Need Advice On Important Matter

[raypau38]

I am just getting into diving, and I am going on a trip that has been organized through my school and they tell me that I need to get a wetsuit.

So, after doing some research I found that everyone's opinion in the matter is different. I am not a person that gets cold easy and I would rather be cold then hot, idk if that is the case with water or not though. I was looking at getting a Henderson Gold Core 3MM Full Jumpsuit or the 5MM. However, most people are trying to sell me on getting a 5MM Farmer John/Jane style suit. Personally, I think that is to much neoprene and I will not be able to move. The diving that I am going to be doing for the next year or so will be at school and that is in central Pennsylvania and the trip to Florida in the summer. I guess that the main problem that I have is that I don't know how warm a 3MM vs. a 5MM keeps you.

I have no idea what kind of a wetsuit that I should get and I need all the help that I can get. Please help.

 

[padiscubapro]

I am just getting into diving, and I am going on a trip that has been organized through my school and they tell me that I need to get a wetsuit.

So, after doing some research I found that everyone's opinion in the matter is different. I am not a person that gets cold easy and I would rather be cold then hot, idk if that is the case with water or not though. I was looking at getting a Henderson Gold Core 3MM Full Jumpsuit or the 5MM. However, most people are trying to sell me on getting a 5MM Farmer John/Jane style suit. Personally, I think that is to much neoprene and I will not be able to move. The diving that I am going to be doing for the next year or so will be at school and that is in central Pennsylvania and the trip to Florida in the summer. I guess that the main problem that I have is that I don't know how warm a 3MM vs. a 5MM keeps you.

I have no idea what kind of a wetsuit that I should get and I need all the help that I can get. Please help.

If you are going to be diving in central penn a 5mm farmer john/jane might not even be warm enough for some.. the lakes and quarries don't start to warm up til around june. By august the surface might hit 80f, by 25ft its probably 60f by 40-60ft its 50ish, below that its usually 40ish (although 30s isn't unheard of)

A very important thing is get a good fitting hood, an enormous amount of heat is lost through the head. A bibbed hood works the best. I usually use 5mm gloves, 7mm keep my hands warmer but are too restrictive.. I have a pair of 3mm gloves that I use when the water warms up a bit..

a 3mm in august is ok for shallow dives in the ocean. go with the 5mm, in florida you can use a diveskin with the top as a shortie..

when I used to dive wet up here it was a 7mm farmer john.

 

[norcaldiver]

It's a world of difference when you're cold. As far as movement, I wear a 7mm farmer john, as many others do, in Monterey and have fine mobility once i'm used to it.
In the water you are going to get cold much, much faster than on shore. Remember the thermocline, 65 degrees on the surface can be 50-55 degrees at 40ft. I like it cooler also, but you can't always put more on if you get cold in the water-once you're cold, the dive sucks. But, if you're hot, you can always open the zipper, pull on the collar and let some water in to cool you off, altho most likely you aren't going to get hot in the water, you'll get hot on the shore/boat, that's when you can take off the farmer john top and cool down. If you are that worried about mobility tho, look at the Henerson Hyperstretch 5mm, they're awesome!

 

[Toolbox-13]

If you will be doing most of your diving in Pa go with a 7mm you can always get a diveskin for Florida and use the top as shorty as padiscubapro said.

 

[raypau38]

Thanks for all the help. I went to a couple of the dive shops that are around me and talked to the staff there. I have come to think that I want to get a Henderson Gold Core Full Core combo. Where I would get the jumpsuit in a 5MM and the then get the other piece in a 3MM. Do you all thik that is enough. I am a big guy (6'5'' 320lbs). Thanks again for all the help

 

[mwilding]

Thanks for all the help. I went to a couple of the dive shops that are around me and talked to the staff there. I have come to think that I want to get a Henderson Gold Core Full Core combo. Where I would get the jumpsuit in a 5MM and the then get the other piece in a 3MM. Do you all thik that is enough. I am a big guy (6'5'' 320lbs). Thanks again for all the help

If you feel constricted trying on the suit in the store, I wouldn't make it an issue. As you descend the neoprene will compress and your suit will not be constrictive at all.

 

[Warren_L]

Thanks for all the help. I went to a couple of the dive shops that are around me and talked to the staff there. I have come to think that I want to get a Henderson Gold Core Full Core combo. Where I would get the jumpsuit in a 5MM and the then get the other piece in a 3MM. Do you all thik that is enough. I am a big guy (6'5'' 320lbs). Thanks again for all the help

A good fit is a definite plus when getting a wetsuit, and the gold core or hyperstretch material I find to be very forgiving. A poor fitting wetsuit may not insulate you properly. And as mwilding mentioned, the mobility issue should be a problem as the neoprene compresses and flattens out as you go deeper.

 

[d33ps1x]

If you're getting into the price range for a Henderson gold core 7 mm setup you might want to look at just skipping it and getting into a shell drysuit. Whites Nexus, Bare NexGen or some others.

You can get them pretty close to the same price.

 

[raypau38]

The reason that I do not want to get a wetsuit is because I am on some what of a tight budget, just a poor college kid. So, I was looking for a wetsuit solution that gave me the best for my buck. That is the reason that I looked into the Henderson gold core full core combo. That way I have the best of both with a jumpsuit and a shorty. Is this the right choice?

 

[MikeS]

... I would rather be cold then hot ....

You can always let water in to cool off. Once you’re cold the only practical solution is to get out off the water. Additionally, if you get cold on a dive it is very difficult to get completely warm between dives, so you’ll likely be even colder on the next. While I have heard multitudes of divers complaining about being cold, I’ve never heard anyone complain about being too warm. I guess human nature tends to error on the side of “I’m tough and I can take it.”

... The diving that I am going to be doing for the next year or so will be at school and that is in central Pennsylvania and the trip to Florida in the summer...

Unfortunately, there is not a wetsuit made that is comfortable in 50 degree water of the quarry and 80 degree water of the tropics. I think that you’ll find most people that dive a lot have multiple sets of exposure protection for different temperature ranges.

... I was looking at getting a Henderson Gold Core 3MM Full Jumpsuit or the 5MM. However, most people are trying to sell me on getting a 5MM Farmer John/Jane style suit.

IMO a well fitting semi-dry, full or “jumpsuit” is warmer than a “farmer John” of the same thickness. Restricting the flow of water between your body and the suit has a bigger impact on warmth than the thickness of the neoprene.

The reason that I do not want to get a wetsuit is because I am on some what of a tight budget, just a poor college kid. So, I was looking for a wetsuit solution that gave me the best for my buck. That is the reason that I looked into the Henderson gold core full core combo. That way I have the best of both with a jumpsuit and a shorty. Is this the right choice?

Again IMO, the farmer john concept is a waste of money. For the same money that you can buy a 5mm Gold Core Farmer John you could buy both a good 7 mil semi-dry with attached hood and a decent 2.5 mil full suit. That way you’d have the 7 mil for cold water of the Pennsylvania quarries and the 2.5 for the tropics and/or any pool work you do.

The most important thing is fit! Take the time to try on different makes and models as they tend to be cut different, depending on your body shape some will fit better than others.

Also as someone pointed out the hood is very important not only in keeping you warm but in your comfort level. I would also like to add gloves to the same list. Warm hands not only add to you comfort but make it easier to manipulate things such as snaps.

Hope this helps,
Mike