Temperatures for Wetsuits.

[DiveMaven]

Another factor is the frequency of your diving. For instance if I go to a destination where the water is 78-82 Deg F I'll wear my 3/2 full suit and be nice and warm for one day of diving. But if I am diving in this water temp for a week 2-4 times a day I'll wear a 5mm full suit. After a few days of frequent diving your core temp drops and you will get cold even in 78-82 deg F water.

I agree 100% with this. In Maui last year, I wore a 3mm full in 78 degree water. We dove 2 tanks every morning for 8 days, and by day 6 I was getting cold on our 2nd dive of the day. Since we were going on a liveaboard a few months later, I knew a 3mm suit was not going to be warm enough for 4 dives a day in 79 degree water. I bought a 5mm full and dove comfortably 4x a day for 6 straight days. About half the folks on our boat with 3mm suits were layering or switching to thicker suits by mid-week.

Since my husband and I dive daily while on vacation, I wear my 5mm full suit in water temps from 74-82 degrees or so. Above that, I switch to my 3mm full. Though frankly, if I were facing diving 4x a day in 74 degree water, I'd likely layer a 3mm vest over my 5mm full mid-week.

 

[rongoodman]

Lake George this weekend was about 60 degrees off Hearthstone Campground. I wore a 3mm shorty under a 7mm full suit. I got cool, but I had quite a bit of water circulation under my suit, especially over my arms. If I was going to continue diving in a wet suit I'd have to go looking for a better fit.

 

[chipwd]

The fit will make a big difference. The OW dives were with a 7mm farmer john in mid-May with water temps 46 - 48 degrees. The suit was fairly snug.

My 7MM jumpsuit is also snug and that was fine the following week. The water temps weren't that much warmer.

BUT....as said before, I'm sure that everyone will be different due to many factors.

 

[diverdan214]

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/i...yId=222802&backTo=712914&infoType=infosport#B
This has a rough guide under thickness. However as people say its up to personal preference, this is just a rough starting point.

 

[carldarl]

Scuba.com has a good site with typical breakdowns, but as everyone says it depends on fit and each person's tolerance. Here ya go... http://scuba.com/shop/shopon.asp_category_Wet+Suits Good luck. Try a lot till you find one that fits.

 

[cold_H2O_diver]

I agree 100% with this. In Maui last year, I wore a 3mm full in 78 degree water. We dove 2 tanks every morning for 8 days, and by day 6 I was getting cold on our 2nd dive of the day. Since we were going on a liveaboard a few months later, I knew a 3mm suit was not going to be warm enough for 4 dives a day in 79 degree water. I bought a 5mm full and dove comfortably 4x a day for 6 straight days. About half the folks on our boat with 3mm suits were layering or switching to thicker suits by mid-week.

Since my husband and I dive daily while on vacation, I wear my 5mm full suit in water temps from 74-82 degrees or so. Above that, I switch to my 3mm full. Though frankly, if I were facing diving 4x a day in 74 degree water, I'd likely layer a 3mm vest over my 5mm full mid-week.

I concur completely with DiveMaven and Scubar - dive frequency matters.

When I head to warmer climes (70 - 80 deg H2O), I bring a 5mm and dive with it from the beginning. Even with being used to dealing with colder water temperatures, this (seemingly overdressed) strategy works well for me. The 5mm may be a bit much early in the week, but hey, I'm in the water. How warm am I really going to get?

Over the course of a week of 3 to 4 dives / day I feel quite comfortable throughout. I had my wife do this as well on our last trip to Mexico - and she was pleased with the results.

 

[alo100]

3mm for water which's less cold, 7mm for cold water, I think they are commonly used that way. Like, can I use 3mm and add a 2mm for the cold water... well, sometimes it's not just as good as a 7mm suit. For cold cold water anything > 9mm would make us harder to move around, we may want to use dry suit instead.

I use a 7mm for the water in SF, then 3mm for travelling for warmer places. It's used to keep warm and for general protection e.g. sharp reefs....
Couple of years back, I asked my co-worker if the 3mm was ok to use at his place (colder water), he asked, "well, are you a warm person? Somebody can use a 3mm and still feels ok...." so it depends on the individual as well...

One more, if you happen to travel, check the price of the local wet suit market for how much it takes to have a tailor made wetsuit, you'll be surprise about the price difference around the world....
I find out that do some research before my next travel and I'd be able to get the same gear with a different price.

 

[MN Lakeman]

The fit will make a big difference. The OW dives were with a 7mm farmer john in mid-May with water temps 46 - 48 degrees. The suit was fairly snug.

My 7MM jumpsuit is also snug and that was fine the following week. The water temps weren't that much warmer.

BUT....as said before, I'm sure that everyone will be different due to many factors.

I'm glad this was finally mentioned... FIT is VERY important. I learned this after buying a new 3mm O'Neil that fits like a glove compared to the first one I bought. The key is keeping water exchange down. Also, I highly endorse hooded vests to bring on all your trips, particularly if doing multiple dives over several days. Not only does the extra 3mm over your core warm you up for those later-in-the-day dives, but the connected hood reduces the water exchange significantly.

 

[Gator Diver]

I think others have said it: FIT, FREQUENCY, FORM dictates what you wear. (Besides the obvious, water temp).

Fit: a poor fitting suit probably will result in a diver getting colder
sooner. Water runs in the suit and around your body resulting
in quicker heat loss.

Frequency: the more you are diving in a day or in a week on a vacation
may make you using a thicker suit. One dive a day, maybe a 3mm will
work. 4 days a dive, maybe you want a 5mm.

Form: your body shape will also matter. Those with more/less body
fat would need a thinner/thicker suit.

Personally, I use a 3mm one piece in the springs (72 degrees) but I
usually end up getting cold near the end of my second dive. If I opt
for a third dive I usually put a rash top underneath.

 

[CompuDude]

Here in So. California, water gets into the low 50's, perhaps upper 40s at the coldest. I don't know anyone diving a 5mm suit here. It's 7mm or more, or dry. (Surfers can get away with it, but not divers. 5mm is always 5mm at the surface, but 5mm at 33 feet is only 2.5mm.)

I am perfectly happy in my 7mm suit in water down to 50 degrees. After three dives in a day, however, it gets really hard to face the cold again. So I'm saving up for a drysuit.