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#66
Wetsuit or not
MikeSG14 - 6/06/2019 8:51 AM
Category: New Diver Q&A
Replies: 10

Hey all like the category say New Diver so don’t beat me up too bad. How do most of you make a decision on wearing a wet suit? what water temps do you start wearing them? Im not a cold natured person by any means but being new to diving just trying to learn what I don’t know I don’t know if that makes sense.
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Eric_R - 6/06/2019 10:17 AM
It comes down to temp and time of exposure. I wear a wetsuit in an 80° pool if I’m going to be in it for a long time. You may not need one on the first dive of the day but the second one may be a little cool if your surface interval has you exposed to cool temps.
#149
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Dime275 - 6/06/2019 4:07 PM
I recommend always wearing one below 90 degrees
#20480
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Caloosa - 6/06/2019 4:51 PM
Even if water is warm, a "skin" would be suggested in case you come into contact with something that may irritate your skin...and naturally, we are all different and you should just be prepared so that you are comfortable, some people do ok with full wetsuits like 3mm’s, some like shorties, some like other combos, you need to find your thresholds...some people can handle cooler water better than others, but remember that your always losing body temp diving, especially for longer dives. And we haven’t even addressed those thermoclimes that we occasionally run through.
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LatitudeAdjustment - 6/06/2019 6:48 PM
Skipped the wetsuit once in the Keys because the water was so warm, the BC took a couple of layers of skin off so it’s not just thermal protection!
#4707
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Airworks - 6/07/2019 4:59 AM
I’ve spent enough time in both fresh and salt water to know the wisdom of the wetsuit. Even in "ideal" tropical water there may be small organisms that can irritate the skin or cause pain. For example, the infamous Irukandji box jellyfish have been found off the coast of Florida even though their home of origin is Australia.
Punctures, gashes, stabs, bites, etc. You name it; all of those nasties can happen while diving, so protection is vital.
#3123
DiverfromBaskingRidge - 6/08/2019 4:09 PM
So to me it is a factor or where are you from - I am from NJ and I see you are from Tx and what you are used to.

I dive BHB and southern latitudes in a bathing suit and I love it. But folks look at me and give me that eye till I explain I dive in 39 degree water and this is pure heaven. I love the water and the water on my body.

Sure if you are going on a dive vacation - the 3 mill protects you from the sun and the coral but you should have control of your buoyancy and if you do - you dont need the suit. So - if it is just a couple dives and I am done - I go in a bathing suit. If it is multiple days and multiple dives per day - 5 dives a day on my recent vacation - I wear a 3 mill to protect me from the sun...
ymmv
#66
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MikeSG14 - 6/10/2019 2:04 PM
I would like to thank everyone for their input!
Skipped the wetsuit once in the Keys because the water was so warm, the BC took a couple of layers of skin off so it’s not just thermal protection! Yeah I learned the very well this weekend so I have decided that I am pretty much going to wear the diving skin when im diving in water above 80 and below 80 I am going to start looking into a good wetsuit. But for now I have to finish paying for my gear so it will have to wait till that’s done.
#4707
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Airworks - 6/10/2019 2:56 PM
Since you’re in the market for a wetsuit, I highly recommend a "semi-dry". The Hollis Neotek 8-7-6 is very comfortable, flexible, and perfect for cold water diving. I’ve also used mine in Florida’s warmer water several times. It has a fully integrated hood and is front-zipped. Excellent in terms of protection.
I have several makes and models, but the Hollis is my go-to almost every time.
#66
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MikeSG14 - 6/10/2019 3:02 PM
I’m not really in the market I am still in the exploring and learning. The beautiful thing about living in Texas I can find warm water to dive in 75 degrees or better most of the year. but thank you for the input and I will look into the Hollis.
#2242
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MDW - 6/21/2019 12:13 PM
You can get hypothermic in 85 degree water if you stay in long enough, so some thermal protection is always a good idea. Plus there are the rash protection reasons others have stated. My third reason is sun protection; I am very white and without the suit I will be very red after surface time and very blue after bottom time. I don’t want to be that patriotic.