Wetsuit Thickness (2mm vs 5mm)

[stuartv]

Hi all, hoping to get some advice from you guys as to what thickness of wetsuits should I go for.

I currently have a 3/2mm shorty wetsuit,

Get the 5mm. If it is too warm for where you are diving, then use the 3/2 shorty (or just a bathing suit).

My 5/4mm full suit is my go to wetsuit for anywhere from 20C to 27C. As has already been stated, if you're too warm in the water, you can always pull the neck opening away from your neck to flush some cooler water through the suit every now and then.

I think a suit like your 3/2 shorty, a 5mm full suit, and a drysuit are just about the perfect stable of suits. The only thing I would choose differently, if starting from scratch, is not buy a shorty. I'd go for a thinner full suit, to achieve the same warmth, but have my arms and legs better protected against scrapes and stings.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The only thing I would choose differently, if starting from scratch, is not buy a shorty. I'd go for a thinner full suit, to achieve the same warmth, but have my arms and legs better protected against scrapes and stings.

Agree on the thinner full suit for same warmth and scrapes/stings. Also, if it ever gets warm enough where you can go without a wetsuit, I would also look into a lycra onesie. It offers UV protection and still protects against scrapes and stings without any added warmth or buoyancy. Additionally, if you ever do any colder water diving, it makes getting in and out of a thicker wetsuit much easier. They're really inexpensive, too.

 

[stuartv]

Agree on the thinner full suit for same warmth and scrapes/stings. Also, if it ever gets warm enough where you can go without a wetsuit, I would also look into a lycra onesie. It offers UV protection and still protects against scrapes and stings without any added warmth or buoyancy. Additionally, if you ever do any colder water diving, it makes getting in and out of a thicker wetsuit much easier. They're really inexpensive, too.

Are you sure that lycra is proof against nematocyst penetration? My DAN DEMP instructor said it is not.

Also, lycra will probably tear up pretty easily if you scrape against much of anything.

For getting into my 7mm wetsuit (when I must), I find the easiest way, for me, is squirt some diluted baby shampoo down the arms and legs of the suit then slide it on over bare skin. It goes on (me) much easier than if I'm wearing a rash guard or Lavacore.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Are you sure that lycra is proof against nematocyst penetration? My DAN DEMP instructor said it is not.

Also, lycra will probably tear up pretty easily if you scrape against much of anything.

For getting into my 7mm wetsuit (when I must), I find the easiest way, for me, is squirt some diluted baby shampoo down the arms and legs of the suit then slide it on over bare skin. It goes on (me) much easier than if I'm wearing a rash guard or Lavacore.

I would imagine or hope so...Otherwise, all of Australia is doing it wrong when they wear their stinger suits during jellyfish season at the beaches! It definitely won't hold up as well as neoprene but a light bump into the reef should not be an issue. A crash will probably make it tear. The baby shampoo is a good option as well. I just don't like the smell D: which is why I don't like using it for de-fog. It makes me barfy when I smell it out on a boat or the ocean.

 

[2airishuman]

If you are interested in tech diving, you might want to think about skipping straight to a drysuit although that might depend on what sort of tech diving you are wanting to do.

Deep - temps will probably drop off quite a bit at depth.
Extended duration - what seems like the right suit for a 40 min dive will probably not be for doing a 1-2hr dive (including deco).

@Neilwood. He is a beginning diver asking about diving in tropical waters. This is the Basic Scuba forum. A drysuit doesn't make any sense.

@Melvin Moi Kai Sen - If you keep diving, you'll probably end up getting a range of wetsuits for varying conditions so in reality it doesn't matter much. I would suggest that your next best move would be to get a 3mm or 3/2mm full suit and see how that works out for you and for what situations it is suitable.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As others have said, we are all different in our cold tolerance. A 5 mm has become my wetsuit of choice almost everywhere, including the tropics. Yes, in a hot climate it feels a bit warm before getting in the water. But that can be addressed by splashing some water on myself. In very warm water, I do as others have said above and pull the neck seal down to let in a bit of cool water. The more dives you do per day, and the more consecutive days you do them, the more insulation you tend to want. On a week-long trip doing 3-4 dives per day, I appreciate my 5 mm more every day. By the end of the week, the divers wearing 2-3 mm shorties are looking at me enviously. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But I stand by my choice. The 3 mm I previously used in the tropics is often just not enough for me. I still own it, and I might use it if I were doing only a few dives in very warm water, but if I had to start from zero and buy only one wetsuit today for diving in sub-tropical to tropical water it would be a 5 mm. Too much insulation is better than too little.

 

[Neilwood]

@Neilwood. He is a beginning diver asking about diving in tropical waters. This is the Basic Scuba forum. A drysuit doesn't make any sense.

He does mention that he has an interest in Tech diving therefore long term a drysuit makes some sense rather than blowing money on a 2mm then a 5mm then a drysuit.

Hi all, hoping to get some advice from you guys as to what thickness of wetsuits should I go for.

I currently have a 3/2mm shorty wetsuit, but found it inadequate even when in the swimming pool, with me usually shivering after 40 minutes of diving.

Having established that I'm more susceptible to cold than most, I am now looking to purchase a full body wetsuit with a hood, in the hopes that it would help in conserving body heat.

Currently I have 2 wetsuits in my budget and size that are respectively 2mm and 5mm. Therefore, I am wondering whether it would be better to go with the 5mm given that at deeper depths, the 2mm would be compressed to almost nothing, thus compromising its insulating properties.

However, I am also worried that a full 5mm wetsuit might be overkill in tropical climates in most situations.

I am from Malaysia, and most, if not all of my diving would be in tropical climates such as in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia, with the average temperature around ±29 degrees Celsius.
Also, I am interested in tech diving, and should be taking my TDI AN/DP course in the near future. Would be nice if I could progress to greater depths without purchasing another wetsuit.

Hope to hear your recommendations and opinions on this!

 

[Lorenzoid]

He does mention that he has an interest in Tech diving therefore long term a drysuit makes some sense rather than blowing money on a 2mm then a 5mm then a drysuit.

Your reply made sense to me. Even in warm climates, tech diving typically means a drysuit.

The OP mentioned "tech diving" and "budget" in the same post. That's hard to reconcile. Seriously, if he's going to continue to do vacation-type diving AND get into tech diving, he's going to end up at some point with not just multiple suits but probably multiple regulator sets, wings, his own tanks, etc. The cost of an extra wetsuit is going to seem like chump change.

 

[Neilwood]

Your reply made sense to me. Even in warm climates, tech diving typically means a drysuit.

The OP mentioned "tech diving" and "budget" in the same post. That's hard to reconcile. Seriously, if he's going to continue to do vacation-type diving AND get into tech diving, he's going to end up at some point with not just multiple suits but probably multiple regulator sets, wings, his own tanks, etc. The cost of an extra wetsuit is going to seem like chump change.

That was my thinking - no matter the surface temps, tech normall means drysuit due to duration, depth and also the suit acting as redundant buoyancy if diving doubles

 

[charlier]

Wow, a spectrum of suggestions for SE Asia. For most inexperienced divers that venture to SE Asia tropical waters, I usually suggest a high-quality 3mm wetsuit. This should take care of most of your needs in and around SE Asia. With more experience, you might consider a 5mm wetsuit for a seasonal upwelling of cool currents. Hold off on a dry suit. Additional experience will guide your purchases. As a tech diver in Indonesia, a 5mm wetsuit will more than adequate. One can always add a vest hoody for warmth. Seek advice and mentoring from local experienced divers.