What is your seasonal thermal insulation?

[scubadada]

Today's water temp in S. Palm Beach County 74 deg. down 5 degrees since last week.

Brrrr, 5 mm with hooded vest, getting close to my 7 mm. I will be back down first week in January. Just finished 10 days of diving in Bonaire, 82-3 degrees

 

[Trailboss123]

Brrrr, 5 mm with hooded vest, getting close to my 7 mm. I will be back down first week in January. Just finished 10 days of diving in Bonaire, 82-3 degrees

Bonaire water temps were balmy warm last week!

 

[1000RR]

Me and my daughter were just out yesterday off of West Palm Beach with Narcosis. Fairly flat out, absolutely no current over the reefs (bummer), water temp was 74-75. This is all new to us (diving in general) so this was our first colder dive. We had 3/2 suits on and were chilly by the end of the first dive. No boat coat (I'm now looking for one), so we warmed up the best we could before dive #2. We actually both said the second dive wasn't as bad (cold) as the first towards the end. Not sure why, it was a degree colder than the first, and we weren't working any harder (our RMV was a slightly lower than dive #1).

 

[scubadada]

Hi @1000RR

What sites did you do, how was the visibility? I frequently go out with Narcosis when seas are up and I can't get out in Boynton Beach or Jupiter. I'll be back down 1st week of the new year, looks like it will be at least my 5 mm and hooded vest, any colder and it will be my 7 mm. I find that with the little effort of drift diving, I tend to be even more cold intolerant. A good boat coat is an invaluable possession.

 

[1000RR]

Hey @scubadada

Yes, boat coat next time for sure. I had my wife dig out some wind breakers for us already... so we'll probably take a sweatshirt and those wind breakers next time for the SI.

We did Flower Garden and Breakers. Both were great dives. Visibility came and went. I'd say on Flower Garden we started with about 60'+ maybe 80' at best... then by the end it was about 40'. On Breakers, it was probably more a consistent 40'-50'. I'm sure it had to do with no current over the reef. When the Gulf Stream is moving along through there, it surely clears things up nicely (as we've seen in the past).

I think we're going to purchase some 5/3 hooded vests and try those out next time under our suits. That said, I think next month we will likely plan to go to back to the Gulf side (Venice area) to do some more Megalodon tooth hunting. My daughter loves rooting around on the bottom trying to find/discover stuff. I've heard it can be even colder over there in the winter?!

 

[scubadada]

@1000RR, I always take my 5/3 hooded vest with me. It adds several degrees to a full wetsuit. After the hooded vest, your next purchase may be a thicker wetsuit, especially if you plan to dive year round. I dislike being cold and it's one of the most reliable factors that increases my RMV

 

[1000RR]

@scubadada , Yes, that's kinda what we're learning - multiple suits may be inevitable. I had hoped to minimize that to some degree and somehow just layer with minimal purchases. We're on track for the latter right now, but I fear what you're saying is where we'll end up. We plan to dive year around - living here in FL, it just makes sense (great daddy/daughter time too). We'll pick up the vests and see how we do w/them. And then see if a thicker wetsuit is next. Cold is not good, nor fun... and agree - definitely affects the RMV - just can't relax as much.

How much extra weight do you usually throw on when you go from no vest to vest?

 

[tekkydiver]

75 deg off Boca Raton today. Fleecy 3 mil was plenty after the initial jolt. Terrycloth robe for warmth between dives. LOL

 

[scubadada]

...How much extra weight do you usually throw on when you go from no vest to vest?

I generally don't add extra weight when I add my hooded vest, sometimes a pound if I seem a bit light at the safety stop

 

[1000RR]

I generally don't add extra weight when I add my hooded vest, sometimes a pound if I seem a bit light at the safety stop

I think I'm a little over weighted for my wetsuit as it is... Still fine tuning that, safety stop wasn't as smooth as I was use to, so I'm sure I've got enough weight if I added a vest. I went on and ordered a couple 5/3 hooded vests. Hopefully that'll do enough.