Which to buy or recommended?

[NigerHadiza]

Hello all. I am now looking to get a wetsuit and skin for Christmas. I was looking at Henderson Gold or Mares Thermic Evolution. I have been diving in pretty chilly water as well as very tropical. I am usually a person who feels the cold easily. I am wondering if I should buy a 3mm or a 5mm. Or just buy a 3mm and have a skin and vest to add some warmth?

I have been diving in the Great Barrier (in their Winter time..it was about 24C), Thailand where it was a boiling 31C and Japan where it was about 24C again. I really want to be able to do some diving in these conditions but hopefully not any colder! I really don't like cold water. Brrr!

Please let me know what other brands you may suggest. I have also rented suits where the knee guards were coming off (the glue was old). Are there ones that have the knees sewn on instead? Please send me websites as well if you can! (American preferably).

 

[DA Aquamaster]

24C is 75 F which locally we would consider to be 3mm shorty water.

I'd say go with a 3mm suit unless you are VERY susceptible to cold. Yoiu could add a 3 mm hooded vest maybe, but going with a 5mm suit is adding a lot of unneccesary bulk and restriction in my opinion.

I have never really regarded the brand of suit as being the most important criteria in a suit. A cheap suit that fits well will be far warmer than the most expensive, but poor fitting, suit on the market. Any bagginess in the arms, legs, chest or hips will create a pumping effect that will create water flow through the suit and defeat the insulating properties of the suit.

There are differences in the quality of neoprene used in suits with some being more flexible, some being less compressible at depth, and some being more resistant to permanent compression over time, but again a good fit is far more important.

Buying a suit on line is a very bad idea as you have no way to try one on. The only valid option you may have is to try on a buddy's suit and buy that model on line if it fits you well. However I have noted that the cut of wet suits is subject to change from year to year, so unless the buddy's suit is new, it is no guarentee that yours will fit as well.

Trying a suit on in a local dive shop and then buying on line is sometimes done, but it is extremely unethical. The LDS has to pay to stock the suit so that you can have the service and convenience of trying it on and if you take advantage of that service and convenience, the shop deserves to be compenated for it in the form of you buying the suit from the LDS.

 

[ScubaSarus]

For many dives in 24 C water a 5mm would be plenty but hotter than that even I'de be boiling in a 5mm. I get both a 3mm and a 5mm for varying conditions.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Or a 3mm full with a 3mm vest that you can use if you are cold.

 

[cmalinowski]

I use a full 3mm in 72F water. I could go with a shorty at 75, but really don't see the need. I don't boil generally and can let water in when I am hot.