What time of year to stop using a wetsuit?

[hijax]

Hey guys,

I live in South Florida (Broward County). At what time of the year do divers typically stop using full wetsuits for diving in these parts?

It's already getting very hot down here but just not sure how to determine when a wetsuit will be a necessity. Perhaps always? Perhaps a 1mm dive skin? Ideally, I'd love to use something like a rash guard or dive skin instead of the bulky wetsuit.

Looking forward to feedback.

Rey

 

[diveprof]

Simple answer - never.
If the water isn't 98.6F you are losing body heat. That translates to increased air consumption and being tired after dives - not to mention brusing from getting back on a boat in very rough seas,or sea wasp, jellies,man o war, etc. Besides a 3mm fullsuit is 2000 sunblock I dive a suit even in the tropics year round.

 

[hijax]

Simple answer - never.
If the water isn't 98.6F you are losing body heat. That translates to increased air consumption and being tired after dives - not to mention brusing from getting back on a boat in very rough seas,or sea wasp, jellies,man o war, etc. Besides a 3mm fullsuit is 2000 sunblock I dive a suit even in the tropics year round.

Thank you for such a great reply. I didn't know all of this information. Time to get a wetsuit!

 

[Sinbad Scuba]

I rarely wear a wet suit. I dive in Thailand all year round where the water is usually about 80F. The best answer is - when you are no longer comfortable. You might consider a shortie. Again, it is YOUR comfort level that counts. You can get a 1mm dive skin that has some thermal characteristics or just a plain lycra dive skin and it will protect you from all of the physical hazards mentioned above, including sunburn, that a wet suit will. The big advantage of not using a wet suit is that you use less weight to achieve good buoyancy. My wife is more sensitive to cold, so she frequently wears just a 3 mm vest. It keeps her core warm. The bottom line is your comfort level. If you are doing multiple dives on a day (3 or more), then you should consider some sort of thermal protection like a vest, shortie of full wet suit. The biggest advantage to buying single pieces like a vest, a shortie and a full wet suit is that you can mix and match to find your comfort level. Again, you should only wear the wetsuit you need to be comfortable and no more.