wetsuits in Florida?

[stuartv]

Also, just to point out, it's not just water temperature that's important. It's also how long you're going to be down. A 20 minute dive to a wreck at 120' in 72 degree water is a different matter than a 60 minute reef dive at 60' in 72 degree water.

And both are different after a 1.5 hour surface interval in 50 degree air temps versus 90 degree air temps.

 

[Fossil_Diver]

It all depends on what temps you are climatized to. I'm climatized to the Fl temps and I dive in a t-shirt in 74F spring water. Anything colder than that and I use a wet suit. I see Canadian tourists swimming in the Gulf during the winter when the water temps are in the 50s and they seem fine in just swim trunks. I would die of hypothermia in water that cold if I didn't have a suit on.

 

[Jherny]

Also, just to point out, it's not just water temperature that's important. It's also how long you're going to be down. A 20 minute dive to a wreck at 120' in 72 degree water is a different matter than a 60 minute reef dive at 60' in 72 degree water.

And both are different after a 1.5 hour surface interval in 50 degree air temps versus 90 degree air temps.

thanks for the information. lot to think about for sure.

 

[Jherny]

It all depends on what temps you are climatized to. I'm climatized to the Fl temps and I dive in a t-shirt in 74F spring water. Anything colder than that and I use a wet suit. I see Canadian tourists swimming in the Gulf during the winter when the water temps are in the 50s and they seem fine in just swim trunks. I would die of hypothermia in water that cold if I didn't have a suit on.

yeah you have a point. I've done some free diving in springs in just shorts and yes its a bit of a shock but after the swim out to the dive point i had forgotten about it and spent a little while exploring. i just haven't spent time at depth during the winter months so i wanna be prepared. I'm pretty new to diving.

 

[sheeper]

it varies. I dive a 3mm most of the year. Sometime in November, i'll switch to my 5mm and come January, i'll dive my DUI Flx-Extreme for any longer, deeper dives or dives on the rare days when our air temp plummets (to the 50's).

 

[ReefGuy]

I just dive my drysuit year round