Layering Wetsuits

[phipsi246]

I have a friend who would like to get in the water for 1 day but does not have a thick suit or access to one. Has anyone tried layering 2 3mm wetsuits together for a colder dive? I know the ideal situation would be to get a thicker suit or a drysuit but this is for a dive for 1 day in ~48F water. Please let me know if you have any experience with this.

 

[divinginn]

I have done it with a full 3 and a shorty 3 but the water was in the 60s,I think they will be cold and miserable. They would definitely have to have a thick hood,gloves and boots to even think about it.

 

[spectrum]

It would be really really pushing it but may be bearable for a short dive.

For most divers such a dive is doable in a 7mm wetsuit with 2X on the core. This includes a 7mm hood, 6-7mm booties and 5+mm gloves, The 2 3mm suits may be equal to the 7mm if they fit right but there won't be double coverage on the divers core and that will take a toll. Cold tolerance is hugely variable and your buddy could be fine or incapacitated in 10 minutes. Be sure it is a dive that allows for a prompt exit should he be having a hard time.

If a drysuit is available and she / he has the skills to use it safely the day is bound to be more enjoyable.

If he/she decides to go wet here are some considerations that may help.

Pete

 

[Mayor]

Every year I start my local diving in PA out with my Pinnacle Merino-Elastiprene 5MM, Pinnacle Merino 5MM hood, Pinnacle Merino Apex 6MM boot, Pinnacle Merino Neo 4MM glove, and I add in the Pinnacle Spirit 3MM shorty. Went to buy a core-warmer last season but it's really a shorty with a tank top. This is great because I use the shorty on vacation. The Merino suit is very warm so I only do this for the first few dive. I do get a few looks as people think I'm going in with the shorty.

Hope that next year I will be in a new DUI dry suit.

 

[cj1nixon]

i was in the watter in a 7mm simi dry wet suit last week and at a surface temp of 38 deg F i was fine for about 30 min or so at 55 feet and up i live in michagan so i have a pretty good resistance to the cold that was in Ohio

 

[phipsi246]

Thank you everyone. We ended up finding an extra 7mm suit and a 5mm hooded vest. He was comfortable until we ended up in 41F water. Drysuit seems to be in his future now.