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. |
