Wetsuit Thickness (2mm vs 5mm)

[CT-Rich]

It sounds like you are on a budget, so a drysuit would be out of your range. The 5mm is a good choice for all around diving. A 2mm suit is going to be more for show, it won’t really do the job if you are prone to chill. A 7mm suit will probably be too warm and be more restricted. I would get 3 mm gloves and hood for when you want a little extra warmth. I like thinner material because it feels less restrictive.

 

[Random Dude]

Hi all, thanks for all the replies, really appreciate it!

Nice to know that 5mm isn't overkill for tropical climates, and that a number of divers commenting here also find it useful in tropical climates. Also, knowing that I can actually open slightly to flush it in the event that it's too warm (never thought of it) makes it a more flexible option as well.

Those advocating for 2mm or 3mm also had a point seeing that the some pools might indeed be colder than some, and are generally not too indicative of tropical diving conditions. Although I'm more inclined towards the 5mm for now, I might eventually just go for a 3mm as the middle ground if I feel it's needed in the future.

With all that being said, I guess it'll really be best if I could try out rentals and have a feel of wetsuits for different thicknesses. Just hope that I can find full body wetsuits fitting me, as I had issues with finding off the shelf wetsuits that would fit my proportions. My settling down on either a 2mm wetsuit vs 5mm wetsuit was also partly due to the fact that I could only find wetsuits with these 2 thicknesses that fits me.

As for drysuits, I had some initial reasons for not considering them initially, first being that I seldom see drysuits around my diving community, even those dabbling in the tech realm. Also, when asking about the suitability of drysuits in tropical climates, my immediate circle of mostly recreational divers would insist that drysuits are better suited for cold water climates, overkill in tropical climates etc. However, it's also possible that I just need to expand my diving circle more, and speak to more serious technical divers rather than mostly divers who have never tried on a drysuit.

As for budget, I'm currently saving up for a set of double tank regs (probably giving Deep 6 a try) and also a doubles wing, so I was kinda in the mindset of off delaying a drysuit until I have my basic doubles set up first, and just using a thicker wetsuit as a stopgap in the meantime. Sad that I don't have enough cash to get all of them at once. But even if I have the means, I bet that I would have do a lot more chores before buying all of them so that my SO doesn't just murder me in my sleep

All in all, learnt quite some things from your replies, so please do keep sharing your opinions if you have a different perspective on this issue.

 

[charlier]

Banda Sea - last year, mid-September, the temps were about 25*C. These temps were seen at a few dive sites. Two weeks later, the temps were 27-28*C at the same dive sites. I have yet to see anyone with a 7/8 semi-dry suit in Indonesia. The coldest temps I have experienced were 18-19*C at one dive in Alor, with cold upwelling internal waves. The water temp was 28*C on the next dive, along a close-by dive site.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Banda Sea - last year, mid-September, the temps were about 25*C. These temps were seen at a few dive sites. Two weeks later, the temps were 27-28*C at the same dive sites. I have yet to see anyone with a 7/8 semi-dry suit in Indonesia. The coldest temps I have experienced were 18-19*C at one dive in Alor, with cold upwelling internal waves. The water temp was 28*C on the next dive, along a close-by dive site.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to haul my semi-dry out there. But if those temperatures persisted I would. What will probably end up happening is the hooded vest (3/4/5) over my 5mm in that case.

 

[charlier]

Don’t worry. I’m not going to haul my semi-dry out there. But if those temperatures persisted I would. What will probably end up happening is the hooded vest (3/4/5) over my 5mm in that case.

Just curious, can you put the hoody vest on the inside of your 5mm wetsuit?

 

[outofofficebrb]

Just curious, can you put the hoody vest on the inside of your 5mm wetsuit?

Yes. I can fit it under or over. I have the Aqua Lung Aqua Flex suit and hooded vest. It was a requirement when I purchased it. Edited to add: it's one of the great things I love about the neoprene. It fits me very well without the hooded vest underneath but can stretch to fit and doesn't lose its shape....at least not yet.

 

[TMHeimer]

It sounds like you are on a budget, so a drysuit would be out of your range. The 5mm is a good choice for all around diving. A 2mm suit is going to be more for show, it won’t really do the job if you are prone to chill. A 7mm suit will probably be too warm and be more restricted. I would get 3 mm gloves and hood for when you want a little extra warmth. I like thinner material because it feels less restrictive.

Agree. I've never tried on a 5mm suit, but it seems logical for the diving you will do. I use the 7 mil farmer john in water temps. up to about low 60s. Above that I just use the top (puts me a little out of trim, but not a real bother). Depending on air temp. I go to the shorty in mid 60s water temp. or above. I have dived the shorty in mid 50s when the air was like 90F.
Water over 75 with hot air means just the body suit. Trial and error was the only sure way.

 

[Kevrumbo]

For the tropics I use a full 0.5mm skinsuit; a 2mm hooded vest as needed; and further augment it as needed with a wetsuit heater:
(Even with a 3mm wetsuit in 13°C/56°F Southern California water temperature)

 

[ystrout]

You'll be miserably hot in tropics in a 5mm. I recently dove with a 5mm in 61 degree water and was fine. I would have preferred a 7mm, but it was only noticeable on the morning dives when I had to put the wet wetsuit on. I would go with a 3/2 or 3 mm wetsuit for sure.

I used my surfing 3/2 when diving Cancun and Cozumel and it was great. The water was very warm, but having the full wetsuit (not a shorty) is great because even when the water is warm, you can get chilly when fully submerged. Also, it protects you from cutting yourself on the reef, shipwrecks, etc. I hear surfing wetsuits compress more at depth, idk the validity of this claim. So I don't know if you'd be too warm in that thickness in a diving wetsuit. But if you tend to get chilly easily, you should be comfortable.

 

[ystrout]

I find that 5mm suits are either too warm or too cold. I am now in either 3mm or in a 7mm and if I need a 7mm, I'd go for a semi-dry. If I am in a semi-dry, then I should be using a drysuit if I can afford it

Perhaps you should get a 3mm suit with a 1mm shortie option under this 3mm and a 7mm regular or semi-dry suit for colder temperatures.

I agree with you here, for the diving I do at least. 5mm is a good cold water surfing wetsuit in central California, but I find it ill suited for the diving I do.

7mm is perfect for those cold west coast dives when the water is 49-62. I recently used a 5mm in 59-61 degree water, but would have preferred a 7 mm.

But when in the tropics, a 5mm is way too warm. 3/2 surf wetsuits (since that is what I own) is perfect.

Maybe places like Florida would do well with a 5mm? Where the water is warmer than the west coast, but not quite "tropical".