Wet Suit thickness required for Kona during November

[Scuba-junky]

Thanks for all of the feedback folks. I've been diving SE Alaska in a dry suit for far too long and It's hard to visualize warm water. We don't leave for Kona for another 5 days and unless we change our minds, I think we'll take our 3mm suits and save some room in our suit cases.

If anyone out there is planning to be doing any beach diving on the Big Island during the last two weeks of November, please let us know.

 

[Scuba_HI]

Thanks for all of the feedback folks. I've been diving SE Alaska in a dry suit for far too long and It's hard to visualize warm water. We don't leave for Kona for another 5 days and unless we change our minds, I think we'll take our 3mm suits and save some room in our suit cases.

If anyone out there is planning to be doing any beach diving on the Big Island during the last two weeks of November, please let us know.

the wife an i fly in on nov. 30th for 5 days, can't wait.

 

[DiveMaven]

Hope you guys will post a report when you return so some of us can live vicariously through you.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If anyone out there is planning to be doing any beach diving on the Big Island during the last two weeks of November, please let us know.

Big Island is pretty young geologically, so your really looking for fellow shore divers; only a couple beach dives that I've heard of.

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

Good choice. We were there 2 weeks ago and dove in 3mm. Sometimes I would get a little chilly at the end of the 2nd dive but I wouldn't have wanted to be wearing anything heavier.

 

[Scuba-junky]

The reason I've only mentioned shore diving is because my wife has been having a little ear trouble and she is fairly new to diving. I just thought a few shore dives early in the trip would give her plenty of time to work on clearing her ears and to gain some confidence. If all goes well, we'll be up for some boat dives. "Anyone for Scuba?"...... We'd love to join up with others on the Big Island between Nov 18th and the 31st. We fly back on the 2nd of December.

 

[Strima77]

I dove Kona in April in a 3mm, and I felt cooler than in the Caribbean, esp towards the end of the dive, but it was OK. I have a 7mm for here in New England, but I don't like wearing it near as much. Next time in Hawaii I'll add a chicken vest under the 3.

 

[Scuba-junky]

Oops, only 30 days in November.

Anyone have any idea how much weight we'll need using 3mm full suits? I'm about 225 lbs and my wife, well she never tells me......

 

[Lopaka]

Depends of course. Figure a +4lb positive Al80 when empty, my last 3mm suit when new took 6lb to sink in a tub of water, so right there is 10lb of lead to be neutral. From there is depends on your personal buoyancy and the rest of your gear.

BC can make a big difference. Some are buoyant as hell. My wife's Diva is about 2lb positive, so there is an extra 2lb just to offset the BC. She complains about the lead she needs, but will not give up the Diva..........

I use a SS backplate with full wetsuits, and it is about 6lb negative. Usually only need a couple extra pounds to be good to go with that, and I am a good floater.

My wild arsed guess would be around 10lb for a big guy and a new 3mm full wetsuit if you are reasonably relaxed in the water, maybe less.

The boats usually have loose weights, so I just grab what I need to put in my weightbelt pouches. Easy to add or subtract that way on the fly.

YMMV.........