wetsuit for cavern/cave diving

[Dives4Fun]

I am looking for suggestions on a 3mm full wetsuit for cave diving. I bought a 3 mil shorty wetsuit a very long time ago (~10 years) and it has been great for diving in the Caribbean. I used if for Cavern diving and it worked quite well but think I would like a full 3mm or 5mm for a bit more warmth and better on abrasion protection on arms and legs.

I looked on the web and found the usual scam sites with amazon links giving them kickbacks and reviews that are just copy/paste from vendors sites or amazon itself. The other thing was there was wetsuits that were used more for sailing and boarding and I am pretty sure those would not be suitable for scuba diving.

Is there much difference now on these kind of wetsuits and things I should look for (or stay away from)?

 

[tbone1004]

where are you cavern/cave diving, how long are your dives, how many dives/day, how long are your SIT's?

People like @The Chairman will do those dives in a bathing suit and t-shirt, the rest of us that are sane use drysuits..... huge variety depending on your personal cold tolerance and exposure duration/frequency

 

[Dives4Fun]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I will be doing it in Mexico around Playa del Carmen (should have mentioned that). I plan on taking the Intro to Cave and Full Cave in January. When I did my Cavern course there I had no trouble with the shorty but at the end of a very long day on one of the training days I felt a bit chilled. I expect that the Cave training with go deeper in and temperature will be a bit lower, plus I plan on losing a bit more weight and gaining more muscle before I do this training.

My question really isnt about the size of the suit or the thermal protection, its more about whats available on the market that would be good for this environment (if it is even a consideration). I would like something fairly durable yet quite flexible.

 

[tbone1004]

durability is up to the specific suit, and flexibility is up to the specific suit as a function of material, then decided by the thickness. I.e. thicker suits are always less flexible, but some thick suits are more flexible than other thick suits. The biggest thing IMO is to get a hooded vest. Those make the biggest difference in diver comfort for me. I.e. a 7mm without one is not as warm as a 3mm with a hooded vest. The 3mm being a lot lighter/more flexible than the 7mm.

You should not need abrasion protection in a cave as you should not be touching the cave, especially in Mexico where there is 0 flow. In some high flow Florida caves you may have to use a technique called "pull and glide" where the tips of your fingers get chewed up, but under no circumstances should anything but finger tips touch the cave and even that should be a specific circumstance vs. the norm.

If the 3mm shorty works for you and is still in good shape, then I'd grab a 3/5mm hooded vest and you should be good to go.

 

[northernone]

Unless you're wearing your wetsuit for dry caving to get to a sump or doing no mount passages, abrasion should not be a factor as you aren't damaging the cave by grinding yourself against it.

A "normal" wetsuit does fine, maybe check out dive gear express as a reputable company to order online from.

In Mexico I like at least a full 3/2mm for cavern with a separate hood. If I'm diving 2hrs+ in a cave I'd like a minimum of a 5mm. For my longer dives, 7mm full or double 7mm...

I'm a wuss for cold.
Cameron

 

[Dives4Fun]

I do agree that you should not be touching anything in a cave. During the guided cavern dives it was no issue. During the training however was a different matter - especially when being blindfolded and following the line exercises. I got a few scratches from that on my arms and legs. The hood options sounds good - can you wear that under a cave helmet?

 

[northernone]

I do agree that you should not be touching anything in a cave. During the guided cavern dives it was no issue. During the training however was a different matter - especially when being blindfolded and following the line exercises. I got a few scratches from that on my arms and legs. The hood options sounds good - can you wear that under a cave helmet?

Yes many of the cold water wreck divers wear hoods under helmets. I am not a helmet wearing cave diver, but I've done it once, no issues.

Cameron

 

[tbone1004]

I do agree that you should not be touching anything in a cave. During the guided cavern dives it was no issue. During the training however was a different matter - especially when being blindfolded and following the line exercises. I got a few scratches from that on my arms and legs. The hood options sounds good - can you wear that under a cave helmet?

you'll survive with a few cuts and scrapes, builds character... That said, you should be feeling with things other than your arms and legs. Fin tips give you walls and ceiling, your hand not on the line gives you the floor, so unsure why your arms and legs got scraped during lights-out drills

and yes, most people wear hoods under helmets, myself included

 

[Vicko]

Get a 2 piece spearfishing suit, 3 or 5 mm with a hood.

 

[cerich]

look at the deep 6 wetsuit in August.. it has the pockets you need for cave diving...