Wetsuit question

[Squishy]

Hello all!

Hey... I dive in the midwest where the water ranges from around 70F at the surface to about 50F after about 30'. I have been using a 3mm full suit with a back zipper. I also wear a hood. I stay warm enough until we drop below the thermocline, then I get cold. My budget is a little tight, so I am thinking about buying a shorty to put over the full suit.

My question is... will a 3mm shorty over a 3mm full suit give me significantly better thermal protection? The dive shop has 6.5mm shortys in their rental section, but not in my size. (Thought I could rent one to try it before I decided, but that's not going to work.) Would you recommend that I go to a 6mm shorty over the 3mm full suit?

Also, since the full suit has a back zipper, would it be best to get a shorty with a front zipper so I am not stacking zipper on top of zipper?

Thanks in advance your any advice!
-Mike-

 

[Doc]

I have been using a 3mm full suit with a back zipper.

Wow, you are a hondo guy. Dat's chilly and a 3mil !

Consider saving up for a 7mil. Shop used? Check eBay? Adding a shortie is a stopgap measure and may help a bit, but that is a lot of positive flotation for potentialy small return in insulation. If you can borrow one to try, go for it. Make sure it's snuggie tight.

You do have a good fitting and sufficient hood, gloves and boots, yes?

 

[DM Gary]

I have dove in mid 50s water with a 4/3 and a 3 mil shorty over it. I was okay with it but still a little chilly. I've never been in anything thicker than the 4/3 so I can't tell you which is better. I plan on renting a full 7 mil just to see how it feels as I might want one for a planned So Cal trip.

I'd borrow or rent a few options to see what works out for you. It would give you a chance to play with weighting and bouyancy in each set up to find which you like best.

G

 

[Garrobo]

The idea you have about using a shorty over your wetsuit with the zipper in the front is a good idea. That way you'll have a shorty to wear if you dive in warmer waters and don't want to wear a full suit.

 

[Squishy]

Wow, you are a hondo guy. Dat's chilly and a 3mil !

Consider saving up for a 7mil. Shop used? Check eBay? Adding a shortie is a stopgap measure and may help a bit, but that is a lot of positive flotation for potentialy small return in insulation. If you can borrow one to try, go for it. Make sure it's snuggie tight.

You do have a good fitting and sufficient hood, gloves and boots, yes?

Thanks to all for your responses. Yes, I have a good hood, gloves and boots. The hood really helped a lot when I got that. The shop I go to does not sell used, but I will look around and see what other shops might have. Dive shops are pretty few and far between in this part of the world but I can get to some others within a few hours.

The hunt is on!!!

Thanks again!
-Mike-

 

[allistoy]

I find my 5mil and hood keep me very comfortable down to 50 degrees after that it's drysuit time for me.

 

[Squishy]

I ended up going with a Bare 7/6 full suit. It arrived today and I tried it on... Wow! I could not believe how hot I got in it! If that is any sign how warm it will be in the water, I think I am going to be nice and toasty.

Also, I was surprised/pleased to see that there are seals inside the cuffs to seal the water out. The cuffs on my 3mm are a little big, so I have always had to wear gloves to seal them up.

I love getting new equipment! Even if I look like a jellybean for a while.

-Mike-

 

[Tailspin]

I took my OW test-out dives in Wisconsin late last October to get ready for a November Caribbean cruise. The air temperature when we entered the water was 31, water surface temp was 56 and dropped to the low 40's below the 30' thermocline.

I had a 7mm wetsuit and 6mm hood and was actually comfortable above the thermocline. Below the thermocline it got a bit 'brisk', but it was tolerable for 10-15 minutes.

Our lakes in the summer are the same as yours temperature wise, and I have to believe you will be very comfortable in 7mm.

 

[Squishy]

I took my OW test-out dives in Wisconsin late last October to get ready for a November Caribbean cruise.

What part of Wisconsin are you from? I'm from La Crosse and now live in SW Minnesota in a little town called Marshall. Minnesota may be the land of 10,000 lakes, but unfortunately, most of them are up north. Typically we drive up to Brainard to dive, although we have tried some of the shallow, local lakes.

I've been thinking about making a weekend trip to Wazee. That's around 6 hours from here. Have you ever dived there? Is it worth the trip?

Thanks,
-Mike-

 

[Tailspin]

I'm in Wausau.

My October dives for Open Water certification were at Wazee. It's nice in that it is setup for scuba diving (no motor boats allowed, etc), and for a lake it has a lot of variety. A lot of regional dive clubs use Wazee for OW, AOW, and specialty dive certifications (deep, ice, etc).

It is the deepest lake in the state at about 375 feet so there is even a bit of a wall to dive. There are fish cribs and you can see panfish, bass, walleye and trout if you look hard enough.