What thickness of wetsuit for Travis?

[TxHockeyGuy]

I will be doing my AOW dives at travis sometime in the next 2 months and was wondering what thickness of wetsuits everyone likes to use down there. I know this depends greatly on your tolerance for cold but I just wanted to see what others are wearing. I'll probably have to buy at least one suit as I only have a 7mm farmers that I absolutely hate and a 3mm which I'm guessing isn't going to be thick enough. I also have 7mm gloves and a hood which I figure I'll need the hood. So what are people wearing on these types of dives, 7/6, 5/4?

 

[Lukiedukie]

I will let you know on Monday I will be wearing a 7mm one piece with a 5mm hood 3mm gloves and booties. I will be doing my AOW this up coming weekend.

 

[Narcd_dvr]

If the water is in the 50's, I usually dive with a 7mm fullsuit + 5mm hooded vest. At this time of the year, you can probably get away with a 7mm and hood.

 

[loosebits]

I recently tried out my new Pinnacle 7/5 at Travis (usually dive dry). About the deepest I was comfortbale (barely) with hood and gloves was 65'. Of course my drysuit has spoiled me and I've long since turned into a wus.

As I recall, the temp at that depth was in the mid 50's.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

Recently a buddy of mine talked me into diving Travis in a 7 mil with a hood, I froze at about the same depths loosebits talks about, funny thing is it was right on the border of freezing and tolerable because we rose a few feet and it became tolerable, check out like a mares isotherm semi dry or something, for me 7 mil in there at those temps was just too cold, but I too have devloped wus syndrom due to diving dry.

 

[AggieDad]

Most of the dive shop websites offer a link to the weather station at the lake. It will give you water temps down to 60 feet. You said in a couple of months. Plan on the surface to about 40 being high 70 to low 80. Last year in August it was 84 at 40 feet.
This website will give you a link to the current temps.
http://www.diveworldaustin.com/

 

[-=>Larry<=-]

with a NitrOx class. I wore my 5-mil w/ hood.

It was about 70 at the surface. At 75 feet it was real close to 50 degrees and too cold for me. The noticeable thermocline was at 38 feet. Above that it was quite confortable for me.

Between the coolness and the lowness of the lake - It was quite interesting though! The vis was great under the thermocline and away from the classes - maybe 25 feet!?!? AND - the lake was so low that we were skirting the pecan grove at 75 feet - With good vis and light that was real interesting! [I'm not a fan of the pecan grove in the summer when it's at 100 feet, dark and very restricted vis!]

 

[PvilleStang]

I would say dive a 7mm should be good. I dive my semi-dry which is a 7/5 with 5mm built in hood, then 3mm gloves and booties. I don't get cold until about 45 min to an hour in 55 degree weather. The two piece 7 would be awesome for that. If you're here later in the summer, my reccommendation would be to buy a hooded vest, and wear it under your 3mm. I have a henderson hyperstretch, so I put the vest on, and pull back the hood. As I pass through that thermocline that kicks you in the stomach, I just pull the hood on and I'm money.

 

[carlislere]

If you are taking AOW in June or July the surface temp s/b upper 70s to low 80s. There will be a thermocline around 30-40 feet and another in the 60-70 foot range and maybe a third in the 80-100 foot range. So, at 100 feet, for your deep dive, the temp will be around 60 degrees or colder. You may need a suit for the shallow depths and be able to add to that for the deep dive. Have a great class.

 

[Mack Diver]

If you are taking AOW in June or July the surface temp s/b upper 70s to low 80s. There will be a thermocline around 30-40 feet and another in the 60-70 foot range and maybe a third in the 80-100 foot range. So, at 100 feet, for your deep dive, the temp will be around 60 degrees or colder. You may need a suit for the shallow depths and be able to add to that for the deep dive. Have a great class.

You might want to go with a 7m 2 piece with a hooded vest. That way you can suit up all the way for your deep dive and then shed down to a shorty as needed for your shorter dives. for your shallower dives.

Mack