Recommended exposure protection for Caribbean destinations

[SparkE79]

Hi! I just received my NAUI Scuba Diver certification, which went very well. All of my certification dives (+1 dive post certification) have been done in the lovely 85 degree waters of a Texas freshwater lake with just a swimsuit and a rash guard. Even at 60' the temp was still comfortable.

I am a big guy - 6'1", 270lbs. Lots of bioprene. I have a travel buddy that wants to go to Cancun, Cozumel, or Belize before the end of the year. Given my size I think I probably ought to get my exposure protection before the trip rather than relying on renting something that might not fit.

It sounds like a 3mm full suit is the most common 'be on the safe side' recommendation for these destinations, but I also hear of a lot of people just diving with skins and/or those polartec lined skins. I am tempted to just get a skin due to weighting/bouyancy/price issues combined with the fact I am continuing to lose weight (310lbs in January, 270lbs now). I will likely only be able to use what I purchase for one or two dive trips to the Caribbean before needing a smaller size. I do not plan on exceeding my OW 60' limit.

Any thoughts/recommendations/etc appreciated. I might try to find a cooler diving location here in Texas to see how I handle cooler water sans exposure protection, if anyone has a recommendation for that I'd appreciate it.

 

[TMHeimer]

Everyone's different. I weigh 195 (6') and used a body suit (just for protection from jellies, etc.) in 76F water in Panama. At 65F I use a shortie. From what you say I would think you would be OK down there with a body suit or just a rash-guard or bathing suit only. But yeah, find some water cooler than 85 to be sure.

 

[KeithG]

I suggest you also think about how many dives a day you plan to do (as well as dive duration and amount of shwimming). Less bottom time == thinner suit. More fin action == thinner suit.

I have seen many 1 dive a day people get by with just a skin (really for sting protection only).

My wife uses a 3mm full suit and is fine for 3 one hour dives per day with very little fin action (we are lazy divers looking for the small stuff). She does get a little colder towards the end of the day and is always cold if we jam in the 4'th dive. Our last dive of the day is normally a night dive which seems to be colder for most people - I have never figured out why as as the water is the same temp?.

In general we see 74F as the coldest water (turks @ xmas) and 82F as the warmest (belize/bonaire in may).

I cheat and use a 7mm shorty and am never cold.

That said, I have seen many cold divers that layer several suits and only do a few dives. I claim this is due to poor fitting suits allowing a constant stream of water to flow through. We have always dove with custom fitted suits - NO water leaks (or baggy crotches).

 

[Frosty]

Sparke If money is no object--ie you can afford to have a couple of wetsuits then my advice is that for THIS dive senario you should buy a 3.0mm steamer to offer a "bit" of thermal protection but more importantly it offers scratch and sting protection.
I would though carry with me a 3.0mm dive tee shirt (aeris lavacore).If you buy the right kind they basicly double the thermal protection through your core but DONT add any boyancy. That way if you find later in the day you do feel a bit chilled you aren't having to muck around with weight calculations.
If money is an issue and you may be diving in cooler waters then an option might be to use a 5.0mm 2 piece suit for both cool and warmer water

 

[RonFrank]

3mm suits are cheap so buy another if you shrink. You should be fine in a 3mm year around in Cancun area/Belize. I like full suits for protection from stings. You should find a suit in the $100+/- range online. I have no idea on local pricing, likely much higher. Scubatoys is a great place likely close, but I guess TX is a large state.

 

[donhealy]

A 3mm shorty with a rash guard will suffice. If you want, you can also buy a 2mm beanie. I am 6'2". I let myself get to 270 and now 210 going down to 200. So understand your issues. You will need to try on the wetsuit as the cut can be different from manufacturer to manufacturer. My Aqualung 2mm 2XL shorty is smaller than my XS 3mm XL shorty. whatever you decide on, just make sure its a hyperstretch - that will make a huge difference in weight change. BTW at 270 I was at a XXXL and at 200-210 I am an XL. It makes a huge difference in lead and easy of donning.

Good luck! the first 40 are hard and then the next are even tougher. The biggest deal is keeping it off.

Don

Don

 

[ColoDale]

I generally dive in surf shorts and nylon t-shirt in the Caribbean and do so down to around 74-75 F but I don't mind colder temps. Temps in Cozumel can get down around there in late Dec, Jan and Feb. At that point I have started to use a front zip, long sleeve 3mm jacket. I am generally colder on the boat post dive so I keep it on. For some reason only my arms and armpits get cold at those temps. I wear a skin for night dives just for physical protection.

However, I have been in the Bahamas in Jan where the water temp was 64 (as was the air temp) and a 3 mm with a polartec fleece underneath was not enough. I have been in temps of almost 90 F (Aug in St. Lucia) where a wetsuit was a non-issue.

Most divers I see in the Caribbean use a full or shorty 3mm as does my wife who gets cold anyway. March thru October, I generally don't bring my 3mm wetsuit with me to Cozumel. But then I have more of a tolerance to cold.

Since you are trying to go before the end of the year the water will be cooler than summer. I would try to find colder water locally and see if a skin, shorty or full 3mm works for you. Though comfortable at 85F, 10 degrees makes a difference. You might try some sort of hyperstretch wetsuit to accomodate some weight loss. If you find something locally you like, then maybe you can rent it for the trip.

You can find 3mm full wetsuits online for around $100. Depends on brand and stretchiness/material.

 

[rongoodman]

It also has to do with how much diving you're doing--multiple dives will eventually get you colder. I'm good in 5mm for 1-2 dives a day in the cenotes, which are about 75 year around, but 5 dives/day on a liveaboard for a week in the Bahamas or Saba has me chilled by the end of the week in the same temps. I'll probably dive the next liveaboard trip dry.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Don't know where you live or how old you are, but over the years I've worn everything between just a bathing suit to a 3mm jumpsuit. The older you are and the more dives per day you plan to do, the more protection you will need. Heat loss is cumulative. You may feel wonderful in a bathing suit on day one, but may wish you had a 3mm on day four.

 

[ajduplessis]

Speedo