Palau water temps?

[robint]

anybody know what water temps in Palau are in Dec? We will be on the Big Blue doing 4-5 dives per day so I want to make sure we bring the right suits.
I was told by someone who was there a few years ago that water runs around 80 degrees which would mean a 3mm ---- but he said he got cold on many dives as they were on reef hooks and not moving around. Yes?

thanks!
robint

 

[Tomeck]

Yes, you can use 3 mm, this water is always hot at 29°C (92°F) even very deep.

 

[Bubble Junky]

You can get cold water coming up from deep sometimes when you're hooked on. It depends how susceptible to the cold you are. Remember you'll be doing four/five dives a day too. I used to work out there and usually only wore a rash top and boardies, sometimes a 3mm wetsuit top and boardies, but I wan't doing the full 5 dives a day.

 

[Travelnsj]

I believe in December or January it could get down to 80 degrees. I heard in Feb before I arrived in March some water temps were as low as 78....due to currents coming from below.....In the 8 times I've been there it is always 81 to 83 degrees....Have fun who are you diving with?

 

[Kevrumbo]

I got more chilled on the Surface Intervals and the long (but scenic!) boat rides from the land based dive ops, due to wind & occasional rain squalls during the Dec/Jan months. You should be fine on a Liveaboard, diving in a 3mm wetsuit. . .

 

[robint]

I got more chilled on the Surface Intervals and the long (but scenic!) boat rides from the land based dive ops, due to wind & occasional rain squalls during the Dec/Jan months. You should be fine on a Liveaboard, diving in a 3mm wetsuit. . .

thanks, that is what I was thinking. The guy who got cold was doing land-based so maybe that is why he had issues. He did say the boat rides were about an hour each way. The Big Blue anchors near the dive sites so boat rides are only 10-20 minutes so I think we should be fine.

robint
3 months!