What thickness wetsuit for New England diving?

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

Ed @ ScubaShack is Great! Watch out you'll probably be leaving with a BP&W and a Drysuit! Might as well do it right from the start!!!

 

[Starcruiser]

I've been pretty good in a 7mm from around mid-april to mid October. Starting in April, I wear a hooded vest under the 7mm, and in the same in mid October. I've been tempted to try a 3mm, but my better sense prevails... that water can get cold after just a 30 minute dive. Go with the 7 to start with, and think about a dry suit if you can afford it.

 

[ozzydamo]

I wear a 7-5-3 in 25*c/77*f

 

[oly5050user]

as others have said , you can get away with a 3mm in late July/August in LI Sound .Most of the diving there is on the shallow side,due to poor light penetration. I use a 5mm suit with a chicken vest when needed and have no issues with the temperature. I HATE COLD.
.Of course I wait till the temp is above 72 degrees. Less than that I am in a dry suit. Dive in the ocean on the south shore/New jersey you really should use a dry suit.A 7mm in the ocean is not the best way to go.It can be done,but its damm cold. If only purchasing 1 suit for local diving get a 7mm or a dry suit.Keep the 3mm for travel to islands>

 

[mike0479]

thanks again guys. I already have the 3mm so I guess ill keep it and just pick up another full 7mm suit for the local diving. im gonna go see Ed and try on whatever suits he has there and hit up some other local stores to compare the feel of the brands they have for sale. I'm very anxious to get into the water again and swim around. I don't have a date yet for the open water cert, and it doesn't look like anything around here is gonna happen before June. Which is killing me cause I just want to get back under the water. The worst thing about this is I have everything I need to dive except for the certification. It like unwrapping a present and staring at it for 2months and not be able to use it. I did the pool session in February...

 

[Gilldiver]

Where in CT are you? Once I know I can recomend a few shops.

 

[Broct]

I would recommend to keep the 3mm for the Caribbean and get a 7mm wetsuit from Rhode Island and CT shore line. You might also want to check out a Whites Dry suit or DUI drysuit demo days. Both have one coming up at Dutch Springs in PA in May.

Sport Diving Events - Whites Diving - Whites Diving

Be a DUI Test Diver - Join us at a DOG Rally & Demo Tour -2011 and test dive our DUI drysuits and more

Scuba Shack's Buoyancy classes are amazing, and worth learning more about them...

Good Luck!

 

[spectrum]

3mm may barely work for a few perfectly timed dives in southern New England but to suggest it for general purpose use, even on the southern shores is absurd.

7mm with 2X on the core is the way to go. Being on the south shore go with a full suit and a hooded step in vest. That way yo can wear the full suit with a bibbed hood in the mildest periods. When you get back to reality the step in vest will make that wetsuit the closest thing to a drysuit. I've done well with Bare gear.

Some shops are obsessed with selling down on wetsuits so they can get you in the water with the least amount of weight and hopefully not turn you off to diving. The downside is being cold is an even bigger turn off. Others are just "selling the rack" or are berserk.

Pete

 

[mike0479]

I live in Milford CT