What's the coldest water temp you will wetsuit in??

[ystrout]

I dive San Diego regularly, so that's around 55-60 degrees. No problem in a 7mm.

I'm heading up to Santa Cruz on a trip, and to Morro Bay area on another trip on camping/dive weekend getaways this summer, so we'll see how the low 50s/upper 40s treat me in a 7mm.

 

[60plus]

I think it depends on what you get used to. I can comfortably snorkel for 2 hours at 18 Deg C (65F). At same temp diving in a 3/2 wetsuit I get a bit warm, especially swimming at the surface and my mask fogs. At 13 C (55 F) in just swimming trunks I am Ok for about 20 minutes, but ready to get out after 30 minutes. I have just bought a 7mm one piece wetsuit and intend to use it down to about 8 or 12 C, I will also be using it in warmer water but probably partially unzipped. Also depends on how many dives you are doing and what you are doing and what the conditions are in between.

 

[Neilwood]

Quite happy in a wetsuit for 40 mins @8C depending on the surface conditions.

Three dive weekend with one on Friday, two on Saturday and travel home on Sunday. Dive 1 I was cold on the surface after the dive as there was a chilly wind and drizzle (took a while to get properly warm). Dives two and three were great and never felt cold as there was some sun, shelter from the breeze and a big roaring open fire with soup provided.

 

[RyanT]

55 degrees F is rock bottom for me in a 7 mil semidry. And I can pretty much only take that for about 20 minutes.

 

[DiverDownD3]

65F for my 5mm with 2mm hooded vest. I'll consider 60F if it's a warm day and it's going to be a dive less than 30 minutes

Exactly why I took a dry suit class this winter so I don't have to worry about it as much

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’m seeing how different peoples’ cold tolerances are reading this thread. It looks like the Britts can generally handle cold water better than anyone based on what I’m reading. Swimming in skivies down into the 50’s? Wow! Maybe they’re just used to cold drizzly foggy bone chilling weather more than others?
And then some people can’t handle cold at all and anything below 70 degrees puts them in a drysuit.
This is why wetsuit advice is almost pointless to the general public. So much of it has to do with genetics, cold tolerance, acclimation, circulation, metabolism, subcutaneous body fat levels, etc.

 

[Russell Bowyer]

Wetsuit or semi dry? I dove down to temperatures of 9C (48F) but that was in a sem-dry suit and not simply a wetsuit. All my 3mm wetsuit diving is done in the warm waters of the Caribbean nowadays and UK waters in a dry suit thank you very much!

Alrgough thinking about it, I used to train divers at Guildenburg and Stony Cove in the UK in November and December and some days there would be ice on the surface, and that would be in my semi-dry suit! I can't remember the temperature but I guess we are talking 4-5C (39-41)! All I remember it being bloody cold when I was demonstrating the mask clear and removing my mask!

 

[oldschoolto]

It depends on how old you are.. LOL.. What I did in my 20's is not what I do..

Jim..

 

[Russell Bowyer]

It depends on how old you are.. LOL.. What I did in my 20's is not what I do..

Jim..

So true Jim - I think you hit the nail on the head there - when I was diving in my semi dry this was when I was much younger!

 

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

Dove in the quarry with a guy this weekend who was in a 7mm wetsuit at 41F. But he was filling his suit with hot water before the dives, putting heat pads around his abdomen, and had a rash guard on underneath. It still didn't look like a lot of fun.