Wetsuit thickness and water temperature

  • Wetsuit thickness choice will vary depending on an individual diver's tolerance to cold or warm water, and acclimation. Here's a rough guide for spearfishermen just getting into open cell wetsuits, looking to spend at least 2-3 hours in the water. Thermoclines (sharp drops in temperature between water layers) will affect wetsuit thickness choice. Keep in mind that these guidelines are for open cell wetsuits which are much warmer than double lined/zippered/scuba wetsuits. A 3mm open cell wetsuit will be a little warmer than a 5mm double lined suit. And much more comfortable to wear being more stretchy and having no interior lining to create friction against the body.


    1. Rashguard - 80° F (26° C) and up
    2. 1.5mm double lined suit Speardiver Reef 1.5mm Spearfishing Wetsuit - 77° F (25° C) to 80° F (26° C)
    3. 3mm open cell suit Speardiver Reef Spearfishing Wetsuit - 71° F (22° C) to 77° F (25° C)
    4. 5mm open cell suit Speardiver Pacific Spearfishing Wetsuit - 59° F (15° C) to 71° F (22° C)
    5. 7mm open cell suit Speardiver Pacific Spearfishing Wetsuit - 45° F (7° C) to 59° F (15° C)
    6. 9mm open cell suit - 33° F (1° C) to 45° F (7° C)


    speardiver-wetsuit-miami-spearfishing.jpg

  • Very personal thing but I'll take a stab at it.


    Rashguard: 74 F and up. I've seen people where it when its colder but not for long and they were not comfortable


    1.5 basically the same as a rashguard but maybe useful for a few more degrees. Maybe 70-72 F Plus


    3mm: 66-68 F. Maybe lower but I get cold diving all day. It also hasn't gotten much colder than that down here.


    I don't Have any experience beyond that.

  • 3mm 77 degrees and up. I have under 10% body fat so I think that's a factor to my ability to adapt to cold. Above 82 degree I use my rash guard suit combo with the vest.

    Relax & Go Spearfishing

  • Iv only use 7mm for year round diving in southeast Alaska.


    Summer surface temps run from 50-60 depending on how open the water.
    Winter surface temp around 40F
    Water at depth usually in the upper 40s year round


    Temp 55+F I flood my suit to cool down
    Temp 45-55F suit is perfect spending many hours in the water.


    Temps below 45F my hands and feet go numb in about an hour forcing me out. (Using 5mm gloves and socks).


    The reason I don't use a 5mm suit in the summer is the cold water below 30-40' and the fact that a suit gets much thinner at depth, limiting its insulation.

  • 3mm 77 degrees and up. I have under 10% body fat so I think that's a factor to my ability to adapt to cold. Above 82 degree I use my rash guard suit combo with the vest.


    I canl give you some of my body fat,lol!

  • 82 up, full 1.5 standard neoprene with lycra hood
    81 to 79 or so, full SN 1.5 2 piece with hood
    78-77, 3mm open cell hooded top, 1.5 pants
    Below 77, full two piece open cell 3mm with hood


    ….or there a bouts….

    Edited once, last by hank ().

  • 3mm 77 degrees and up. I have under 10% body fat so I think that's a factor to my ability to adapt to cold. Above 82 degree I use my rash guard suit combo with the vest.


    I'm with you. I get cold and most of those numbers do not reflect my personal ranges and in hind site could all be bumped up a couple degrees for a more realistic view but I was just putting minimums.


    I wear my 3mm all year in Miami. In the very warmest parts of the summer I will put on 1.5 lined pants to allow water circulation. In the winter I might look into a 5mm top or maybe a full suit.

  • I'm with you. I get cold and most of those numbers do not reflect my personal ranges and in hind site could all be bumped up a couple degrees for a more realistic view but I was just putting minimums.


    I wear my 3mm all year in Miami. In the very warmest parts of the summer I will put on 1.5 lined pants to allow water circulation. In the winter I might look into a 5mm top or maybe a full suit.


    Same, except when it gets really warm (maybe one month at most of the summer) Ill wear a shortie surf wetsuit if noones looking, or just wear some farmerjohns i have from a previous Oceanos wetsuit.


    On a side note what I really want more than anything is a vest with a beavertail, I might buy a speardiver vest and use the remnants from an old top I have to make one. That plus some 3mm shorts would be my personal ideal summer wear. Most people want lycra cover but I don't.

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • On a side note what I really want more than anything is a vest with a beavertail, I might buy a speardiver vest and use the remnants from an old top I have to make one. That plus some 3mm shorts would be my personal ideal summer wear. Most people want lycra cover but I don't.


    Ive been using the speardiver open cell 3mm vest during the warmer months with great results. Idk about you, but my core gets cold easy. With the vest on I can dive all day spring - fall until the water drop below 80 degrees.


    Most people wouldn't think that 77` is cold but thats what my watch has been reading as far as temperature this winter and it still feels chilly sometimes even with a good 3mm suit. A few of my dive buddies still get cold with their 3mm suit and hood. I guess from spending hours in the water the chill creeps up on you.


    Chase

    Relax & Go Spearfishing

  • Ive been using the speardiver open cell 3mm vest during the warmer months with great results. Idk about you, but my core gets cold easy. With the vest on I can dive all day spring - fall until the water drop below 80 degrees.


    Most people wouldn't think that 77` is cold but thats what my watch has been reading as far as temperature this winter and it still feels chilly sometimes even with a good 3mm suit. A few of my dive buddies still get cold with their 3mm suit and hood. I guess from spending hours in the water the chill creeps up on you.


    Chase


    My build makes it so that the vest rides up on me, that's why I'd need a beaver tail. I've had two diff speardiver vests and they are great, I'm just cursed (in regard to fitting wetsuits) with bein tall and thin. The water temp should have gotten a decent bit colder than 77, especially in these months (water temp lags late into winter and spring) Im pretty sure like 2-3 years ago it dipped to 66-68 when we had that chilly winter. So you should at least be below 74 right now from Miami up to Jupiter or so. I've had two dive watches that read temp and neither was on.

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.