West palm beach water temps. 5 mm or 3 mm?

[Palmcoastdiver]

Florida divers,
Im shopping for a wetsuit..thought a 3mill would be sufficient, but now considering a 5 mm. I rented a wetsuit in July in west palm and I think it was more than 3 mm..after an hour 80 feet below it began to get a little chilly. I use a skin for Caribbean and the keys, but want to be comfortable in one of my favorite dive spots in west palm. Any recommendations?

 

[flots am]

Florida divers,
Im shopping for a wetsuit..thought a 3mill would be sufficient, but now considering a 5 mm. I rented a wetsuit in July in west palm and I think it was more than 3 mm..after an hour 80 feet below it began to get a little chilly. I use a skin for Caribbean and the keys, but want to be comfortable in one of my favorite dive spots in west palm. Any recommendations?

Nobody can tell you.

I'm a little chilly in the pool at 78 in a 3mm wetsuit, but I've seen people dive WPB with nothing more than a bathing-suit and a big knife.

It really depends on how cold you get and how warm you want to be.

Why not rent 5mm and see if you like it?

flots.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah you can rent once and check it out. Or you can go to NOAA ocean temperatures and compare West Palm to the places you have dived further South--same time of year, etc. and make an educated guess.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

If you are diving in WPB, definitely get the 3 mm suit. You will be able to use that for most of the year.

In the winter and spring, when the air is cool and the water temp is down to 72, you are going to want a 5 mm and probably a good hood.

 

[Chuckitall]

My wife and I use 5 mm's year around, but we are in the water constantly. BTW summer water seems warm, but that's when we get alot of thermoclines and it can sometimes surprise the heck out of you on a warm day.

 

[RJP]

Keep in mind that if you're doing mostly drift dives you won't be working that hard, so won't be warming yourself all that much. I find I get much colder doing drifts than dives where I'm doing my own propulsion.

 

[sheeper]

i'm just a little north of west palm and dive year round from Sebastian to the Keys. Thermal protection is a personal choice. What is warm to one is chilly to another. From November 1 to early April, I tend to wear a 5mm. At the height of winter, i'll add some Lavacore under that. By early April, I go to a 3/2mm full suit. The Lavacore comes in on deeper dives, or cooler days.