Question Socorro in march wetsuit choice

[seba76]

Another thread about thermoprotection, sorry for that

My wife and I have booked a trip to Socorro for March 2024, and I'm very excited. However, we've never dived in cold water before (I heard that Socorro in March can be as cold as 20 degrees Celsius). In June, we were in Egypt doing BDE, and we had 25 degrees Celsius, which was the coldest water we've experienced. We both own 5mm Scubapro Everflex wetsuits, but nothing thicker so far. We've never tried drysuit diving, so that's not really an option for us.

I checked with the operator, and they offer 5mm or 7mm wetsuits for rent (they don't seem to have semi-dry suits). My local dealer also rents 7mm wetsuits, but they don't have semi-drysuits available. While we are not particularly sensitive to the cold (we've never felt cold before, but I attribute that to always having the right protection), I would hate to skip a dive in Socorro just because I'm cold.

I've read this forum and found people diving in shorties, while others say they would have frozen without a drysuit, so it's difficult to form a definite opinion. I'm seeking your recommendation:

1. Should we buy a 7/8 mm semi-dry suit (as it seems difficult to rent one)?

2. Should we rent a 7mm wetsuit?

3. Is it possible to use our Scubapro Everflex 5mm wetsuits and buy underlayers (if they exist)? I heard something about sharkskin, but I'm concerned it might make the wetsuit too tight.

Additionally, I have 5mm boots. Would they be enough? What are your recommendations for the hood and gloves?

Thank you so much for your precious advice. I really want to make the best of this trip without worrying about being cold.

 

[davehicks]

If you or your wife get cold fairly easily, I strongly suggest a new 7mm suit. And a hood or beanie.

I have been to Socorro in Jan/Feb a few times and was good with a 5mm suit and a Lavacore hooded vest. You can wear this under your wetsuit and it adds a layer to the torso and provides a hood.

I made a trip to South Australia earlier this year where it is much cooler than Socorro with 64f water temps. On that trip I took a 3mm suit but added a 7mm hooded vest. This worked great for me, along with some new 5mm gloves and 5mm booties.

 

[steinbil]

Just remember, thick neoprene compresses at depth. So if you plan on diving deep (60ft+) you might end up both cold and over-weighted. Learning to dive a drysuit is well worth the investment.

 

[AdivingBel]

Lol...before I invested in a drysuit FOR JUST THIS TRIP, I would move the dates to November and dive it in board shorts.

 

[LFMarm]

It depends on your cold tolerance. For me 20C is clearly for dry suit. I don’t like 7 mm wet suit because they are a pain to put on and off.

 

[Manuel Sam]

5mm plus a 2mm hooded vest has worked for me on Socorro trips anytime between January and May.

I always bring two of those hooded vests, in order to always have at least one that is dry. That's because I hate the feel (and the accompanying chill) of putting on a wet wetsuit or vest. There are times when I will put both of those hooded vests on under the 5mm - on the 3rd or 4th dive of the day, for example, when the body is already a bit chilled.

I hate the 7mm as well - putting one on is work - but it is what I use for Galapagos. FWIW, applying shampoo or even shower liquid soap to legs and arms makes it a bit easier to put on.

 

[seba76]

Just remember, thick neoprene compresses at depth. So if you plan on diving deep (60ft+) you might end up both cold and over-weighted. Learning to dive a drysuit is well worth the investment.

I know that ideally it's drysuit territory, but I agree with @AdivingBel that it's make no sense to invest in a dry suit just for this trip, as the dive operator do not rent them. I'm watching a lot of video about Socorro diving and they are mostly all in wetsuit, so I guess it should be doable.

5mm plus a 2mm hooded vest has worked for me on Socorro trips anytime between January and May.

I always bring two of those hooded vests, in order to always have at least one that is dry. That's because I hate the feel (and the accompanying chill) of putting on a wet wetsuit or vest. There are times when I will put both of those hooded vests on under the 5mm - on the 3rd or 4th dive of the day, for example, when the body is already a bit chilled.

I hate the 7mm as well - putting one on is work - but it is what I use for Galapagos. FWIW, applying shampoo or even shower liquid soap to legs and arms makes it a bit easier to put on.

Thank you, do you have the reference of those hooded west?

 

[davehicks]

I know that ideally it's drysuit territory, but I agree with @AdivingBel that it's make no sense to invest in a dry suit just for this trip, as the dive operator do not rent them. I'm watching a lot of video about Socorro diving and they are mostly all in wetsuit, so I guess it should be doable.



Thank you, do you have the reference of those hooded west?

Just search for "lavacore hooded vest".

 

[Manuel Sam]

I am sure that there are quite a few choices of hooded vests that come in different thicknesses. Mine are from IST Sports. I like them because they have a Velcro'd seam on one side that runs from armpit to bottom. This makes putting it on and taking it off much easier than the ones without an openable seam. I just looked in their website and they have a newer design that is arguably even better than mine, first because, in the context of this discussion, it is 2.5mm instead of 2mm, and mostly because this newer design has a zipper that runs diagonally from just above the chin to the bottom. Putting this one on seems even easier. Also, I've also noticed with mine that the Velcro does not hold as well after several years of use - a zipper doe snot have this issue.

IST SPORTS CORP. :: RECREATIONAL :: WETSUITS & VEST & PANTS

IST aims to manufacture SAFE, RELIABLE, HIGH QUALITY diving products at an AFFORDABLE price for divers worldwide. We are a comprehensive scuba gear supplier.

www.istsports.com

Amazon sells the same IST hooded vest design that I have but now in a 3mm for $45.

Ultimately, if you feel that this is the way to go, I suggest that you consider different torso-only-layering options - look at all the different brands, and also whether to get a hooded vest OR just a vest in a thickness of your choice (there is a lot more selection of the ones without a hood) and then adding a separate hood in a thickness of your choice.

I might add - as I did in a reply to another post - that some scientists predict that the current El Niño event could last into the winter of 2024. That might add a couple of degrees to the water temp.

I neglected to address a couple of your other questions: you may wish to ask the liveaboard about using gloves. I never use them anyway and as I recall, park rules might prohibit their use. Not sure if that also applies to using them strictly for thermal protection.

I can't give you booties advice because I don't use them with my closed-heel (full-foot) fins.

 

[Trailboss123]

I think you should anticipate 22-23 degrees celsius for the time of year you will be there. Give or take a degree. I was just there in early April. Everyone has a different tolerance. I dove the entire week in a 5mm Henderson aqua lock. It is a very warm and fairly new wetsuit. I brought along my Henderson 3/5mm hooded vest (3mm in the chest and 5mm hood) just in case, but I found that I never needed it and it just stayed in the bag all week. If you decide to stick with your Scubapro Everflex, I would definitely bring along a good 3/5 hooded vest to wear underneath, should you require it. My wife has the Scuba Pro Everflex 5mm and it is a quality wetsuit, assuming it is newer and doesn't have hundreds of dives and has lost some of its thickness.

Henderson Thermoprene Hooded Vest

There's no better way to boost warmth than to add a hooded vest to your exposure protection gear. Wear it with board shorts in tropical waters or layer it with any type of full-length suit for cold wat

www.scuba.com