How thick is your wetsuit? (An unofficial poll)

[rongoodman]

I wore a 3mm Pinnacle Seal last spring off Saba and was getting cool by the end of the week, with 4 to 5 dives a day. I'll be taking 5mm/4mm Fusion with me this spring to Turks/Caicos. I've been wearing it in an 80 degree pool for Ed Hayes' Buoyancy 1 class and haven't felt overheated.

 

[BidAndDive.com]

7mm Farmer John, so 14mm at the core...

 

[miketsp]

3mm shorty 28C / 82F +
3mm full 26C / 79F +
5mm full 23C / 73F +
7mm full semi dry 15C / 59F +

With the 3mm and the 5mm wet suits I take a dive skin to wear underneath for the 2nd / 3rd dives if I start feeling cold.

I hate being cold.

 

[bubble-head]

>65 4/3 mil Full-Suit
<65 7 mil Full-Suit, with 7 mil Henderson hood and gloves.

Last winter I was diving in a local river at 49F in my Artic and was pretty comfortable.

 

[The Kraken]

Which one ? ? ? ?

My 3/2, 4/3, 7/5 Semi-dry or 7mm FJ/J?

the K

 

[wkyongae@aol.com]

NW Washington free diver 46 to 55 degree, 7mil Tripple L full suit with hood, 5 mil gloves and 7 mil extra hood. Lots of lead and lots of fun.

 

[zen_man]

7mm jump with 7mm hooded vest, 5mm gloves and booties.

average water temp 55

^this^

dove it as low as 47 degrees, after about 40 minutes, I could start felling it a little in the fingers and comfortable everywhere else.

I think alphonsis and I dive the same places!

 

[Charlie99]

3/2 full wetsuit with 3mm beanie for boat dives (generally 100' range max depth, 60 min runtime) for temps 78 and above, and for shore dives (generally 40' or shallower, 60-100 min runtime) down to 76. I find that even in 86F water, that a 3/2mm + beanie adds comfort on a long dive.

5mm wetsuit + 3mm beanie below those temps, down to about 70F.

Less than 70F, it's a short dive in a O'neill type J. 7mm + 5 mm core warmer.

The most effective thermal protection is a 1/5 mm thick airplane ticket to the tropics.

 

[RSL]

I think the just of all these posts is that many people wear many many different thickness wetsuits and combonations thereof. My best advice to you would be figure out where you will be diving; what the water temperatures range at those locations and purchase a wetsuit, wetsuits or combonation of suit that can accomadate that range. Ohh yeah one more thing if your at a dive site and see a majority of the people wearing 7 mils or dry suits then it is a good clue that is what you will need also.

 

[RoyN]

7mm all around.