I dive in surf shorts and 3mm jacket in Coz (now crushed) for all months. I can do that down to about 74F. I am about 6'7" 260 lbs so I don't get cold as fast. Rental wetsuits are not common for me. I can feel cold freshwater when it enters from the reef (after rains usually) but can swim out of it. My wife and friends I dive with in Coz use 3mm full or shorty (women - full; Men - shorty, DM - as many wetsuits that he can put on). My wife, who gets cold easily, will at times put a 3mm shorty over the 3mm full. Alot of difference between the two of us. I do get some stings on my legs at times (some months few) but I don't care that much. Night dives I wear a full skin or rafting/kayaking pants ~1.5 mm for exposure protection. Towels and sometimes boat coats are on the boat. The wetsuit depends on you.
proper exposure suit for Cozumel
- Thread starter waterduck
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Stoo
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On the other hand, Mrs. Stoo weighs in at a whomping 98# soaking wet. She is lean and tiny. In 78/79, she would be in a 5mm full suit. with a hood, and quite possibly a 3mm vest if we were doing 3 or 4 dives daily. She'd probably take her drysuit if I didn't tell her I wouldn't dive her if she did!
The weather has a bearing too... hot and sunny means a faster thermal recovery between dives. Cool and windy means the opposite.
OP
waterduck
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I sure do thank you for all your replies.It's a big help in my decision in what to pack for the trip in March.
OP
waterduck
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I have to thank you for that link to the beanie. I've been meaning to get something like that because at one of the quarries I dove,I got attacked by little sunfish and they bit the heck out of my ears.I hate the squeeze of full hoods.
sharky60
Contributor
We usually are there in April/May, I dove with a .5mil skin for years and thought I was comfortable. I moved up to a 3/2 and it really made a difference, I have been much more comfortable with it.
This past trip, the water temps were very high (82-83) and I was dealing with some heat related issues, so I abandoned my wetsuit completely and just dove with a short sleeve rash shirt and jams.
This past trip, the water temps were very high (82-83) and I was dealing with some heat related issues, so I abandoned my wetsuit completely and just dove with a short sleeve rash shirt and jams.
Carlos Danger
Contributor
I am 6'5"/240 and have dove Coz in everything from a swimsuit to 3mm-full. Over the years I have migrated towards more coverage but w/ thinner materials. In late May I typically wear a 0.5mm hooded vest under a 0.5mm-full. At that time of the season this combo is just about perfect for me; keeps me protected and warm yet doesn't impact my buoyancy and is not bulky or too awkward to don/remove. In March I would probably bump up to a similar 1.0+ setup.
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When travelling, I take my best guess at the correct full suit (3, 5, or 7 mm) and always take my hooded vest if I get cold. For 79-81 degrees I would take my 3 mm.
The older I've gotten, the less tolerant of being cold I've become, or, the more I enjoy being warm and relaxed. I've very, very rarely been too warm on a dive, but I certainly have been cold many times. Being cold is the most predictable variable that increases my gas consumption.
The older I've gotten, the less tolerant of being cold I've become, or, the more I enjoy being warm and relaxed. I've very, very rarely been too warm on a dive, but I certainly have been cold many times. Being cold is the most predictable variable that increases my gas consumption.
On my first trip to Cozumel in January 2009, I wore a 3 mm shorty. Comfortable but tended to get cool to cold after two long dives. The last three times I have been there have been in March. I am now wearing a full 3 mm, and am comfortable on every dive. I am considering a "beanie" as well, for that extra measure of comfort on the very long dives.
Divegoose
Divegoose
I'm bringing my 5/4 full suit next week. If it's sunny topside, I'll be hot and uncomfortable when I'm gearing up--wouldn't be the first time. If it's cloudy and drizzly, I might be glad I opted for the 5/4 over a thinner suit. Once in the water, though, it really doesn't make much difference which suit I'm wearing. After many trips to many places I have found that in 79-84F water I don't perceive any difference in comfort between my 5/4 and my 3 mm. Even when the water is 84F, if I am too warm I let water into the neck. But if I am too cold, there's nothing I can do. Around the one-hour mark on the second dive, I am usually happy I brought the 5/4.
Glad to find someone else who feels this way. I always wear my 5/4, anywhere I dive. I love the support the thicker material gives, especially to my lower back and legs, and as you point out, temperature relief is only a pull on the neck seal away.
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