wetsuit for cavern/cave diving
- Thread starter Dives4Fun
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
bamafan
Contributor
You will want a 7mm suit and a hood for Mexico. The water will be about 77 degrees and believe it or not it gets chilly. I have gotten cold during dives on Cozumel and a lot of the caves there you can drop down into the 82 degree saltwater.
No offence, but I would die in a 7mm - thats way too hot - a 5mm would be max and even that I would probably be flushing to cool myself off. My neoprene drysuit is too hot which is why I was thinking of replacing it as well (10 degree water, 50 Fahrenheit and I came up soaked in sweat) but that is another matter.
I've been cave diving in O'Neill 3/2 Reactors for 15 years. I like surfing full suits because I can wear them for surfing, freediving, scuba diving, and tech and cave diving. O'Neill products are durable. If you need extra warmth, adding a hood or hooded vest (which prevents cave dandruff) and adding pocket shorts will put extra neoprene over the heat loss areas. I like the super flexible neoprene and their slickness in the water. I prefer my 3mm O'Neill to wearing my 5mm ScubaPro or my DUI drysuit.
That said, Deep Six products are designed by a professional cave diver. I'm excited by Chris's wetsuits.
That said, Deep Six products are designed by a professional cave diver. I'm excited by Chris's wetsuits.
A few years back I bought a 3 mil full custom suit from Wetwear. Made from the G231 Rubatex neoprene. They are not cheap. But it fits like a glove and is as warm as my 5mm Pinnacle Merino. The older Pinnacle. Not the newer junk ones. Wetwear added pockets where I wanted them and the suit is tough.
Cave & Technical Diving – Wetwear Custom Wetsuits
Cave & Technical Diving – Wetwear Custom Wetsuits
bamafan
Contributor
Everything you do cave diving should be about conserving your gas. Being relaxed. No unnecessary movements etc. I have yet th o see as smooth skilled cave diver that doesn't get cold with minimal thermal protection in low flow caves. Those I see diving light thermal protection generally have sac rates that suck and aren't very efficient in the water.
Rusty Shackleford
Contributor
For Florida, I recommend a 5 mil and a hood.
Similar threads
