Possible to be too warm?

[Noboundaries]

I just got OWD certified and planning on going to Florida Keys and Bahamas from Nov to March. Would you say that a 5 mm suit is sufficient for winter diving in Bahamas? I looked through several posts/websites and people are quoting anything from a skinsuit to a 7mm+ wetsuit (thankfully noone mentioned a drysuit yet for those waters

Would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

Looking online, the average water temps for the Keys/Bahamas will be about 75 degrees in Nov, dropping to high 60s in late Dec/early Jan, then climbing back to 75 by March.

As a "thicker" male I have a fairly strong cold tolerance and would not dive those temps in just a skin, even my heavier polypro skin. Personally I'd dive 75*F with a 3mm and supplement with the heavier polypro skin, hood, and gloves as the temps dropped. My wife, who also has a good cold tolerance, would probably do the same, but with her 5mm, supplementing as the temps dropped. My daughter, who has absolutely no cold tolerance, would wear a fully supplemented 5mm at 75*F and switch to her 7mm as temps dropped into the high 60's.

Cold tolerance is absolutely a personal thing. A 3*F drop in air temp usually isn't noticed much, but a 3*F drop in water temp is definitely noticeable, especially on multi-dive days. Since the range from Nov to Mar is only about 6 or 7 degrees, you should be fine in the 5mm with the proper supplemental exposure gear.

 

[katiusha]

Thank you! That was very informative. Just out of curiosity, do you and your wife dive with a dry suit in CA?

 

[jepuskar]

Get yourself a warm water drysuit and some light insulation and never worry about it again.

 

[ruready7]

Yes you can be too warm. It is a personal choice as to what you are comfortable in. I dove in 56 degree water with 5/4mm Merino lined suit and gloves and hood and was toasty.

 

[Noboundaries]

Thank you! That was very informative. Just out of curiosity, do you and your wife dive with a dry suit in CA?

No, we dive wet. Neither my wife nor I have the desire (today) to dive dry. I remember flying Navy jets in a dry suit in the extreme north Pacific and distinctly recall the claustrophobia inducing, overheating "suit up" gymnastics. I start hyperventilating just watching people put on and take off their dry suits. The people I know who dive dry love it, but I won't be one of them. Purely a personal preference.

I've gone diving in 51*F waters with my supplemented 7mm wetsuit and was easily fine for three dives. During my certification dives I was wearing a titanium lined 7mm Farmer John rental and was sweating in 51*F water! I had to take my gloves off to cool off.

My wife supplements with a 6mm hooded vest at 50-60*F. I figure adding my 3mm shortie over would drop me down to about 45*F, which appears to be about as cold as you'll find in mid-winter recreational Bay Area diving. Realistically though, below 50*F my wife would point the dive truck to the 5 to 10 degree warmer SoCal waters and a Catalina boat (Sand Dollar btw. Great boat).