westuit mm thickness in 72 degrees

[Foo]

Hi, all...I am a newbie, so please bear with my newbie questions. I will be doing my open water dives in two weeks. The river we are going to is purported to be around 70-72 degrees year round. I have a lycra skinsuit and a 2 mm Henderson trilam full body wetsuit. Do you think this will be enough or should I step up to a 4 or 5 mm? When I bought the Trilam, I was told that the insulating qualities of the suit make it feel more like a 3mm. In the pool, I usually am not chilled when a few other people from my class are (but I didn't know if I was just having too much fun to notice, or what!). I wouldn't consider myself particularly "hot natured" or "cold natured" either... I think I'm fairly average in that regard. Thank you in advance for any advise you might offer.
Foo

 

[jonnythan]

70-72 year round? Wow, that's some river. The Hudson up here ranges from well below freezing to 75..

Anyway, if the water is honestly 70-72, you should be fine with the 2mm full body. If the weather is cool (below 70), I'd probably either toss on a 3mm vest under/over it or go ahead and get a 5mm to help keep a little warmer between dives.

Do you know what the water temp in the pool is?

 

[Foo]

Thanks for replying, Jon- I think the pool temp has been around 85-86 degrees. Does that sound right? I looked for the Comal river on the Internet, and the report i've found all say 70-72. So that's good, huh? I think it's spring-fed- heard people say they hate it in the summer but love it in the winter.
Foo

 

[jonnythan]

For a point of reference, I wear a 3mm full body with gloves and no hood down to just above 60 degrees. I hate hoods and refuse to wear them unless I have to, though if you don't mind them a 2mm + hood and gloves will be fine too.

 

[LUBOLD8431]

Huh. Well, the Henderson Trilam is not a wetsuit. From my experience with those things, you will be cold. I would recommend at LEAST a 3mm wetsuit. I wear a 5mm in 70-75 degree water. I would NOT want to be in 70-72 deg water in a 3mm for more than 30 minutes, which should be good for your OW cert dives.

Hmmm. I might wear a drysuit... Just because I hate wetsuits, and I dive dry more often than anything else, and Im used to it. However, in TX, it might be overkill.

 

[theskull]

IMHO, the best and least expensive investment you can make in exposure protection is a hooded vest. Add that to the 3 mm and you should be OK in 70 F. You can always pull the hood off your head if you get a little warm, and the vest still adds a little to your body comfort.

To make sure you avoid the "I hate to wear hoods" experience buy one that fits well and is very flexible, such as a Henderson hyperflex or Scubapro 5 mm/2.5 mm. Then burn a couple very small holes in the top of the head and back of the head to allow air to escape rather than form a bubble in the hood. (Some of the Hendersons already have this vent in them.)

Hope this helps. Enjoy your dives!!!

theskull

 

[archman]

Let's see... a texas river with a constant 70-72 degree range. That confines you to the Comal and San Marcos rivers. Probably the Comal, as the San Marcos checkouts tend to be at Aquarena.

You need at least a 3mm full suit, but being as its your OW checkouts, you'll be sitting on the bottom doing nothing for protracted periods. That makes you colder, quicker.

Here's what I recommend, being in both rivers fairly often.

1. 5-7mm full suit.
2. 3mm full suit, with hood

You lose a lot of heat via your 'noggin, so the hood would compensate for the 3mm suit's lesser insulation. This is also the cheaper and more sensible route for texas folks, as the 3mm is a great multi-purpose suit. Normally the 5-7mm suits are for winter waters or deep thermoclines. What I dive in the rivers is a 6.5mm Farmer John underneath a 3mm top, but I stay down for over an hour and don't use a hood. Most of the "regulars" wear hoods and less insulation however.

It's also easier to get in out of a thinner suit.

 

[DementialFaith]

eh?

 

[DementialFaith]

if the waters around 69 70 i just dive with 7 mm full suit without hoods or gloves, any warmer id just dive in with 3mm shorites

 

[Scubakevdm]

7mm. Put something on your head too.