Wetsuit 5/4 vs 3/2

[Rambo2]

Hi - I am a new OWD and love it. I am ready to buy a wetsuit. All of my training and subsequent dives were in 27C - 29C and I was totally comfortable in a 3mm rental. I plan to do maybe half my diving in the carib and the other half traveling, meaning Pacific (Kona already booked for Nov and stoked), Red Sea and Med. Two questions: Is 5/4 too much for the Carib or will I be fine, and is 5/4 enough for the destinations I mention. It should be comfortable for multiple dives. It would not be unusual for me to do 80' for 20 minutes and then a few shallow dives. I am thinking a 5/4 would be a great all round choice but I really don't know.

(I am a wuss and would rather err on the side of warm) - my LDS says 5/4 is definitely too much suit for 28C

 

[bumcikaz]

If u get cold easy or will do multiple dives same day i would go for 5/4, u can always let some water in to your wetsuit if u will get too warm

 

[Tool Belt]

I am also a total warm water weenie. My 5/4 in 82F is just fine. Did have to pull a little water in while diving the GBR last January, but it is a LOT easier to cool off than warm up!

 

[buddhasummer]

5/4 for sure. It's easy to cool down if you get too warm, impossible to warm up if you get too cold. If you do multiple dives over multiple days your core temp will take a hit and you will start to get cold unless you are one of those people who don't feel the cold. I wear a full 5mm in the tropics and am comfortable doing multiple dives over multiple days I do however have a low tolerance to cold. There is no such thing as "too warm" diving wet. Good luck.

 

[tracydr]

I use a 3 ml if water is above 80 degrees and we're only doing 1-2 dives a day. Any more diving or repeated days of diving and I begin to get chilled. For Hawaii, I've usually used a 5 ml as the water temps have been 76-78 when I was there.
These are the two suits I have. I also have hoods to help with a bit more warmth. Anything colder than 74 degrees and I'm diving my drysuit. Sometimes with even warmer temperatures, just depending.
If I only had one wetsuit, I'd have my 5 ml. My 3 ml is too light for many places or when doing repeated dives on a trip.
I do find that my air consumption is better if I dress warmly. If I'm slightly chilly my SAC goes down.

 

[dfx]

I dive a full 5 mm suit in 85+ water and it's not a problem at all. It's nice because you can use the same suit even in colder water, 70s or even upper 60s if you're brave. The only downside is that you need more weights and you need to fiddle more with your BCD than with a thinner suit, but you get used to it. And it's nice to have the added thermal protection especially if you're doing a lot of dives or several consecutive days. And yeah, I've also been told that I'd be too warm in that suit, but I think that's BS.

 

[gert7to3]

Since you are new to diving, you may find that you won't be working as hard to maintain your buoyancy control as your diving skills increase. Your air will last longer and your dives will get longer. You will probably need a thicker suit just due to longer dive times. IMHO a 5mm suit is a better choice.

Keep in mind gloves, 1 mm liner socks and a hooded vest are easy ways to extend the thermal protection range of any suit.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

Rambo;

1st I have to say it; if you're diving beyond 60ft get your AOW cert and your NITROX. your setting your self up for an earned hit if you don't and some locations won't let you get on the boat for a wreck dive if you don't have them.

on the suit go with the 5mil all day. the suit will crush as you use it and it will become a 4/3 mil over time. I have a 3 mil that after a couple of trips to 100ft now feels like a 1 mil.


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[NAM001]

another warm water diver here. i use a 3/2 shorty in the carribean and gulf. each diver is different. if its 80f then i dont need a suit but wear one for bouyancy and comfort with a skin. (strap chaffing). the more suit the more lead you need and you dont want to overheat or be chiled.

---------- Post added October 13th, 2013 at 09:51 PM ----------

another warm water diver here. i use a 3/2 shorty in the carribean and gulf. each diver is different. if its 80f then i dont need a suit but wear one for bouyancy and comfort with a skin. (strap chaffing). the more suit the more lead you need and you dont want to overheat or be chiled. for coler water i use a farmer john 3mm..equivilant to a 6/3

 

[Token]

I find I'm generally comfortable in a 3/2 for warm water diving, however I have both a bibbed hood and a hooded vest to wear underneath it when I start to feel the chill...usually after multiple dives/days. [I'll be diving around the Big Island in February in that combo].

I actually have experienced being too warm in a wetsuit, and having to haul at the neck to let cooler water into the suit is an annoying distraction. I wouldn't go with a 5mm suit unless I knew I was going to encounter cooler water [< mid 70's], or diving under a thermocline.