Looking for wet suit advice for Cozumel

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Chief, that cold water is from a halocline (that is a fresh water spring mixing with salt) and coming out of springs from the interior of the island. They are more common after heavy rains, but happen all year long. When the water is very warm I look for them to cool off!

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS I have frequently been "stung" by invisible floating hydroids at the safety stop, indeed, that is the most common place.

Bienvenidos - Aldora Divers | Only the best of Cozumel

Yea you already educated me a while ago on the cause of the halocline. I just don't remember experiencing it that often. Had some surface run off at paradise in September, but these this week were fairly consistent, at depth and for the greater part of the dive.

On the floating hydroids: I thought a lot of that was stinging from that thimble jelly / sea lice / jelly fish stuff? Or are some of them technically hydroids? I guess maybe my idea of hydroids is too narrow? I think mainly of the fern-like bits that surround things that would make a good picture?

Thankfully, I think my repeated hydroid photog hits have let me develop a bit of an immunity. I was showing a goldentail in a hole to some new divers when someone body checked me into a GIANT hydroid colony. Beautiful welts came up, but it *looks* like it is mostly gone now.
 
Dear Chief,

The floating hydroids I am referring to are microscopic and defy being seen. They may be the embryonic plankton of jellyfish, I don't know, I just know that the sting comes like an electric shock, not very painful nor long lasting. Just a rude surprise.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
 
I've had those stings as well - feels a lot like a wasp sting, but the pain completely disappears within about 5-10 seconds. I've gotten them on a descent, near the bottom, and on safety stops. You completely forget about it, then, within a day or so, a small red welt appears and it itches like crazy. Benadryl cream helps, but it takes a couple of weeks to go away. This was the first year in a while that I didn't get stung at all - it usually appears on the back of my hand. Sure wish the Marine Park would let us wear gloves again!
 
Dear Chief,

The floating hydroids I am referring to are microscopic and defy being seen. They may be the embryonic plankton of jellyfish, I don't know, I just know that the sting comes like an electric shock, not very painful nor long lasting. Just a rude surprise.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

The first time we came to Coz there had been December storms and I guess forced all the larva or whatever against the shore so going in the water was near constant stinging. Just as you say, not long lasting. I just never thought of them as hydroids but maybe they are?
 
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