What wetsuit should I buy for the tropics?

[OceansideOcean]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to diving. I'm in Los Angeles and I hate the cold (water here is 55-60f), so I learned to dive dry and found a smokin' deal on a nice trilam.

A couple of weeks ago I was diving off a cattle boat at the Great Barrier Reef and their wetsuits sucked.

Now I'm scheduled to go to Belize in a couple of months and I'm thinking I should have my own westsuit for 75+ degree water.

My concern is packing it. My scuba luggage has a fair amount of room, but I'm thinking a wetsuit could could use it all up. I like to pack light and small.

So my question is, would a 3mm wetsuit do the job? If so, which one? I've got 5mm hood, gloves and boots, and they were fine in Australia. They gave us 5mm suits on the boat, but they had GIANT holes in the shoulders and once in the water, I didn't even notice, the water was so warm.

So can I get away with a 3mm suit? If so, which one? I'm thinking Henderson, Pinnacle Elastiprene/merino, or maybe that smokin' deal from Down 130' posted in the great deals section. Only thing with that deal is I don't need the thick suit so I'd want to sell it.

TIA - mike.

 

[Jorgy]

Yes, a 3 mil fullsuit would be more than enough..........I dive a closeout Akona that I got from LP real cheap, something like $90.........

Even Belize in the winter is 80 degrees.........

Our son dives a Henderson 1 mil Mircoprene and loves it, keeps him warm enough, 100% covered and packs up tiny......dries quick to.......

Hope this helps......M

 

[Mayor]

I find that if the water temp is over 82 then a 3mm shorty is great for hour plus dives. Any thing closer to the two hour mark I get a little cold. If the temp is below the 82 mark then a full 3mm is the right choice. If you can only get one suit then the 3mm full is the way to go.

I also use a rash guard and underarmor shorts that also add some more protection.

 

[george w]

hi In warmer warmer water I dive with just a full skin suit and my wife who get cold uses a 3mm and she is not cold. A 3mm should be all you need.

 

[OceansideOcean]

What brand/model suit would you get?

BTW - I'll be doing dives of less than 1 hour and the temp on the GBR was around 77.

mike

 

[Mayor]

What brand/model suit would you get?

BTW - I'll be doing dives of less than 1 hour and the temp on the GBR was around 77.

mike

Like most things you get what you pay for. I have lots of stuff from pinnacle and really like it. Try some on at the LDS and support them.

Pinnacle Aquatics

 

[D_B]

What brand/model suit would you get?

BTW - I'll be doing dives of less than 1 hour and the temp on the GBR was around 77.

mike

I did 5 dives a day for 3 days in the gulf, wetsut was a 3/2mm full, no hood, 5mm boots, water temp was 80f, depth averaged between 60 to 80ft, and I got cool on my first dive so I switched off from my 1mm gloves to my 5/3mm ones and all was fine from then on ... I think that if I had a 3mm full suit I could have used the thinner gloves and had more dexterity
It was 3/2 Parkway suit from UnrealFind .. http://www.unrealfind.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=wet32&Category_Code=011mm
... I was impressed with the quality of the suit/stitching and I've been to UnrealFind and they are good folks

for me ... in 77f water I think that I would go for a 5/4mm full suit ... just so I could avoid using a hood and thicker gloves that I would need on a 3mm

 

[Jorgy]

I think it's all about fit........

The better it fits, the less water transfer, the warmer you are........

So try on a bunch and find the one cut for your body shape........

My Akona still looks brand new...............

My darling bride uses a Henderson Hyperstrech, bought in 2003........the suit looks new but the knee pad fell off, but she still loves the fit, warmth and ease of donning........

My guess is that as long you go with a solid brand, and it fits.....then you will be happy.......

BTW, Scuba Diver Magazine just reviewed 14 3 mm wetsuits.......you may wnat to click on the link.........

Henderson - H2 Titanium | Scuba Diving Magazine

Hope this helps.............M

 

[RJP]

Wetsuit? What's that?

:d

Get a DUI 30/30 "tropical" drysuit!

Worn mine in Bonaire, Curacao, Caymans, Hawaii, Truk, Florida, and the Red Sea. Wetsuits are for heated pools!

 

[diversteve]

Seen this: Henderson 3MM Mens Neoprene One Piece Jumpsuit,

$75 new.

My buddy dives all over the Caribbean in a 3mm (sometimes with a skin under it). He gets cold easy, just bought a drysuit to dive in your area. But he's comfortable all day in the 3mm, even at night, water temp doesn't change overnight. We were in Utila end of March and he was fine. I dove in a t-shirt and was cold at depth. But it hadn't warmed up yet. Belize would be similar.