When the water is really warm, 29C+, I go rashguard and board shorts. If i'm diving a lot or the water is cooler, I have pinnacle shadow 2 1.5mm that has this "titanium" lining thats supposed to reflect heat or something. Don't know if it works, but it does offer me enough thermal protection as well as giving me full body coverage. I'm fine with it 26-27C. I don't dive colder than that.
In 'warmer' waters, what should you dive with?
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BauderDesign
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Not to hijack this thread but I will be diving in Marathon Florida in mid-july for 5 days doing 2-3 dives a day. I started to get cold in the pool while doing my OW Certification and it was a heated pool. Should I get a 3mm to take down there or would this be over kill? I don't want to ruin an amazing trip by being cold even if people say I will be made fun of for wearing a wetsuit.
clpkab
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Can't speak for July - but just got back from diving Key Largo last weekend. I wore my 3 mm and I was not the only one on the boat wearing full wetsuit. However there were a variety of options exercised by others - shorties, t-shirt and shorts, etc. I was neither hot nor cold on my dives...
I say take what you think you might need. Better to carry and keep it in the bag, than not have it and suffer or miss a dive because it's not with you.
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I have an old MARES Darlex skin that claims to be as warm as a 3mil neoprene suit, I'd say "almost" and that works great for most of the shallower, shorter, one-dive a day stuff here in Hawaii. For deeper, longer, all day in the water I wear my only 1/4" Rubatex 231N suit that I made for Northern California and New England diving, being too warm is really easy to solve.
The problem with the spandex type rash guards is not in the water but when you get out, they cause me to get cold even in warm water and air. I now have a 1mm neoprene shirt/guard and it does much better.
N
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Downing
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I dove off Key Largo for a week in August summer before last. I either wore my 2mm shorty or just a bathing suit and t-shirt. Others on the boat either did the same or wore full 3mm suits.
I'm warm blooded. YMMV. Take a 3mm just in case. No harm in that. There's no arguing comfort.
I think people are too quick to answer, because it depends on number of hours in the water on a given day, as well as whether or not you are diving one day or several days in a row. Also body type ( how much natural insulation do you have?) impacts the answer. On a liveabord with 5 hours a day under water for 5 or 6 days in a row, I wear a full body 3 or 5 mil even in the warmest water. Water less than 98 degrees F will draw heat from your body. On the other hand, a couple dives on one day in 80 degree F water is a swimsuit only day for me. Its all about comfort , and you should wear what keeps you warm. Have you notice many local DM's in places like Cozumel or other Riveria Maya locales wera a 7 mil full body with hood? They get cold. They wear what keeps them comfortable. So should you. If I was to buy one exposure suit for the most varied use, I'd go with a full body 5 mil, because we go on dive trips just to dive and like to get in a bunch of underwater time.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
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