What mil should my first wetsuit be (midwest US)?

[Boarderguy]

Dry suit is the way to go if you have $2-3k to spend on your exposure suit. If not then the next best option is a semi-dry at 1/3 the cost of an low end dry suit. I dive a hooded Hollis 8/7/6 in the Puget Sound where water temps are mid 40s most of the year. I stay nice and warm for 1 hour dives where I'm taking pics and video without a lot of energy spent swimming.

NEOTEK 8/7/6 V2 SEMI-DRY - Hollis

Available in nine sizes and ready for the harshest conditions, the NeoTek V2 is the most trustworthy technical semi-dry suit you’ll ever own.

www.hollis.com

The other suit a was considering is the Henderson Thermoprene semi-dry. I went with the Hollis because I got a killer deal.

Thermoprene PRO Men’s 8/7mm Hooded Semi-Dry Jumpsuit • Henderson Aquatics

•250% Super Stretch Thermoprene Pro insulation 8mm body/ 7mm hood •Full shoulder to shoulder front zip entry •Durable Thermoprene Pro non-pill nylon exterior laminate •Aqua Silk interior for soft and luxurious comfort •Double glued and double sewn seams eliminate cold water entry •PK S-Lock...

hendersonusa.com

 

[KitHuff]

I kayak up to class 3 - 4, so I call it 'getting wet' and not 'going kayaking'. I use a cheap 2-piece 3mm and a rash guard so I have options. I use a rash guard to protect from the sun if it is warm with 3mm bottoms. If it is cold weather, I use both the top and bottom 3mm. I have tried it and can use this same configuration for shallow water in the midwest. For colder or deeper diving, I wear the rash guard with a 7mm full suit. In the midwest the weather can be warm and the water cold. This allows me to pull down the top of the 7mm and have the rash guard to protect from the sun when I am not in the water.

 

[PeanyButter]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I wanted to avoid the dry suit route because it just seemed like one more thing to manage, still getting used to controlling my BC but it seems that's where everyone ends up anyway...

I'll probably try to find a very thin 2-3m suit then so I can use it for kayaking at the very least and for warm/shallow dives.

then I'll later get certified for a dry suit and skip the thicker suits. Or maybe i'll try to rent one and just see how I do at depth in colder water.

 

[PeanyButter]

I kayak up to class 3 - 4, so I call it 'getting wet' and not 'going kayaking'. I use a cheap 2-piece 3mm and a rash guard so I have options. I use a rash guard to protect from the sun if it is warm with 3mm bottoms. If it is cold weather, I use both the top and bottom 3mm. I have tried it and can use this same configuration for shallow water in the midwest. For colder or deeper diving, I wear the rash guard with a 7mm full suit. In the midwest the weather can be warm and the water cold. This allows me to pull down the top of the 7mm and have the rash guard to protect from the sun when I am not in the water.

So when kayaking, you just use the top 3mm piece and then when diving in shallow, you use both? I like that idea a lot. I'm not a class 3-4 kayaker yet, I just recently did a course to learn how to properly whitewater and at the end I got to do a class 3 up in the loop on the lower yough in PA which was exhilarating but not something I can do regularly or without a good guide!

Aside from occasional blunders, I shouldn't be getting wet on every trip since most will be class 1-2 here in Ohio.

 

[KitHuff]

So when kayaking, you just use the top 3mm piece and then when diving in shallow, you use both? I like that idea a lot. I'm not a class 3-4 kayaker yet, I just recently did a course to learn how to properly whitewater and at the end I got to do a class 3 up in the loop on the lower yough in PA which was exhilarating but not something I can do regularly or without a good guide!

Aside from occasional blunders, I shouldn't be getting wet on every trip since most will be class 1-2 here in Ohio.

With the 2-piece and a rash guard you can change the configuration for whatever works best for you that day. I spent less than $150 for the 2-piece 3mm, 5mm gloves and a rash guard. I made sure I had a zipper for the top jacket of the 3mm. I can wear it zipped or unzipped while kayaking. Always zipped when diving. The 5mm gloves work for both as well.

 

[Marie13]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I wanted to avoid the dry suit route because it just seemed like one more thing to manage, still getting used to controlling my BC but it seems that's where everyone ends up anyway...

I'll probably try to find a very thin 2-3m suit then so I can use it for kayaking at the very least and for warm/shallow dives.

then I'll later get certified for a dry suit and skip the thicker suits. Or maybe i'll try to rent one and just see how I do at depth in colder water.

I got OW and drysuit at the same time. It’s not that uncommon in colder water areas. Frequently done in the PNW.

 

[lexvil]

Dry is the way to go for cold water, right now the exchange rate makes a made to measure drysuit from Seaskin with every nice option cost around 1k, semi dry will run a good % of that and not likely to keep you warm.

 

[broncobowsher]

Drysuit is the right answer. I would recommend a non-PADI class, they teach an odd technique of using the drysuit to control buoyancy and they are about the only one that does it that way. There is already plenty of info on this board about it, use the search feature if you want to learn more.

If it has to be a wetsuit, given the location I would say a 7mm would be the most appropriate. They suck. There are some newer super stretchy materials on some of the higher end suits that are a little less sucky, but still not great. And by the time you are looking at one of those suits, you are really close to a drysuit. A drysuit will do the widest range of temperatures with the greatest comfort. The other week I was in my local lake. 100° air temps, 80° surface temp, 55° bottom temp. That is Arizona in July, not Ohio.

You will also want the drysuit if you want more than a few months of diving season.

 

[boat sju]

If you're going to dive the Great Lakes wet at all I'd suggest this until you go to a drysuit. Neosport by Henderson 2 Piece

If you think you're ready for a drysuit how about: DUI Coronado Drysuit

 

[Boarderguy]

If you're going to dive the Great Lakes wet at all I'd suggest this until you go to a drysuit. Neosport by Henderson 2 Piece

If you think you're ready for a drysuit how about: DUI Coronado Drysuit

Why the 2 piece? They have a larger water transfer than the semi-dry do. All those seams and zippers make for a cold dive. In addition you'd have to buy a separate hood and hope that your buddy doesn't S fold the bib material while helping you.