What wetsuit do I need in Grand Cayman?

[Divetech Cayman]

Another frequently asked question answered.... what wetsuit do I need to wear when visiting Grand Cayman?

https://www.divetech.com/post/exposureprotection

Tony

 

[KathyV]

Another frequently asked question answered.... what wetsuit do I need to wear when visiting Grand Cayman?

https://www.divetech.com/post/exposureprotection

Tony

Thank you Tony, this is a valuable, practical, easy-to-read guide!

I hope that I will get the chance to boat-dive with you guys some day, instead of just doing the shore dive - and too long ago - I like those pink boats!

Last year we stopped in at the DT office at the Holiday Inn and talked to staff about arranging a day of boat and shore diving, but then the weather turned windy and rough and we decided against it; but maybe it will happen this year!

 

[mi000ke]

A helpful writeup, Tony, at least for a place to start.

It was on a boat dive I did with DiveTech last year that made me aware of how difficult it is to answer the question of which exposure suit to wear. The water temp was in the low 80s, and we had divers in bathing suits, 3 mm shorties, 3 mm fulls, one 5 mm full (me), and a drysuit! (Tony, you'll know which DM wore that).

I have always worn a 5 mm year round on Cayman (although I just bought a 3 mm full, as it started to get a bit toasty last summer with water temps in high 80s), and the comment I receive the most by some of the other divers is a bit of good-natured ribbing before we get into the water, but then wishing they had a 5 mm by the end of the second dive. As I always say, I'll stop using a wetsuit when the water temp reaches 98.6

 

[Alucard]

Thanks for posting this topic - it's an interesting one. I found the comment that dive computers can report quite a few degrees difference in temperatures from other brands to be interesting and a bit disheartening. I mean, I keep my log with all the water temps that my computer has in order to try to gauge what I am going to need, and from what I see of the averages mine might be reading a bit high based on my 80-odd dives in Cayman.

That being said, I do have a fair amount of "natural insulation" on my body, and find that a dive skin is very comfortable for me in Cayman - I usually dive in April, May, October and November, but sometimes February. The only time I have started to feel chilled is when I have done multiple dives a day several days in a row, and then by the end of the second dive of the day I start to feel a little chilly.

 

[Divetech Cayman]

....and a drysuit! (Tony, you'll know which DM wore that)....

Ah yes Richard, I miss him ;-)

But to be fair, I get just as cold as he did, and take endless ribbing from the rest of the staff. It's funny to see me donning a 5mm with hood, while the girls are jumping off in a rashguard and bikini bottoms. But I really do end up shivering at the end of these dives.

The inverse is when the summer air temp gets to be 95 with what seems like 110% humidity. I will be comfortable while everyone else is staggering around sweating like farm animals.

Thanks for posting this topic - it's an interesting one. I found the comment that dive computers can report quite a few degrees difference in temperatures from other brands to be interesting and a bit disheartening. I mean, I keep my log with all the water temps that my computer has in order to try to gauge what I am going to need, and from what I see of the averages mine might be reading a bit high based on my 80-odd dives in Cayman.

I wouldn't let this worry you too much. It was just an observation I made. What's more important is you develop an idea of what is warm or cold based off what your computer is showing you.

Truthfully, I've observed the temperature differences before even looking at my dive logs. In post-dive discussions on the boat, it seemed like no one's computer ever agreed on water temp. This wasn't surprising. I dive with 2 Shearwater computers, and what I did find interesting was on my Shearwater Cloud account, the temperature was consistently off by 1-2 degrees on the same dives.

Tony