Is a 5mm wetsuit okay to use.....

[high/baric]

Water is thermonetral at 35 C, so below this most people lose body heat without adequate exposure protection. Physical activity is a factor as well, although usually not a huge one during recreational diving as you are not supposed to exert yourself much. But if you spend the entire dive coasting along a current doing pretty much nothing you will get cold sooner. Personally, I have never dived in water that was too warm for a 5mm suit. I don't think the reason why most people use thin and short wetsuits in tropics is because they get too warm in the water, but because a thicker suit has a higher impact on buoyancy, is more expensive (usually), is more laborious to don and doff, dries more slowly and makes you uncomfortably hot on the surface before the dive (a shorty will do this too, but not as quickly). So if you don't need a thick suit why contend with all the downsides. Even in 28 C water in a 5mm wetsuit I do get cold in the end. It's just a matter of time and depth...

 

[buddhasummer]

Agree, and particularly if doing multiple dives per day over multiple days, one is certainly feeling cooler on the last dive than they did on the first.

---------- Post added July 23rd, 2015 at 05:28 AM ----------

Acclimatization can play a big part too. Most DMs I noticed in Indo wore 5mm as they had reportedly become "used" to warm water and didn't find it so warm anymore but the usually cold water international guests often wore a 3mm or less and found it toasty.

 

[abscuba]

When I moved from california to hawaii I would normally dive in just a t-shirt, it seemed crazy to need anything more. As I have gotten spoiled by time in the warmer water I do alot of my diving in a 5 mil now. Go with what makes you comfortable. If you have to make a guess on what you will need air on the side of being to warm than being to cold. The only down side ot being warm is comfort, yes you can become hyperthermic but unless you are doing long tracks on the shore in water thats not a big issue. Being cold on the other hand increases chances of bends, oxygen toxicity, and of course hypothermia. Warmer is def better than colder.

 

[charlier]

Interesting - my experience is different than others. The Indonesian DM's that I work rarely use 5mm wets. Mostly they use a 3 mm hoody top and perhaps leggings with SST >27°C. I am more acclimated and use a 2mm high quality free dive wet suit top with hoody and leggings. Perhaps in southern Komodo or Bali with cold upwellings, we would use a 5mm wetsuit. International guests are all of the place, from 5mm wetsuit to just board shorts. Its a mixed bag, at least in Indonesia.

Agree, and particularly if doing multiple dives per day over multiple days, one is certainly feeling cooler on the last dive than they did on the first.

---------- Post added July 23rd, 2015 at 05:28 AM ----------

Acclimatization can play a big part too. Most DMs I noticed in Indo wore 5mm as they had reportedly become "used" to warm water and didn't find it so warm anymore but the usually cold water international guests often wore a 3mm or less and found it toasty.

 

[buddhasummer]

Interesting - my experience is different than others. The Indonesian DM's that I work rarely use 5mm wets. Mostly they use a 3 mm hoody top and perhaps leggings with SST >27°C. I am more acclimated and use a 2mm high quality free dive wet suit top with hoody and leggings. Perhaps in southern Komodo or Bali with cold upwellings, we would use a 5mm wetsuit. International guests are all of the place, from 5mm wetsuit to just board shorts. Its a mixed bag, at least in Indonesia.

My experience in Indonesia is somewhat limited, only Bunaken, Gillies, Bali (not for long) and Lembeh. The local DMs although wearing 5mm suits did have lots of holes and tears in their suits. Someone's getting rich out of the tourists but it doesn't seem to be the locals or perhaps they just spend their "wages" on important things like food for their families. Not to sound like a tosser but I like local DMs wherever possible, their knowledge is in my experience second to none and the Indonesisn DMs I met breathed like fish. My air consumption is pretty good but theirs was nothing short of amazing, made me look like an air hog, I'd get out with maybe 40 and often they had double or more. Sorry for the hijack. I'm ranting. It's been a lonely day.

 

[drbill]

Probably I understood not correct what is mean "5mm body glove wetsuit".

Body Glove is a brand of wetsuit.

As for whether the OP would be OK diving a 5mm wetsuit in 90 F water, that is difficulty for anyone to really say. I would probably poach in one as I wear a 3/2mm wetsuit in water down to 60-65 F these days. We don't know how the OP fares in terms of tolerance to "cold."

It is fine to dive a 5mm in such waters as long as YOU feel comfortable in it. I wouldn't, but I tend to tolerate "cold" pretty well and if diving multiple dives would probably not over heat in a 5mm.

 

[charlier]

Good point, buddhasummer. Many Indonesian DM's are given used wetsuits from western customers that are willing to give away their 5 mm wetsuits. My experience is mostly in Bali and Alor (few Indonesian DMs work here), and on Komodo and Raja Ampat LOB's. And I totally agree about their SAC rate. It is truly amazing.

The local DMs mostly send money back home to their families. Its a hard life for Indonesian LOB DM's, they are on the job most of the year, with little time off (2 weeks perhaps 2x yr).

My experience in Indonesia is somewhat limited, only Bunaken, Gillies, Bali (not for long) and Lembeh. The local DMs although wearing 5mm suits did have lots of holes and tears in their suits. Someone's getting rich out of the tourists but it doesn't seem to be the locals or perhaps they just spend their "wages" on important things like food for their families. Not to sound like a tosser but I like local DMs wherever possible, their knowledge is in my experience second to none and the Indonesisn DMs I met breathed like fish. My air consumption is pretty good but theirs was nothing short of amazing, made me look like an air hog, I'd get out with maybe 40 and often they had double or more. Sorry for the hijack. I'm ranting. It's been a lonely day.

 

[jessepcvfd6]

This is going to be my first dive besides classes. The temp was 65 when we dove the quarry and was wearing 3mm suit gloves boots and good and was miserable lol

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[Centrals]

This is going to be my first dive besides classes. The temp was 65 when we dove the quarry and was wearing 3mm suit gloves boots and good and was miserable lol

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65F is about 18C!!!! I would need at least 7mm + thick hood.

 

[jessepcvfd6]

Well they told me today not to wear the 5mm and gave me a crappy looking 3mm shirt

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---------- Post added July 24th, 2015 at 01:19 AM ----------

Suit*

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