Recommended Exposure Suit for Cenotes

[Mark Duddridge]

I will be doing some Cenote diving next month (January 2009), and I was wondering what you would recommend for an exposure suit. I'm used to diving a drysuit since I do mostly Canadian cold water lake diving, but I'll be bringing a 5mil full length suit for the reef dives I do in Cozumel and Playa del Carman (one week in each location). Would diving the cenotes be comfortable in a 5mil full length wetsuit, or would a drysuit and a thin pair of underwear be more comfortable?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark

 

[divestoclimb]

The cenotes are 78 F year-round I think, so a 5 mil should be more than enough.

 

[la_diver]

dove the cenotes last week. We dove with scuba playa in playa. We were issued 3mm wet suits. The water temp. was 75. I could have dove in my shorty 2mm. There was not much difference in the temp. of coz. 79-81 degrees. Your plan sounds alot like ours. We stayed in coz for one week and moved over to playa. Your 5mm will be fine. I would begin to chill i little toward the end of the second dive.happy diving

 

[Mark Duddridge]

Awesome! Thanks you guys... 5mil full length it is!

 

[wedivebc]

If you own a light shell drysuit I would suggest using it. You will probably be able to trim better with the DS especially since you are used to it. If you are taking any training and planning on spending hours in the water it will be a great benefit.

 

[Mark Duddridge]

wedivebc... would you recommend a light drysuit on my Coz/PDC reef dives as well?

It's true that so much of my diving has been in a drysuit that it will take a bit of time getting used to diving a wetsuit again.

 

[Byte Me]

I've used either 2mm shortie (Playa dives only) or 3mm full suit (Coz, Playa and Cenotes) when we've been there in December (twice) and May.

Plenty warm in the cenote in the 3mm. In the ocean it was a bit much in May, kept letting in ocean water. But I typically run pretty hot.

 

[wedivebc]

wedivebc... would you recommend a light drysuit on my Coz/PDC reef dives as well?

It's true that so much of my diving has been in a drysuit that it will take a bit of time getting used to diving a wetsuit again.

Not really. If you are trying to save luggage weight and only take one suit then yes a light drysuit might be best. The ocean temp is quite suitable for a 3mm shorty or even shorts and t-shirt which I sometimes wear. Caves are a couple of degrees cooler and I tend to spend way more time in them than the ocean so a little more protection is needed.

 

[scubajcf]

I was in the Cenotes a month ago. I was in a 2MM Shortie and my wife was in a 3MM. Our guide was in a 5mm with hooded vest - funny!

Most folks are comfy in a 3mm.

During the ocean dives, we were in our bathing suits.

Had a great time. Dive the Mama Vina wreck if you get a chance. I think the shop we used, does it every Monday. Their name is GeoFish and I highly recommend them.

Have a great trip!




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[cavew0man]

Mark - lots of people get pretty chilled on their second cenote dive in a 3mm - if you're not acclimatized to warmer water, your 5 is probably going to do you just fine. But you could also just add a rental shortie for those dives and be nice and toasty.