Wetsuit recommendations for Keys in January?

[bdshort]

These responses are almost making me want to just take my drysuit I use for diving up here in Alaska. I have awhile to figure things out, but I'll also be doing all of my diving until then at home.

 

[wreckchick]

If you have a drysuit, bring it and use a lighter undergarment. At times it's not really the water temp that's getting me, it's the air temp between dives. If I can't get my core temp up a little, I'm very uncomfortable on the second dive. Diving dry solves that problem for me.

Rachel

 

[scubadobadoo]

If you have a drysuit, bring it and use a lighter undergarment. At times it's not really the water temp that's getting me, it's the air temp between dives. If I can't get my core temp up a little, I'm very uncomfortable on the second dive. Diving dry solves that problem for me.

Rachel

Bingo. What she said.

 

[bdshort]

Oh, btw... we'll be in Islamorada for the first few days, then one of the more southern keys for the other 4 or 5 days. Not sure which one.

 

[wreckchick]

Duh, Key West!

It really is the most fun the keys have to offer. Not the best diving, but the nightlife is all that and more.

R

 

[JDL1000]

I just got my open water cert also. Most of my class dives were in the freshwater springs in Crystal River Florida. The water is 72 deg all year round. I used a Bare 3m full wetsuit and I stayed warm even through the second dive. We were in the water about 50 mins each dive. My guess is you will have to find what works for you. I don't usually get cold easily.

 

[BSea]

At times it's not really the water temp that's getting me, it's the air temp between dives.
Rachel

This is the key. Be sure and bring something to stay warm on your surface interval. If you can't get warm between dives, your 2nd dive is going to be miserable. And that is usually going to be a shallow reef dive where you could get an hour or more of bt.

 

[Mafiaman]

Last Jan. in Islamorada I used my 3mill. I have 100 hours diving in the upper keys this year so far.
The seas and the wind can be rough that time of year and offten it will be cooler on the boat than the water is so keep that in mind.

 

[MasterGoa]

I'll be in the Florida Keys in January, and plan to do some diving now that I am a newly minted Open Water diver

What sort of wetsuit would you folks recommend for that location and season? I'm 6'3" and a lanky 185, so suits I've looked at so far have been not really my size. 32" waist, 34" inseam, 42" chest.

For the pool sessions of my OW class, I initially just dove with swim trunks and a tank top, but by the last half hour of our 2 hour sessions I was getting cold, so the last session I used one of those full body fleece lined skins. I was still a bit cool at the end, but definitely not too cold. I was thinking I would do well with a 3mm full body suit. I also went snorkeling/kayaking in Maui this past December, again with just trunks and maybe a tank top, and I would get chilled after an hour and a half - 2 hours.

Will I have to go custom?

Brian

My recommendation is a Bare Progressive Strech 5/4 in Large Tall.
You might want to try a Medium Tall but you are tall.
My guess would be Large Tall.

http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/product_list.aspx?id=59

I dive in it in 60-80F water and I never had any problems.

 

[bdshort]

Thanks for the suggestion... the LDS sells bare so maybe I can see if they'll get one for me to try on.