I purchased a 3mm suit, was it a mistake

[Oz Chris]

Another vote for having a hooded vest in your exposure protection arsenal.

I (5'6", 160#) dive a 5mm semi-dry and a sleeveless hooded vest (both from Probe - an Australian company) in my local waters (Sydney) from about 60-80F. At the top end of that range I probably don't need the vest, and at the bottom end I'm getting uncomfortably cool at the end of the dive.

Have only done one dive below 60F - we thumbed it after 20 minutes. Above 80F (eg. Great Barrier Reef or South East Asia) I'm in a 3mm but sometimes still with the vest (sometimes I'll leave the hood pulled back).

Based on conversations with other people I'm middle of the road when it comes to feeling the cold. You'll start to get a sense of where you sit so you can adjust what people tell you to what you need.

 

[Lastparrot]

So I am all over the place on this. At the moment I think I am considering a 5mm Henderson Thermaxx. I like the stretchyness and the fact the 2XL comes in a tall. Also considering a hooded vest, not sure the thickness. I think I'm going to go with a 2 to 3 mm glove.

I am hesitant about that particular Henderson. I don't see a lot of reviews for it and what I do see are very mixed. I do like the strechyness.

Of course when I wake up tomorrow I will be hating that idea ...Analysis Paralysis.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Thanks to everyone for the information. I noticed leisure pro has the Thermaprene 5mm at a pretty decent price. Get that plus hood and gloves and we will see. Before I do that I am going to visit a different shop and see what they have to offer.

you are braver than me. I know at 70 ill be freezing my azz off with a 5 mil gloves and hood. Good luck hope you are a warm person not a cold

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Another vote for having a hooded vest in your exposure protection arsenal.

I (5'6", 160#) dive a 5mm semi-dry and a sleeveless hooded vest (both from Probe - an Australian company) in my local waters (Sydney) from about 60-80F. At the top end of that range I probably don't need the vest, and at the bottom end I'm getting uncomfortably cool at the end of the dive.

Have only done one dive below 60F - we thumbed it after 20 minutes. Above 80F (eg. Great Barrier Reef or South East Asia) I'm in a 3mm but sometimes still with the vest (sometimes I'll leave the hood pulled back).

Based on conversations with other people I'm middle of the road when it comes to feeling the cold. You'll start to get a sense of where you sit so you can adjust what people tell you to what you need.

I TOTALLY disagree with hooded vest on all fronts.

i see them every weekend in monterey and i have my much more comfortable much less lead weight needed 8/7 semi dry

if you use a hooded vest you are literally using TWO WETSUITS

i tried it in two different dive shops

ITS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE

if you are going to use a hooded vest you might as well just buy a drysuit.

period point blank.

farmer johns

two wetsuits

no thanks

get what works for the temperature you dive! get a drysuit. or get a semi dry.

or get three or four wetsuits

but never ever ever get a second wetsuit over another

ever

you can do far better with the CORRECT wetsuit with less lead and a better fit

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I typically go 3mm, 3mm+hooded vest, 7mm+hood, drysuit. Most of it is due to exposure duration vs. absolute temperature. Mid 60's for recreational diving would be either 3mm+hooded vest or 7mm+hood. With the hooded vest you have 8mm on your core with almost no water movement due to the integrated hood. As long as your limbs can deal with the temp, surface conditions aren't frigid, and you aren't doing 2+ hour exposures, it is fine for most people and IMO preferable to a 5mm with a hood.

you are a top expert here in my opinion so ok. BUT! I dont think people should use a 3 mil for cold water. What you suggest MAY work but its not optimal and I think you know that. who wants to wear a 3 mil and a hooded vest....TWO WETSUITS when a flexible 7 mil is better?

tbone i know you know way more than me but please tell me why i should layer my wetsuits? i have a 3 a 7 and a 8/7 semidry..... are you saying i should use your method OR are you saying a person with a 3 mil should just go your route to save money.

how much money are they saving? a cheap 7 mil vs adding a hooded vest ....


man i dont know you need a LOT more convincing to change my opinion I THINK you are wrong

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Another vote for having a hooded vest in your exposure protection arsenal.

I (5'6", 160#) dive a 5mm semi-dry and a sleeveless hooded vest (both from Probe - an Australian company) in my local waters (Sydney) from about 60-80F. At the top end of that range I probably don't need the vest, and at the bottom end I'm getting uncomfortably cool at the end of the dive.

Have only done one dive below 60F - we thumbed it after 20 minutes. Above 80F (eg. Great Barrier Reef or South East Asia) I'm in a 3mm but sometimes still with the vest (sometimes I'll leave the hood pulled back).

Based on conversations with other people I'm middle of the road when it comes to feeling the cold. You'll start to get a sense of where you sit so you can adjust what people tell you to what you need.

5 mil semi dry is really an oxymoron. jumbo shrimp....miltiary intelligence etc.... a SEMI DRY MEANS COLD WATER which means it needs to be a 9/7 or 8/7 wetsuit with attached hood and extra linings

NO WAY a 5 mil can be semi dry

no wonder you believe in hooded vests

try putting a hooded vest on a 9/7 semi dry wetsuit...... you will want to kill yourself from the heat

 

[NAUI Wowie]

So I am all over the place on this. At the moment I think I am considering a 5mm Henderson Thermaxx. I like the stretchyness and the fact the 2XL comes in a tall. Also considering a hooded vest, not sure the thickness. I think I'm going to go with a 2 to 3 mm glove.

I am hesitant about that particular Henderson. I don't see a lot of reviews for it and what I do see are very mixed. I do like the strechyness.

Of course when I wake up tomorrow I will be hating that idea ...Analysis Paralysis.

lastparrot....dont listen to anyone alse... i have a henderson 3 and a henderson 8/7 semidry

GET A HENDERSON 7 MIL

without a hood or gloves you will not overheat

a 5 mil on an hour dive will make you cold at 70 if you are average. if you do two dives you will be misearable. if you do three dives in a day an most of us do then you will freeze your important parts and have a horrible next day diving.

get the seven. do NOT listen to the experts.

the experts on scubaboard are basically ninja warriors or navy seals when it comes to scuba

normal humans are not scubaboard average.

you wont do wrong nor will you regret going 7 mil over a potentially freezing 5 mil.

last ill say on subject.

I KNOW

I bought a seven mil for monterey because i believed these so called experts on temp

THEY WERE COMPLETELY WRONG

i wasted 500 bucks on a high end seven mil.

i bought a 200 dollar 8/7 semi dry and it was FIFTY times more comfortable.

parrot

trust me

dont believe them

go warm

you can always zip it down your back and completely cool off

 

[Tribal]

NO WAY a 5 mil can be semi dry

Do you have a clue about the difference between a semi dry and a normal wetsuit?

On topic, everything under 75 is drysuit temp, everything above might be 5 mm or drysuit depending on the dives. No need for a 3 or a 7 but that’s my personal opinion.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Do you have a clue about the difference between a semi dry and a normal wetsuit?

On topic, everything under 75 is drysuit temp, everything above might be 5 mm or drysuit depending on the dives. No need for a 3 or a 7 but that’s my personal opinion.

yea bud your insult didnt fly over my head.... wanna dive sometime?

a SEMI DRY means attached hood and front zip normally with an extra flap to inhibit water flow.

whats that all mean?

jack all actually

unless you are at the extreme of wetsuit use.

a semi dry 9 mil with 7 mil arms is a weapon for cold

a semi dry 5 mil with whatever arms is what....semi useless vs cold water?

seriously bud you need MILS to prevent cold

FIVE MIL isnt cold protection

5 mil semi dry with built in hood which btw sem dry is a headache of a wetsuit would not normally be used when a 7 mil can work and is WAY WAY WAY more comortable

 

[Storker]

in 70 degree water you need at least a full 5 mil with hood and gloves

Good thing I didn't know that when I dived 18-20C (64-68F) water in a worn 5mm rental onepiece, no hood, no gloves and believed I was fine.