Who Needs a wetsuit for tropical water diving anyway?

[Altamira]

So, against the grain, I wear a full 3 mm wetsuit, at a minimum, under all diving circumstances. I'm never too warm, but I'm often the only warm person on the boat. Wearing little protective gear sometimes seem like quite the macho thing.

What @scubadada said, except for the "macho thing." I think a lot of divers, especially vacation divers, don't wear wetsuits or dive skins because they don't have them, don't want to buy/rent them, or don't want to wear a wetsuit that hundreds of divers have peed in. There are obviously divers like @The Chairman who have not been stung because he does not touch anything, but I don't touch anything either, and have been nailed on the face, neck and legs while snorkeling in a swimsuit and rash guard well above anything touchable. Now, I wear a dive skin snorkeling, and a 3 or 5mil full suit when diving.

 

[The Chairman]

I don't touch anything either, and have been nailed on the face, neck and legs while snorkeling

I went for a dive off of Venice Beach Fl in search of Meg Teeth. I didn't get the memo that the purple meanies were out swimming and I was the only one in just a t-shirt and swimsuit.Those guys were everywhere and I almost didn't splash. Imagine everyone's surprise (and dismay) when I was the only diver to not get stung at all. Situational awareness helps a lot. Pretend you're playing dodgeball.

 

[formernuke]

the one time I dove roatan I even wore a hood mostly for jellyfish.

 

[StefinSB]

I always wear at least a 3mm suit, have decent buoyancy and find the no-gloves rule idiotic. The most damage I see is from dangling octos, consols, and fins.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I always wear at least a 3mm suit, have decent buoyancy and find the no-gloves rule idiotic. The most damage I see is from dangling octos, consols, and fins.

I'll never forget a dive guide with a dive light dragging on the ground. I asked him later if he knew that it was, and he said yes. SMMFH

 

[mi000ke]

I dive Grand Cayman 5 months of the year (when there aren't any viruses going around) where the water temps usually range from 79 to 86 through the year. I always wear a 5mm full suit until the water temp hits 85, then switch to the 3mm full. Folks often give me some good-natured guff about it, but by the end of the second dive they often wish they were wearing something more than a bathing suit. I tell them I'll give up wearing a wetsuit when the water temp reaches 98.6

When people ask for a recommendation on what suit they should use here, I think about one time I was on a dive boat here when the water was in the low 80s. I had on my trusty 5mm. Some of the others on the boat were in bathing suits, and 3mm shorties, and the dive master was in a dry suit! So I guess the recommendation would be to wear something between nothing and a dry suit.

And we're under the no-gloves/no-touch rule here for the areas that are a marine park, and generally for all others areas as well.

 

[formernuke]

I went for a dive off of Venice Beach Fl in search of Meg Teeth. I didn't get the memo that the purple meanies were out swimming and I was the only one in just a t-shirt and swimsuit.Those guys were everywhere and I almost didn't splash. Imagine everyone's surprise (and dismay) when I was the only diver to not get stung at all. Situational awareness helps a lot. Pretend you're playing dodgeball.

If you can dodge a jellyfish, you can dodge a ball.

 

[TMHeimer]

I went for a dive off of Venice Beach Fl in search of Meg Teeth. I didn't get the memo that the purple meanies were out swimming and I was the only one in just a t-shirt and swimsuit.Those guys were everywhere and I almost didn't splash. Imagine everyone's surprise (and dismay) when I was the only diver to not get stung at all. Situational awareness helps a lot. Pretend you're playing dodgeball.

I was shore diving on Long Island NY a few years ago. I ran into jellies that were small, and maybe at times 6" to a foot apart. My only exposed skin, as usual, was the usual area mostly around the lips. Yes, I was stung there several times.

 

[formernuke]

I was shore diving on Long Island NY a few years ago. I ran into jellies that were small, and maybe at times 6" to a foot apart. My only exposed skin, as usual, was the usual area mostly around the lips. Yes, I was stung there several times.

I ran into the same shore diving in Gloucester a couple weeks ago, suddenly surrounded by little jellyfish. Somehow none of us 4 divers got stung.

 

[TMHeimer]

I ran into the same shore diving in Gloucester a couple weeks ago, suddenly surrounded by little jellyfish. Somehow none of us 4 divers got stung.

Yeah, I know the type of little ones that don't sting. Like little clear balls. Gotta watch small ones with tentacles.