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Many people make the mistake of buying thermal protection that is
marginal at best and do not enjoy diving as much as they should because
they get chilled. Keep
the following observations in mind when choosing a dive suit:
- Stocky people
retain body heat much better than slender people do.
- Older people,
women and children seem to get chilled faster than average.
- Most people can
do one dive and stay comfortable, but, the second or third dive of a
day is when heat loss becomes very noticeable.
- Even in the
tropics, after a week of heavy vacation diving, many people start
getting chilled during the last few days.
- Water
temperature in many dive areas can change up to ten degrees or more
between winter and summer, so this factor must also be considered when
choosing a dive suit.
REMEMBER: Each person should determine
what thickness or style will best fit his or her needs based on
recommendations from instructors or local dive store professionals. If
your suit is too warm, you can flood it to cool off, but, if you begin
with insufficient thermal protection all you can do is shiver or stop
diving!
75-85 degrees
Titanium Tropical 1mm jumpsuits for warm-blooded divers. 3mm shorties
can be worn on top of the polar fleece or 1mm hooded vest worn beneath
the Titanium Thermo-Shield¨ jumpsuits for the lower end of this
temperature range. Most divers will appreciate full 3mm jumpsuits for
deeper diving or extended dive vacations.
65-75 degrees
5/3 mm Kobalt Pro-Flex¨ or Titanium jumpsuits for most divers. 5.0mm two
piece Farmer John/Jane and jacket suits for extended or deeper diving.
For diving in lower temperatures in this range, consider adding a 3mm
shorty beneath the jumpsuit.
50-65 degrees
7/5 mm two piece Farmer John and jacket suit, either Kobalt Pro-Flex¨ or
Titanium Toaster¨ models for extended or deeper dives. (Most major scuba
training agencies recommend drysuits for diving below these
temperatures).
45-55 degrees
7/5 mm two piece Farmer John/Jane and jacket suit, either Kobalt
Pro-Flex¨ or Titanium Toaster¨ models for extended or deeper dives.
Extremely long or deep diving may require you to “layer your suit” with
additional neoprene accessories such as Titanium hooded vests, or
shorties.
30-50 degrees
Dry suits only. All dry suits will require proper undergarment and/or
layering, especially as the temperature drops towards freezing. |
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