Few things detract from your enjoyment of diving more than being cold. So how do you choose the right exposure suit for conditions?
Factor in all the variables
You base exposure suit selection on the temperature of the water…right? Well, not necessarily. You need to consider:
- Temperature at depth
- Maximum dive depth
- Length of exposure
- Air temperature at the surface
Let’s look at each of these factors in greater detail.
- Temperature at depth: Few things are worse than dressing for water that’s 80 degrees at the surface, only to discover that it’s in the low 60s at depth.
- Maximum dive depth: At 100 feet, a suit which was a full 7 mm at the surface is going to be more like a 2 mm one, due to compression. The deeper you go, the more important it is to have a suit that will provide adequate insulation.
- Length of exposure: While you may be able to get away with a thinner suit on very short dives, the longer you are under water, the more insulation you will need to help prevent heat loss over time.
- Air temperature at the surface: During colder months in the Gulf region, it’s not unusual for the air to be substantially colder than the water. That’s important because, if you become chilled prior to the dive, you will become colder faster under water. This may not only dictate wearing a warmer dive suit but having something to throw on over top of it between dives.
Remember that, while it’s easy to be too cold under water, it’s almost impossible to be too hot (and you can always just let water in). Here is a chart that better represents what most of us find comfortable:
Note that 3 mm full suits, dive skins and shorties are really only comfortable in water that’s in the 80s. For water in the 70s, you need a full-length 5 mm or 7 mm suit.
Other things to consider
- An accountant will typically own more neckties than a computer programmer. Similarly, someone who dives year-round in the Gulf region will probably own more suits than someone who dives once a year in the tropics.
- The more you dive, the more suits you will likely want to own. Having two suits with you means you won’t constantly have to get back into a cold, stinky suit.
If you need help selecting your next dive suit, just ask. We have years of experience to draw from, both here in the Gulf region and around the world and can help match you with the perfect suit.