I think WetSuits are Safer and Better than Dry suits for the vast majority of divers

[tracydr]

I think he said it was topside temperatures. Isn't the GBR considered warm water diving?

 

[danvolker]

I think he said it was topside temperatures. Isn't the GBR considered warm water diving?

He has talking 64 degrees...My wife would not get on a dive boat in 64 degrees
Tropics to me means Equatorial, or inside the tropic of cancer or capricorn....pretty much Florida -- or warmer --at least that is my pre-conception.

 

[victorzamora]

In all fairness....the "thread" clearly indicated the tropics.

Well, then, I believe your opinion from WPB experience has ZERO bearing on this thread then. All of Florida lies CLEARLY outside of the tropics, per your definition. Most (if not all) of the Great Barrier Reef does, however, fall into the tropics.

http://www.tropicalfoodies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tropical-zone-map.png

---------- Post added December 12th, 2013 at 04:48 PM ----------

He has talking 64 degrees...My wife would not get on a dive boat in 64 degrees

Doesn't mean it's not tropical

Tropics to me means Equatorial, or inside the tropic of cancer or capricorn

That's EXACTLY the definition of tropical. See the map, above.

....pretty much Florida

Actually, Florida is NOT in the Tropics.

-- or warmer --at least that is my pre-conception.

It has nothing to do with temperature. It's BETWEEN the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. Temperature is not relevant.

 

[DanMont]

He has talking 64 degrees...My wife would not get on a dive boat in 64 degrees
Tropics to me means Equatorial, or inside the tropic of cancer or capricorn....pretty much Florida -- or warmer --at least that is my pre-conception.

Just to address this preconception - in geographical terms the GBR (at cairns) is well within the tropic of capricorn whereas Florida is not inside the tropic of cancer. In distance terms cairns is roughly 1800km's from the equator compared to West Palm Beach being nearly 3000km from the equator. But I digress.

In terms of water temps it was 24 celsius (75 fahrenheit) and the coldest time of year.

 

[danvolker]

Well, then, I believe your opinion from WPB experience has ZERO bearing on this thread then. All of Florida lies CLEARLY outside of the tropics, per your definition. Most (if not all) of the Great Barrier Reef does, however, fall into the tropics.

http://www.tropicalfoodies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tropical-zone-map.png

---------- Post added December 12th, 2013 at 04:48 PM ----------


Doesn't mean it's not tropical


That's EXACTLY the definition of tropical. See the map, above.


Actually, Florida is NOT in the Tropics.



It has nothing to do with temperature. It's BETWEEN the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. Temperature is not relevant.

Nice little tangent.
Bottom line, a person thinks about a vacation in the tropics, and it is warm in this dreamed of destination. At least in this hemisphere.
Outside of this hemisphere.. when I was in Fiji, it was very warm topside here also ( tourists from Asia and Australia would travel here--tropics for them ) ...water did require a 5 mil scuba wetsuit, or 3 mil freedive wetsuit ( far superior closed cell Yamamoto neoprene - almost twice as warm for a given thickness).

But ultimately, I guess the tropics are where people dream them to be.

 

[tracydr]

He has talking 64 degrees...My wife would not get on a dive boat in 64 degrees
Tropics to me means Equatorial, or inside the tropic of cancer or capricorn....pretty much Florida -- or warmer --at least that is my pre-conception.

When I visited Africa, I was very close to the equator. There wet times when it was downright chilly, depending on the altitude. Same with Galapegos.
Tropics and heat are not necessarily the same. In fact, tropics often have much milder temperatures than more northerly climates, such as Arizona.

 

[grf88]

I also thought that the tropics were those places located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. I have been corrected and now understand that it actually refers to WPB.

 

[agilis]

Prevailing currents have almost as much to do with sea temperatures as latitude. Florida is a perfect example. It's clearly outside the tropics, but the east coast south of mid Florida tends to have warm water year round because of the Gulf Stream. Cross Florida to the west coast on the same latitude in winter and you will find that the water is much colder, often down in the 50s, sending the Manatees up rivers in search of warm springs. Despite often blinding hot land temps Southern California's ocean temps are always on the cold side. The Humbolt Current keeps the water temps of South America's Pacific Coast quite cool, even directly on the Equator.

The Gulf Stream brings near Caribbean conditions as far north as New England during late summer when the winds are right. The Gulf stream brings near tropical Caribbean conditions to the Atlantic coastal waters of the Florida Keys and Florida's east coast well past Palm Beach almost year round, even when air temps are more reflective of its northern latitude.

 

[victorzamora]

Nice little tangent.
Bottom line, a person thinks about a vacation in the tropics, and it is warm in this dreamed of destination. At least in this hemisphere.
Outside of this hemisphere.. when I was in Fiji, it was very warm topside here also ( tourists from Asia and Australia would travel here--tropics for them ) ...water did require a 5 mil scuba wetsuit, or 3 mil freedive wetsuit ( far superior closed cell Yamamoto neoprene - almost twice as warm for a given thickness).

But ultimately, I guess the tropics are where people dream them to be.

First of all, you started this tangent. Secondly, people dream of being in NYC, Boston, Paris, Utah, Egypt, Vegas, St Petersburg, New Zealend, Aruba, Curacao, Fiji, Maldives, Truk, Chuuk, Palau, Roatan, Great Barrier Reef, etc. Florida doesn't broach my list. Reef diving is mediocre, wrecks are okay, all of it's crazy overpriced and overrated.

However, none of that matters. The point is that 70F water in SFL IS cold, regardless of air temps. 75F in the GBR is clearly an acceptable diving situation for most people. Besides colder air temps (64F as mentioned before), air movement from wind or dive boat's speed can cause a very uncomfortable surface experience for wetsuit divers.

 

[Tigerman]

I've been diving 26/79/299 degree (choose which one you preferr) water in the red sea (which is in the middle of a frikking desert) and been wishing I had my drysuit..
If you don't get your core temp up between dives you will eventually start freezing. When the air temp is somwehere around 23/73/296 and you have wind you're going to get cold sooner or later if you're diving all day...