newB question re:tropical wetsuit

[freewillie]

I am planning a dive trip to Turks & Caicos this July. I certified locally here in So Cal and normally dive with full cold water exposure 7 mm wet suit, hood, booties and gloves. I have never dived in tropical warmer waters. I have been reading the posts and still not sure if need a dive skin, 1 mm exposure suit, or 3 mm wet suit or just join my friends in their bathing suits.

I know some of the answer is individual, how easily does someone feel cold. Just wondering what others with more experience use when diving warmer waters.

Also, read that need some exposure protection from stinging jellies and coral. Is this common? How often does someone get stung or scrape against coral. A lycra suit doesn't seem like a whole lot of protection from coral.

Thanks!

 

[Fishpie]

3mm Shorty.
I find thin suits too delicate.
.....don't bump into things.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

The answers you'll receive to this question will be extremely diverse. Some divers are very resistant to cold, and can dive in the tropics (I'm assuming 84-degree water here) with minimal thermal protection. Others feel the cold quite easily, especially after days of consecutive diving, and dive in a full wetsuit with a hood. The thickness of these suits vary with the people. I have seen divers wear anything from a full 3 mm to a full 7 mm (here in HI, the boat staff at my LDS favor 7 mm suits year-round. Water temps vary from the mid-70s to the lower 80s, depending on the season).

I do not feel the cold easily, but after a week of straight diving (minimum of five dives a day), even a 3 mm suit feels a bit chilly at the end. Bear in mind that water conducts heat 25 times more efficiently than air: unless the water is already warmer than 88 degrees, your body will lose heat without thermal protection. I always feel stifled in a 3 mm at the start of a dive trip in warm water, but by the end, I'm very grateful for it.

With all due respect, protection from coral should not be an issue - a diver with good buoyancy and trim won't make physical contact with the reef. Sh*t does happen, of course. There are also the issues of sudden surges or contact with other divers, which can result in accidental contact. Ideally, though, it should never happen.

 

[scubafanatic]

I've been to T+C twice (Explorer liveaboard for 1 wk long trips doing 27 dives per trip) and I was fine (and thankful) for my 7 mm full suit, but I was in the water 5+ hrs/daily for 5 1/2 days. I wouldn't dream of doing T+C in anything less than a 3 mm full suit for maybe 2 dives daily....if I were on a liveaboard my min requirement in July would more likely be at least a 5 mm suit...it really sucks to get cold on an expensive dive vacation, so risk overdoing, not underdoing the thermal protection.

 

[Teamcasa]

3/5mm full suit. You can always flush a little water in if you get too warm but you can do nothing if you get cold.

 

[freewillie]

Thanks for input so far. Bouyancy is much better since getting my own back inflate BC. Will try and keep off coral.

Wife wants me to wait until we get there and maybe rent if I need a wet suit. I don't really like renting wet suits (they make sink the stink shampoo for a reason!).

Would any of you buy a 3mm or 5 mm wetsuit for a vacation even if haven't been there or tested the waters? I know Hawaii is a little chilly even in summer. Needed a shorty just for a snorkel cruise once. Just don't want to be the 'dork' on dive boat only one with a wetsuit. Not that that's a great reason to forgo comfort.

 

[Teamcasa]

<snip>... Needed a shorty just for a snorkel cruise once. Just don't want to be the 'dork' on dive boat only one with a wetsuit. Not that that's a great reason to forgo comfort.

You won't be the only one in a full wetsuit. Warmth = comfort and that leads to a fun and relaxed dive.