Wetsuits, how many do you need?

[Eric Sedletzky]

“If you know how many wetsuits you have then you don’t have enough.”
Just kidding,
But for me it’s a 3 mil one piece back zip, a 5/4 one piece back zip, a 7 mil one piece back zip, and a two piece farmer john 7 mil. Along with the one piece suits I have a 3 mil body/7 mil hood hooded vest for the one piece suits. The beaver tail two piece has an attached hood.
This covers pretty much any situation for me from warm down to 48 degrees.

 

[Centrals]

One wet suit is never enough even diving in the so called tropical warm water of SE Asia.
Location and time of the year.
Bali is quite near to the equator but the water can get to 18-20C in some dive sites.

 

[ScubaSquatch]

As others will say and I will too, personal comfort is very subjective. That being said for me, I have a 3mm, 5mm, 7mm and a dry suit. If a gun was put to my head and I had to pick just one, it would be the 5mm.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Depends on how much weight you gain / lose. At least in my case, it does.

Anyone want to buy an XL lavacore wetsuit?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Before long you will no longer be worrying about how many you need but rather when is each one ready to be replaced. Wetsuits are a consumable product for a diver.

 

[sea_ledford]

3mm, 5mm, hooded vest and a dry suit will cover you for anywhere in the world.

7mm suits are for people that don't have the money for a dry suit

There are situations that something else would be ideal (A 7mm in Mexican cenotes for example), but the 3, 5, dry combo will work anywhere.

You didn't ask about undergarments though.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

7mm suits are for people that don't have the money for a dry suit

Partly but not entirely true. I own 2 very nice drysuits and still prefer my 7mm for winter diving here in South Florida.

Drysuits absolutely have a place. For example, in a former life, I was an avid Great Lakes wreck diver. I wouldn't dive any of the Great Lakes wrecks without one. However, in other scenarios, they are IMO more hassle than they are worth in terms of care and upkeep. I've done a grand total of two drysuit dives since moving to South FL in 2016 even though I have two fully functional, ready-to-go drysuits sitting on the shelf. YMMV.

 

[Fishdip]

I will eventually get to the question once I explain my situation, it may seem very tangetial but everyone here seems intent on detail. In preface I have 32 dives, AOW and Nitrox, included in those dives were 6 cenote dives (36 meters in El Pit) and drift off Santa Rosa Wall in Cozumel. I had the luxury of having a couple excellent teachers in Thailand and Mexico, in which both were one on one scenarios, I just feel I had the proper training as well as a great respect for technique. I only mention this for credential not for any other reason.

In the summer I live and work in Long Island, NY, travel in the winter. My travel locations in the winter would be Yucatan, Mexico, and South East Asia.
I am finding that due to my schedule, I work weekends, I am unable to get any boat dives, wrecks etc. This being Long Island.

So, under the guidance of the nearest dive shop, I purchased all of my equipment, including a semi dry suit that I would need to do wreck diving, 5mm gloves, boots and new apeks rk3 fins since the old ones can't compensate the boots, $3000 for all the equipment, as well as my request for getting in as many dives as possible on my days off (Mondays and Tuesdays, which it appears they can't comprehend) although I was told I am a store VIP. I was not ignorant to the equipment needs, I am an adept researcher and was well aware of the options in regards to brands, and also my interest in eventually doing tech diving. I gave them my availability, my interest in frequent diving and also wanting to do a few certifications, including deep diver, wreck diver, night diver and possibly rescue diver. I have mentioned these options at least twice and when I ask about diving spots I have to repeat myself again ( "we have a dive group on Sundays", that's great, I work effing weekends, as I have told you multiple times).

I bought a semi dry suit, which is great, all of my equipment is great and they charged me less than I could have purchased it online, no complaint there, it is the lack of attention to the details that i provided them, so it appears that shallow shore dives are my future here, I feel that 35 minutes is not enough to pay for a dive master $150, no boat dives on weekdays in the Hamptons? We live on a effing Island, people must be going out, it feels like private charters occupy all the boats. In supposed Third World Countries like Mexico and Thailand, I could dive everyday, there is something amiss.

OK, let's get around to my question, since I can't go boat diving in Long Island and I would like to dive in the Yucatan, Cenotes and ocean, also shore diving here in NY. Is a 5mm wetsuit my best option, I will get a skin or shorties for the tropics but I can't own every thickness. Should I get a 5mm to shore dive in NY and Mexico, is that the best thickness?

Thanks for reading my rant, guess I had to get it out.

Sounds like they just told you what you wanted to hear…

 

[davecampbell]

for me, wet...3mm for the tropics, 8/7/6 neotek for local.

dry... Seaskin Nova.

I haven't gone wet at all this year, always dry. maybe 40 dives....mainly deep and cold.

 

[Beau Holden]

I went through all the different wet suits for different diving when I started diving in NE Indiana with the 7mm farmer john, semi dry and 3mm for warm waters and different hoods, different gloves, different tanks, BCs wings and such and spent a ton of money and aggravation.

I finally decided to go the minimalist route; SS back plate, one piece webbing, Dive Rite rec wing (can bungee if single tank or not with doubles). Which unless I travel all I dive is doubles (back mounted). Dive exclusive dry suit and just change undergarments (or none) depending on location or water temps.. Use one and only one reg manufacturer (dive rite). I use a SS single tank adapter if I go singles. The very most weight I might had to add in salt water is 2 pounds. I have not problem traveling with the 50 pound bag limit. For me its wonderful to get out of the truck, put on my under garments and dry suit go dive, take everything off, comb my hair and be ready for dinner.

Dry suites or not hard to maintain. Learn how to replace seals and zippers, its not hard. I can buy seals for less than $75 and zippers $200 or less. Taken care, of a good dry suit factoring in the cost of different wet suits and replacement my cost for it is less $125 per year. Regs, I can service $30 or less after buying the tools needed ($150 or less). Tuning a reg or setting (checking) IPs is not rocket science.

That's my story. I have dived the Great Lakes (Michigan, Huron and Erie), quarries, caves, keys, islands and Mexico and it works for me. I cannot tell you are anyone else what to buy or gear to use. Dive type and styles can and will most likely change through a persons lifetime. After spending many $1,000's in gear over the last 20+ years, I wish I had talked to other people and get educated on gear needs and usage. I met a guy at Gilboa Quarry several yeasr ago and he started talking about being minimalist in his diving After this discussion and truly understanding the The Fundamentals of Better Diving did everything begin to click.