Full wetsuit or shortie for the Caribbean

[cruzegirl]

Ok, I'm searching for information as a newbie scuba diver for upcoming cruises... Mainly for women as guys seem to always be warm....lol.... No offense men... Just wonder what other ladies who dive do..... I'm going on a cruise to the Caribbean twice next year and Hawaii this year in October....Trying to decide between a full wetsuit (2mm vs. 3mm) or a shortie wetsuit? Feel free to share all your information/experiences.....Thanks.

[KATHY JEAN]

My husband and I both wear 1.5 mm fullwet suits in the caribbean. It helps to keep us warm as well as protect us from fire coral and such. On a recent trip to ST. Thomas, the men on the dive who dove in only bathingsuits were cold and some of them didn't do the second dive. The water temp. was 84 degrees. Hope this helps. Happy diving.

[w&k]

I always take my 2 mil one-piece suit. Usually, the water is just warm enough that I end up in just in my skins (85 or so). Then, I end up thinking wistfully of it halfway into dive #2.

 

I think Hawaii's got some COLD water though...less than 80F. It's all in the perspective.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Wendy

[bruce-r]

In general, it seems that most women have a lower threshold for cold tolerance, which means they get colder easier. Individuals will vary, but I usually see women in full suits even when the men are wearing shorties. Go with the full suit, it is much better to be a little bit too warm that too cold. Plus you get the added protection from the sun and the pointy things underwater.

 

I think Hawaii's got some COLD water though...less than 80F. It's all in the perspective.

You are right, it is all a matter of how you look at it. 78 was the warmest it ever got in August in Kona when I was there. Compared to the 45 to 50 f water I usually get to dive in, 78 would be very warm (I wear a drysuit). Compared to the Caribbean, it is cold. I got cold in a 3mm full suit and hood. Hawaii water temps drop to the low 70's in winter. I wouldn't dive there again in less than a 5mm of a 2 piece 3mm where you have 6 mm over your core.

[cal2632]

I dove the Caribbean and Bermuda in a 2/1 shortie (see my avatar). The coolest water temp was 78 and I felt a little cool about 1/2 way through my second dive, but was still ok.

 

Everything comes down to your own cold tolerance. I dive cold (50 degrees) water without a hood and with tropical weight gloves so I'm not exactly your 'typical' female. If you were cold in the pool during your training go for the 3mm.

[NM_Eman]

My wife who is also a PADI instructor ALWAYS wears a 3mil full suit in warm water. Remember its not just a matter of cold tolerance. By the time you feel cold you've lot some core temp. Another big plus is that you use energy to keep warm. Energy production requires O2. If you use more thermal protection you suck less air and thus (depending on you max bottom time) can stay down longer. Although this usually is more helpful to men, some women do suck air pretty fast:D

 

Kent

[Jerry_G]

Since I don't like traveling with wet suits I dive the Carribean in a full dive skin. If I take a wet suit it is a 3mm shortie. You should only need something warmer than a shortie if you are diving the Cenotes (70 F/Fresh water) or are doing 2-3 dives a day for several days in succession.

[Skinsfan1311]

I dove St. Lucia, in mid-January, with water temps in the low 80's, and wore a 2 mil shorty. I felt comfortable on every dive...(5 dives, including a night dive)...

[Catnip]

We dive in the Caribbean every November, and I wear a dive skin only. My husband wears a shortie wetsuit.

[cruzegirl]

Wow....Thanks for all the good info..... I appreciate it as I'm a newbie diver and don't know if I get cold yet in Caribbean or with several repetitive dives in succession... I know for Hawaii in October I'll dive probably 2-3 times in a week..But I am signed up for the Scuba cruise on the Carnival Valor 12/2006... I am some time but don't want to buy things I don't need... The one benefit of a full suit is not just thermal protection but protection from what I may come in contact with in the ocean.... I just know my 7mm suit for California would be too much for the Caribbean.... But thanks everyone for the info.....I appreciate it....

[Jerry_G]

Hey Cruizegirl

 

If you've been diving in a 7mm full wet suit, you are going to love the Carribean. Try diving in a skin or even lycra shorts and top, if you have them. The freedom that you feel is unbelievable when compared to a 7mm wetsuit. You'll loose about 10 pounds of lead and slide through the water like a hot knife through butter. Enjoy it. You'll love it.

[10X]

I have an Xcel 4/3 that I used in Hawaii and I plan on using it in the Caribbean as well. In the Caribbean it's not so much for the warmth but for protection from things like firecoral.

 

I dove in Tahiti and Hawaii in February. The water temp in Tahiti was about 82 and I wore my Henderson 3mm shortie, and was quite comfortable. In Hawaii the temp was about 74 so the full suit was a little nicer and I wasn't too warm. I only wear a hood when I have to suit up in my 7mm.

 

I've been thinking of buying some 2mm gloves for warm water but think I might have trouble with taking underwater photos with gloves on. Does anyone out there use gloves when doing UW photography?

[cal2632]

I've been thinking of buying some 2mm gloves for warm water but think I might have trouble with taking underwater photos with gloves on. Does anyone out there use gloves when doing UW photography?

 

Tropical weight gloves work well for warm water and I know they won't interfere with taking photos. Many sites in the Caribbean, however, prohibit you from wearing gloves of any sort.

[Hilary]

I'd definitely recommend a full suit of any thickness for the Caribbean...thickness would depend on your cold tolerance. I'm very cold tolerant and wore my 3mil in the Caribbean this winter when the water was 82 degrees. I was very comfortable.

 

As far as Hawaii goes, the water is typically about 78-79 in the summer and between 72-74 in the winter. Again, I think a full suit is important for body protection from underwater hazards, but in Hawaii you'll definitely want something warmer than what you'd need in the Caribbean. We've seen everything from 3mil shorties to 7mil farmer johns. My DH and I wear our Henderson Hyperstretch 3mils in Maui and have not been cold yet.

[bruce-r]

I've been thinking of buying some 2mm gloves for warm water but think I might have trouble with taking underwater photos with gloves on. Does anyone out there use gloves when doing UW photography?

I think that if I can use my camera wearing 5mm wet gloves or dry gloves, you shouldn't have any problem with 2mm gloves.

 

It is against the marine park regulations to wear gloves in Cozumel. Also, I'm pretty sure that gloves aren't welcomed in the Cayman Islands either.

 

Personally, I've never felt the desire to wear gloves in warm water.

[Sailfish]

Here is how I know which wet suit to take with me on vacations where I dive. I have both - a shortie and a full wetsuit - both 3mm. When I do repetative dives while on a dive vacation - diving two or three tanks everyday for a week or more, it's a no brainer - I take my full wetsuit, as the more I dive, the colder I get.

 

On the other hand, when I dive while on a cruise in the Caribbean (which usually amounts to two ports of call, maybe three) I take my shortie to save on packing. But like cruzegirl, I'll be going on the Valor Scuba cruise in December 2006, and diving in all four of our ports of call - if we do the night dive in Cozumel, that will total 9 dives. I am inclined to think that I too will be better off taking my full wet suit.

 

I'm glad cruzegirl posted this, as I too was wondering what others thought. Thanks for the input.

 

Don't bother taking gloves, though. I have yet to see ANYONE (I'm sure there are some out there, though) wearing dive gloves in the Caribbean. I have been all over the BVI's, in Roatan, GC, Belize, Cozumel, St. Thomas, St. Croix and in the Bahamas as well as in the Keys and have yet to meet up with people in gloves! We have to wear them up here in Northern California, but I can't imagine needing them in 80 degree water!

[Cybele]

My hubby wore a dive skin in Belize and Cozumel last week and was fine. The water was 82 deg. I just dove with my swimsuit and was fine, but then I rarely get cold in tropical waters even with multiple dives or at night. One drawback to diving without a dive skin is that two remoras tried to latch onto me in Belize. I guess they had lost their ride and were looking for a new one.

 

(edited to fix typo)

[Woodsmaster]

It depends on how many dives you make and over what period of time.

 

If you are going to dive over a week, then you usually start with a thinner wetsuit and work up to a thicker one due to the exposure and number of dives.

 

A 2mm seemed to work fine for my daughter for a few dives (she moved up to a 3mm Henderson hyperstretch).

 

I use a 3mm shortie and a 1mm full by itself. I am not cold, but on deeper dives, I wear the 1mm with the 3mm over the top if I think I am going to get cold. I also have a 3mm full, but I do not wear it in the Caribbean.

[aztecr3ina]

Maybe I'm weird, but when I dove in Jamaica and Cancun, all I wore was a swimsuit. Of course, it was also August so the water was really warm (about 88 surface). And when I go to Belize this August, I'm not planning on wearing a skin. But you're going in October. You may want to bring a shortie just in case.

[Tarkus]

unless you're extraordinarily cold-natured a shortie is plenty... and a lot of folks this time of year don't even bother with that!