Thickness vs. water temp. chart??

[rockinrebel]

Anybody have a general guide as to the thickness of wetsuit needed for various water temps? The coldest water I'll be diving in is 72 degrees (Florida springs). Hey, what can I say, I'm a southern boy!!
Thanks for the help.

 

[The Kraken]

A 2/3 mm full suit does a good job, especially if you're doing multiple dives. I've seen people dive Vortex Springs in trunks and t-shirts, but that ain't for me!

A 2/3 keeps me comfortable down to about 62 degrees.

A great deal of the thermal protection is determined by the individual physiology of the diver.

But PLEASE REMEMBER, just because you don't "feel cold", it doesn't mean that you aren't moving toward hypothermia. Hypothermia is very, very insidious.

You can always let some water into your wetsuit to cool off, but once you get cold, you're going to stay that way.

 

[saltwater taffy]

Thermal protection is a very individual thing. I get really, really cold. No way could I be in 62 degree water in a 2/3. That would be dry suit time for me.

Stay warm
SWT

 

[jbichsel]

I dive a 7mm fullsuit with 7mm jacket down to about 45 degrees, for up to 1 1/2 hours. Once I get above 60, then the thinner suits come into play.

Again, it's up to each person.

 

[Desa]

I am with SWT. I have been diving a long time (1977) and have dove many different extremes. If I go to Florida to Vortex springs I will wear my 7mil hyperstretch (which is not as warm as most 7-mils). If the water is colder than 65, I dive dry. I adjust my comfort level by wearing a hood or beanie or nothing.

Point is, no one else will be able to tell you what to wear until you figure out your own "rating"

Somewhere I remember seing a "guide" that rated you and gave some ideas to start with. If I can find it, I will post it here later.

 

[ae3753]

From a random google search, though it matches my experience so far: http://www.all-sports-posters.com/wetsuit.html

Recommended Thickness (Water temperature Thickness recommended)
75-85F - 1/16" (1.6mm) neoprene, lycra, polartec
70-85F - 1/8" (3mm) neoprene
65-75F - 3/16" (5mm) neoprene
50-75F - 1/4" (6.5mm) neoprene
35-65F - 3/8" (9.5mm) neoprene, drysuit

If you're female or small, then you'll want to err on the side of a thicker wetsuit.

 

[hardhat]

72 degrees, isn't that like bath tub temp.? What do you need a suit for, that's tee shirt and shorts type diving if I have ever heard of it. It just doesn't get much warmer then that, does it?

 

[Seabear70]

As you can tell it's very individual...

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Here's one that my LDS gave me when I first started out:

85+ deg. F = skinsuit (lycra, darlexx, or polartec)
78-85 deg. F = 1/8" (3mm) skinsuit or wetsuit
70-78 deg. F = 3/16" (4-5mm) one-piece wetsuit
55-70 deg. F = 1/4" (6.5-7mm) two-piece wetsuit
<55 Drysuit

'Course, as has been mentioned, different people require different insulation.

And I don't imagine that too many people have five different suits. As I mentioned, this was given to me by a LDS (that sells suits).

Years ago I saw a suit (I think it was by Henderson) that was basically a shorty with a jumpsuit that you could wear over it. That way you could wear the shorty, the jumpsuit, or the two together, depending on the temp. I've been thinking of doing something like this myself. I have a 7mm john and step-tru jacket that your supposed to be able to wear seperately, but it doesn't work that way. For one thing, the legs on the jacket have to be big enough to go over the john, so are too loose if you try to wear it seperately. Seems to me that with shorty under a jumpsuit, all openings could be tight.

And, IMHO, any water cold enough for a wetsuit is cold enough for a hood.

Just my thoughts.

 

[The Kraken]

Bath tub temp for most people is somewhere in the 102 to 108F terperature range.