Is a 5 mil overkill?

[LuvDaOcean]

Hi folks,

I'm going to be buying a wetsuit this weekend, but I'm struggling a bit over what thickness to buy. I'll be using it for vacations to places like the Keys, Hawaiian Islands, Cozumel (i.e., tropics), etc., for all different times of the year, so I don't want to get one that's too thick or one that's too thin for those locations.

I get chilled fairly easily, but I don't have a lot of experience to base that on yet. I dove Oahu in a 3mil shorty and was okay, but we only went probably 35ft for 30 mins. Also snorkeled the Keys, Oahu, Jamaica, Cabo, and St. John in a bikini and was okay, but that was pretty much surface temps and only down to about 15'. Just to confuse the issue, I remember getting pretty darn cold (almost shivering) in an 85^ indoor pool wearing a 7 mil full w/ booties after only a couple hours! {shrug}

Would a 5 mil full be a good 'middle-of-the-road' investment for the tropics whatever time of year?

I plan on buying a Henderson Hyperstretch so layering will be a possibility although I'd really rather not.

Thanks to all of you experienced divers for taking so much time out to help us newbies. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say you are SO appreciated!

 

[H2Andy]

5 mil in tropical conditions is probably a bit of overkill HOWEVER, if you're
comfortable in it, that's what counts

i get cold pretty easy too (also known as warm water wuss syndrome )
and a 3 mil is all i need in the Caribbean

if you buy the 5 mil, you will want to get one with a zipper you can open
with all your gear on... that way, if you get hot under water, you can
unzip your suit to cool off

 

[aedavidson]

I would say that everyone has a different tolerence to cold so it is a personal decision. I bought a 5 for a liveaboard trip to Belize last January because I was concerned about the repetitive diving. I wore my 3 the whole time except for two night dives when I wore the 5 just because I had it. I was actually hot in the 5 which to me was as bad as being cold. Maybe a 3 with a tropical hood might be more versatile.

 

[Cacia]

Luvda, I have a 3 mil and a 5mil Henderson (great choice). I wear the 3 mil here in the summer, the 5 mil in the winter. my cut off temp is about 75 F.

A 5 mil might be too thick in Coz during the summer. One thing to keep in mind, is if you can afford two, they last twice as long! The advantages of two is you can have a dry one for the second dive (Hawaii is not tropical, thats why no soft coral, etc) and you can rotate as sometimes doing a lot of diving they don't dry overnight.

I suggest if you buy one, to get the 3mil and the hyperstretch hooded vest. I wear that on almost every dive and it is purrrrrrfect.

 

[spectrum]

With the Keys in the mix you should surely have a need for a 5mm at some point if your seasons vary. That said it's a good / safe start. You can always add to the collectrion. I ended up with 3,5,7 & dry suits and they all have their uses.

Pete

 

[String]

5 mil id recommend even for tropical, especially if doing 2-3 or more dives per day.

I dove in florida in july with a 3mm suit and started to feel the cold after 3 dives or so. Next time i'll bring a 5mm.

If you start to feel warm its easy- just flush some water through it.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

There are so many factors involved, including not only how deep you will dive, and how long the dives are...but how many dives you will do over what period of time.

For example, I was in Dominican Republic last month for a couple of weeks. I was diving a 1mm suit for a few days, no problem. But after about 6 days, I noticed I was starting to get cold, especially on the second (or third) dive of the day. I always carry a 5mm sleeveless jacket with me, and on about the 7th day donned that as well.

What happened was, I became acclimated to that warmer water. During the first days, having come from Maine, 80 degree water felt warm. But as the days passed, it rapidly started feeling chilly.

The compromise to your dilemma is what I do, buying a 1 or 2mm full body suit and then a 3 or 5mm jacket to add later, as you need it. The price is really pretty close and it gives you greater flexibility.

Jeff

 

[diverdb2003]

Those are very good answers to your question but different thickness in a wet suit is must depending on the water temperature. A 5mil really feels good in that 75 and below water temperature after about 30 mins. If I could only buy one I would consider a 3mil two peace. That gives you 6mil upper body or when not real cool wear just top or bottom.

 

[kidspot]

I started out with a 1mil, then got a 3, and am currently diving in a 5mil... still got chilled, so I added a 7mil hood and think I've finally got the cold beat... till I can get back in my drysuit that is I would go warmer than I thought necessary if I were to start over. fwiw - even my ds is not overly hot while diving, even when water temps get into the mid 80's. The 2 things I've noticed are your suceptibility to cold (I don't get cold on land easily at all) and how much you move while underwater. While snorkeling I am fine in my 1mil suit for a couple of hours, but I am expending a lot more energy while snorkeling. While underwater I try not to move at all, except for the barest amount of finning to go where I want at a slow pace.

My .02 cents

Aloha, Tim

 

[m3830431]

I would go with the 3mm and add a hooded vest unless the water gets colder than 75 degrees.