Wetsuit for Cozumel in mid-March?

[Manatee Diver]

I saw a young couple huddled together at the bottom of the boat with their wetsuits on, trying to keep warm. This was in February. I had dried off and was enjoying the night air.

If the temperature is much below 80 degrees, I crawl into my boat coat after taking off my wetsuit. My blood is really thin, and that wind cuts through you quick.

 

[Karloss]

That's a tough call being that everyone is different. 80 degree water and I'm in a 5mil, 85 degree and I'm in 1.5 mil. All I can suggest is if you know what temp you are comfortable in with your 5 go from there. Check the water temps and plan accordingly. I am usually in my 5 mil in Cozumel whatever time of year. You'll have to remember you shouldn't be doing a whole lot of finning unless you try to against the current, and that means you should stay somewhat cool. I'm rambling, sorry.

 

[Divingblueberry]

My son and I will be diving in Cozumel from March 18-22. We're fairly new divers, and it seems we've been spending a jillion dollars on getting equipment. As for wetsuits, right now we both have only 5mm wetsuits.

We'll be doing reef dives (no cenotes) and probably not much deeper than 80 feet. I think we would both prefer to dive in just swimsuit and rashguard if it is warm enough. However, we will be doing 2 night dives and I believe some folks said that there can be jellies (especially at night).

Bottom line: I'm wondering if I need to buy 3mm suits for both of us, or if I can save money and packing space and just not use a wetsuit?

P.S.: I don't think we'd be interested in shorties -- though cheaper than full suits, if the arms and legs are still exposed, I really don't see much point.

My 2 cents : 3mm should be ok. But everybody is different.

I just got back from a week in Coz two weeks ago. I wear a 3 mm. I feel it is more then enough. Only after more than an hour in the water that I started to feel a bit chilly. And it was my second dive.

The water is so warm. With a full 3mm, I wouldn't worry.

 

[gcarter]

I pretty much always wear a 3/2 as a minimum. As much as anything just for protection.

On our first dive trip my son and I were wearing shorties. Passing through a cut in the reef on the way out on a shore dive in Cuba, the surge caused him to brush his leg against the coral. That stuff can be sharper than you might think. Then there are the jellies...

 

[Steelyeyes]

I dive in my 5 mil pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean or Florida Keys. I don't like being cold and I can always (but never have) open the neck a bit and flush some water in to cool off.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I have an old 3mm I usually take, but I throw my skin in since it is easy to pack. I just bought a new Deep 6 3mm suit and I suspect it will dive more like a 5 mm warmth wise. If you are in the market they are definately worth looking at. I'll post a full review after our trip in March.

I'm getting old, and I have a different problem with getting cold. After a surface interval spent warming up in the sun, I tend to cramp horribly on the second dive without a full suit. I love a skin and diving with no weight, but once a cramp starts, it never really goes away.

If you tend to get cold, I'd take a full 3mm. You can always flush it to cool down. There is not much you can do to warm up once your dive has started though.

Good luck, safe travels.
Jay

 

[Streydog]

If I was in your shoes I wouldn't buy a 3 mil just for your trip. Take your 5 mils and use them if you need to. It is not like they would be overkill.

 

[DjDiverDan]

There are several factors which effect a diver’s need for thermal protection. First, how cold tolerant/cold sensitive is the individual diver? There are a lot of divers who carry a sufficient amount of their own thermal protection (i.e., body mass and body fat) to be perfectly comfortable - for a while - diving in 80 degree water in just swim trunks and a Tshirt, while others might start shivering after only 5 minutes on the same dive. But, in my opinion, the single most important thing to remember is that loss of body heat from your core is cumulative, so the single most important consideration is what are your dive profiles going to look like over the course of a week. You’ll lose a lot more heat on a 90 minute dive than on a 45 minute dive; if you love the long, long bottom times provided by Aldora or Living Underwater on their 120 cf tanks, you’ll need more thermal protection. If you dive 4-5 dives a day, you’ll need more thermal protection than the diver who only does two A.M. dives then spends the day resting by the pool. If you dive every single day without a break, you will likely need more protection than the diver who takes a day off to recover mid-week. So figure out what your dive schedule and dive profiles are going to look like, take into account the cumulative effect of loss of body heat, and plan accordingly. Personally, if I am doing only a single day of diving (say off a cruise ship) with a budget operator, 80 cf tanks, two 45-50 minute dives, I’ll be fine in just skins. If I am going to dive 5-6 days in a row with Aldora, 120 cf tanks, two dives of 75-90 minutes, then I’ll go for a full 5 mm wetsuit, with hoodie, and maybe even a shorty over that for extra core insulation.

 

[Yellowdog]

Dove Cozumel for a week with my son in January. Rain daily, cloudy and cooler than normal temperatures while we were there. Surface temps early morning were 78*. I dove with a Henderson front zip 3mm shorty and my son with a 1.5mm long sleeve top. 2 dives a day plus a night dive. I was comfortable and glad I had my suit on the deeper first morning dive but it was overkill on the second shallower dive. My son was cold on his first dives. He is thin but a surfer who surfs the east coast in the winter and is used to cold water. He said he wished ( he has numerous suits ) he had brought the Matuse 2mm long sleeve shorty he got for Christmas. The dive master was in swim shorts and comfortable.
Back on the boat the DM offered my chilly son his dive coat which warmed him up quickly. A dive coat will be part of my gear package in the future.

 

[cicopo]

Your profile doesn't say where you live (I'm in Canada & comfortable being a bit colder than most people) so it comes down to how cold you still feel comfortable about swimming in during your summer. My pool rarely hits 80 F so we swim in mid to high 70's water more often then in 80 + water. I therefore don't wear a wetsuit in Cozumel (just got home after my annual trip) but trust me most want a wetsuit in Feb. I'd just stick with the 5 mil's you have because many wear 5 mil during the winter months in Cozumel & I haven't heard any say they were too warm.