red sea wetsuit recommendation early September

[maweber]

Hi,
what's your recommendation in terms of wetsuit for a liveaboard trip early September in the red sea ? I read that it is colder than one thinks and therfore I was thinking of going with a 5/4mm wetsuit rather than a 3mm given 3-4 dives a day...
Thanks
Martin

 

[chrisu]

Hi,
what's your recommendation in terms of wetsuit for a liveaboard trip early September in the red sea ? I read that it is colder than one thinks and therfore I was thinking of going with a 5/4mm wetsuit rather than a 3mm given 3-4 dives a day...
Thanks
Martin

Hi Martin.

I think that the question is more, how easily do you get cold? My logbook says that last year, november 4th, water temperature in Safaga area was 28 degrees celcius, so quite ok for both 5/4 or 4/3mm suits.

/nico

 

[gehadoski]

Also this depend on where in the Red Sea are you going to dive? in the North the area of Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada or in the middle in the area of Safaga, or you are talking about the south in the area of Marsa Alam.

 

[mania]

Take 5mm wetsuit. Doing more than 2 dives per day will get you cold in the 3mm one
Mania

 

[maweber]

Hi,
we are going south to St. John. My"tropical" dive experience so far was Cozumel and Maui, the latter one not really tropical but maybe more comparable to the water temperatures in the red sea. On Maui, there was one day with 4 dives and we did it in a 3/2mm with hooded vest and it was o.k. If I had to do that 6 days in a row ( and given that I hate the hooded vest ) I am leaning strongly towards a 5mm suit. I guess my temperature perception is sort of average. I do not get cold too easy but I am also not one of the folks dive everything in a shortie. I think diving on a liveaboard trip might be different also given the high frequency and I am certainly not going to miss out on dives but rather bring a thicker wetsut along... Thanks for your input so far, keep it coming

 

[ArthurGerla]

we are going south to St. John. <snip> I am leaning strongly towards a 5mm suit.

I did that route last week. Take the 5mm suit. I've seen people change from shortie to 5mm suit and cap in the course of the week.

Art

 

[gehadoski]

Hi,
we are going south to St. John. My"tropical" dive experience so far was Cozumel and Maui, the latter one not really tropical but maybe more comparable to the water temperatures in the red sea. On Maui, there was one day with 4 dives and we did it in a 3/2mm with hooded vest and it was o.k. If I had to do that 6 days in a row ( and given that I hate the hooded vest ) I am leaning strongly towards a 5mm suit. I guess my temperature perception is sort of average. I do not get cold too easy but I am also not one of the folks dive everything in a shortie. I think diving on a liveaboard trip might be different also given the high frequency and I am certainly not going to miss out on dives but rather bring a thicker wetsut along... Thanks for your input so far, keep it coming

I prefer that you go for the 5mm. Now we are in the summer and the sunset is around 8pm. I believe that there are some days you will like to make 4 dives a day. 5mm will be fine with you.

 

[maweber]

I did that route last week. Take the 5mm suit. I've seen people change from shortie to 5mm suit and cap in the course of the week.

Art

Hi,
how was it ? Which boat were you on ?
Martin

 

[maweber]

I prefer that you go for the 5mm. Now we are in the summer and the sunset is around 8pm. I believe that there are some days you will like to make 4 dives a day. 5mm will be fine with you.

I ordered a 5/4mm suit. Thanks.
Martin

 

[ArthurGerla]

how was it ? Which boat were you on ?

This was on the Asmaa, a 16 guest boat run by Emperor out of Port Ghalib (Marsa Alam). We went to the deep south (St. Johns) and then made our way back north to Elphinstone. 20 dives in six days! It was amazing. Best moments of the week: Snorkeling with an oceanic whitetip shark circling the boat at elphinstone, and playing hide-and-seek with a cuttlefish in a coral garden at only two meters depth. That was a 94 minute dive. Water temperature is 27C, the weather is invariably warm and sunny with a moderate breeze. Once you're away from shore the number of flies becomes tolerable, and for once I was't hit by the Curse of the Pharaoh (TM) We encountered very little currents, no swell to speak of, and the underwater life is abundant. Lots of juveniles around now.

There are anything up to five boats moored on any reef, there were a dozen on Elphinstone, but with some smart timing you don't meet too many others during a dive. I'm told no more permits for safari boats will be issued.

Enjoy your trip!

Art