Wetsuit configuration for Northern California diving

[Vegan Shark]

As to the quality of the neoprene, that's garbage.

A wetsuit expert will have to weigh in, but from what I remember from researching before I made my purchase, there are various grades and types of neoprene. The hyperstretch you mentioned is a good example. Back in the old days, a lot stiffer neoprene was used, which was more resistant to crushing and warmer than the stretchy materials we find today. But since people are more likely to buy a suit if it's a piece of cake to get on and off in the dressing room, consumer trends shifted to the stretchy style we see today.

I've no doubt plenty of companies use the same exact material for their line of suits, with only extra features distinguishing the higher end models. But the difference between my 7mm Fourth Element Proteus and my 7mm Pinnacle Cruiser is like light and day. Both might be 7mm, but the Proteus feels like military-grade battle armor neoprene. Stiff and hard to get on, but very warm. The Pinnacle by comparison feels flimsy and cheap, and as I go deeper the loss in warmth from compression alone is dramatic.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I have a full 7mm with a 7mm sleeveless jacket w/ integrated hood. It's a semi-dry custom suit that cost me about $350 from aquaflite.com.

I really like the suit and it keeps me warm in low 50's temps. But like any wetsuit, I notice the compression/cold as I get deeper. For diving in those temps I'd buy a used drysuit and just wear some fleece undergarment stuff if you can't get an undergarment included. That's how I dive here in 52dF water and I'm toasty.

 

[radtype]

I have a drysuit and an aqualung 7mm one piece wetsuit that I use in Monterey. With the wetsuit I use a 3mm neoprene or lavacore upperbody under wetsuit. Sometimes I feel like staying dry and warm (relatively) and sometimes I like the freedom of a wetsuit.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have only had a 7 mil farmer john for my 9 years (other than my shorty and body suit for warmer waters). It is a pain in the A$$ to take off after dives. 50-60F waters are fine for me with it and at 60F I don't use the bottoms. As I always say, you have to know your own cold tolerance in deciding what you wear and if a drysuit is necessary.

 

[daz88]

it all depends on you. Some people get colder easier than others. No matter what kind of setup you get if you decide to go wet...don't think you will ever have to worry about being too warm in Monterey Bay. More and more people these days are going dry as the prices come down. For the cost to cold factor.....they'll have to come down a whole lot more before I buy a drysuit. I just don't get that cold. (most of the time anyway)
I've been diving wet for years in an 8/7, and maybe 2 or 3 years ago I got a 2mm vest to wear under it. Maybe coz I lost a little weight, maybe coz getting older, or maybe coz I'm traveling a lot and diving in warm water...not really sure. But don't normally feel cold (but not unbearable) until I'm an hour or so into the dive. My son is kind of the same way. (but think I dropped him on his head too much when he was a baby because it's very rare for him to wear a hood or gloves. although I don't normally wear gloves either) My daughter on the other hand is wearing a semi-dry with a vest under and she can only go about 45 minutes max and she's freezing. It's very rare that I end a dive coz I'm cold. Normally my dives are around 90 minutes. The last dive of the dive I might start to feel the cold enuff and think...maybe I'm done for the day. But I guess that's why it's "The last dive of the day". Time for a hot meal and a cold beer!
That said....one day I will end up getting a dry suit. Would be nice to take off your suit and already be dry. Not having to peel off a wetsuit, dry off, then warm up. Much easier to warm up between dives if you're already dry.

 

[Peter_C]

How someone dives plays an important part in their necessary thermal protection. One person might slowly move along looking at the same reef sometimes for a minute or two hoovering motionlessly, before moving along. Verse another diver who moves fast, and never stops swimming. One requires a drysuit to stay warm, and the other just requires physical exertion to stay warmer...Which one you are helps determine your needs.

My style of diving is fairly lazy and I often dive with a scooter which means zero physical exertion. Plus I get cold and for the all the time spent getting ready to dive I prefer a longer dive time. Therefore I wear a drysuit with really thick undergarments.

 

[Vegan Shark]

How someone dives plays an important part in their necessary thermal protection. One person might slowly move along looking at the same reef sometimes for a minute or two hoovering motionlessly, before moving along. Verse another diver who moves fast, and never stops swimming. One requires a drysuit to stay warm, and the other just requires physical exertion to stay warmer...Which one you are helps determine your needs.

Excellent point. When I began diving I would swim non-stop, usually ending up over a mile off shore, and so a wetsuit wasn't too chilly. But now I've learned that slow and steady wins the race. Sure you get colder, but you notice so many more species and behaviors when you're just gently frog kicking and hovering around.

 

[Akimbo]

It is all about depth and material compression. Freedivers in Monterey and the North Coast can comfortably spend 4-6 hours in a good fitting 7mm Farmer with no-zip jacket. All of the currently available blended foam Neoprene materials on the market have very poor compression resistance now that Rubatex is out of business.

I am comfortable in a wetsuit made for Scuba (material has higher long-term compression resistance than a freediving suit) in the 40-50' range. Much beyond that the insulation has compressed to the point that it may as well be a 3mm. You really need a drysuit if you plan to do much diving below 60'. This is coming from a guy who would dive a wetsuit any day over a drysuit... if I could avoid hypothermia.

 

[Ricky B]

Thanks to all who have replied. The comments about using a dry suit are noted, but I don't want to task load myself with learning to use a drysuit at the same time as I am getting accustomed to diving in Monterey Bay. I have no issue with doing shore dives, and while I have done some deep diving in tropical waters, I am not planning on doing deep dives in Monterey Bay for a while. If I get into deep diving or tech diving, then I would move up to a drysuit.

I am thinking about going with a 7/5 full suit and a 5 mm merino lined hooded vest. Does that seem to offer a reasonable prospect of being adequate? I don't think I have a susceptibility to cold like some people do, but only time will tell.

 

[Peter_C]

The comments about using a dry suit are noted, but I don't want to task load myself with learning to use a drysuit at the same time as I am getting accustomed to diving in Monterey Bay.

Hmmm...my partner learned to dive in a drysuit, otherwise she would have quite diving after the first 52 degree pool session.

Why not try renting a wetsuit and seeing if it works for you? It is a little harder to rent a drysuit since you typically are required to have an instructor with you, or have a certification card.