids will be very cold. I'd recommend an insulated container (such as a camping cooler) filled with very warm (but not hot) water and a pitcher be used to pre-fill wetsuit before you enter the water.

The thing that I don't like about wetsuit diving in cold water is not the first dive of the day, but the second - crawling into a cold, wet wetsuit is no fun.

 

[Spg01]

This would have been a good question before you bought the suit. One way to find out, just try it and see what happens. If you get cold you could buy a vest to go with the suit for extra warmth.

I am ok taking my 7mm to the mid 50's at shallow depths (<40'). Not real fun, but can be done for a dive or two. The deeper you go the more your suit compresses and does not insulate as well.

In the end it will come down to how easy YOU get cold. Just because saxplayer would take a 7mm down to the mid 40's does not mean that I would. I would be a block of ice if I tried that.

 

[CuNanoTube]

I have had no problems diving in 4C water for 45 minutes using mitts and a hood. I have also gone under ice in my 7mm. (mostly because it is the only suit I own)
It is an individual thing, I am a polar bear so I have no issue with the cold. My father on the other hand needs his dry suit to dive in sub 10C.

 

[tbone1004]

he asked what we did...
Anything less than about 60 degrees we recommend our students to be in 7mm farmer johns or at least a 7mm steamer with a 5mm hooded vest. I won't go deeper than 60feet if temps are that cold and I'm diving wet. Suit compression is a b!tch... The dives are also generally less than an hour.
Seconded on the warm water thing, the second dive of the day is either miserable, or it's more fun because you're already hypothermic and aren't cold anymore

 

[Dhboner]

I dive year round in my 7mm jump suit (even under ice). I can usually last around 40-45 minutes in shallow depths (less than 50'). The bigger issue is getting warm once the dive is over...it's a pain getting out of a wetsuit and into dry clothes when the air is minus 20!

I use a 7mm hood and 7mm three-finger mitts. I also wear 3mm neoprene socks under my booties.

Both my sons dive dry and get a kick out of my struggles!

Bob (Toronto)

 

[CuNanoTube]

I dive year round in my 7mm jump suit (even under ice). I can usually last around 40-45 minutes in shallow depths (less than 50'). The bigger issue is getting warm once the dive is over...it's a pain getting out of a wetsuit and into dry clothes when the air is minus 20!

I use a 7mm hood and 7mm three-finger mitts. I also wear 3mm neoprene socks under my booties.

Both my sons dive dry and get a kick out of my struggles!

Bob (Toronto)

Seconded, I was changing in the parking lot once (at humber bay) and by the time I was out my t-shirt had frozen to my chest. Fun times.
Sitting on the ice in a 7mm is fun!

 

[Spg01]

You ice guys are nuts. I want to wear a jacket when it gets below 70F outside.

I have been doing some night dives down to 80' with temps in the low 50's and it gets freaking cold for me. I usually can't wait to start back up the slope to shallow water to warm up a little.

 

[spectrum]

I just bought my 7mm wetsuit. What temperature of water would you feel comfortable diving in with this suit? The seams are all taped and sealed. It has the double seal in the legs and arms. I want to hit the quarries, but I don't want to freeze if this suit is no adequate. Also, should I stick to 7mm gloves, hood, etc?

For a 7mm with 2X on the core (John & jacket or fullsuit & vest) 50F is a pretty common dividing line. You can often go colder for parts of the dive, such as below a thermocline. If you can settle for a shorter dive and will be active it will help.

Here are some thoughts on squeezing all you can out a wetsuit in cold water.

Pete