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#51828
 What type of exposure suit should you wear?
Greg - 3/29/2006 12:59 PM
Category: Training
Replies: 1
DUI recommends the following based on the water temp: 85°+ no exposure needed, 80° - 85° 3mm shorty, 75° - 79° 3mm full or tropical drysuit, 70° - 74° 5mm full or drysuit, 59° - 69° 7mm full or drysuit, 58° drysuit. I have worn a 3mm full (with hood and gloves) in 62° water before and felt fine for a 45 minute dive...but I`m insulated with a little extra blubber. As always, when the shivering starts, abort the dive.
#3442
Dorkfish - 3/22/2007 4:30 PM
Sounds about right, that is until your body becomes acclimated to the conditions at your locale. DUI is great about educating divers on temperature safety. AFter all, if you`re in water colder than your body temp, you`re already in the earlieast stages of hypothermic exposure in a manner of speaking. I`ve often found myself diving w/o wetsuit 70 degrees and above. I don the 3mm tropical full any colder and the 5-7mm farmer beyond the 55-60 degree mark. I`m good in the farmer to 45 degrees, but my time is quite limited w/o a dry suit at that temp.