Wetsuit Questions

[farmboyswife]

Hi all. I know many of you dive so I wanted to get some advice.

My daughter and I will be going to the Galapagos in July as part of a youth group. I'm pretty excited about going, it should be an amazing trip. We will have the opportunity to snorkel a lot and since we are avid snorkelers want to spend as much time in the water as we can. The water temperature there is expected to be about 70 degrees, pretty chilly considering how close the equator is. From what I have read, you can snorkel without a wetsuit, but you chill very quickly and can't stay in as long.

I am planning to buy wetsuits for both of us. I don't want to spend a fortune, but want to get decent ones. They recommend 3-4mm and I was wondering if we tried to scuba dive in Mexico, would that be the recommended thickness? We’ve thought about it but haven’t tried it yet. Also, do you think we need to get hoods? I know the head is a major source of heat loss. What about booties and gloves?

I understand that fit is critical to get a good seal and maintain body heat. Some of the descriptions of wetsuits I’ve found include comments about stretchiness. It seems logical to me to have a stretchy suit, but I’ve seen some with no stretch, so it makes me wonder. Is there a best choice in wetsuit material that is still affordable?

Thanks all for your help.

[think]

http://scubatoys.com/store/Scuba_Wetsuits_Mens.asp

The 3/2 for $89.95 may be a good choice. If you are going to hit any cenotes and/or if you get cold easily you might go for the 5mm Henderson. I think a 3/2 or regular 3mm will be plenty, but a 5mm will definitely do the job.

Also, I wouldn't worry about a hood or gloves. If you are using fins then you may want to get some boots. You can get some for $20 from the above site.

[AdGuy]

Cenote temps in Mexico run about 70 - 74 degrees. I don't wear a wetsuit when I snorkel in Mexican cenotes and bays (or in Florida springs for that matter) as they're a pain to put on and pull off everytime you're out of the water...and you'll want to pull them off when you're out of the water as there's nothing like the Mexican sun baking you in a black wetsuit.

I'd definitely pass on the hoods and gloves but would recommend a decent wetsuit and boots if you're planning to scuba. Water temps drop off significantly once you head below the surface. More important than proper equipment, I'd highly recommend you receive proper training prior to trying scuba diving. It's a pretty serious sport (where people die each year) and you shouldn't put your life in the hands of a person who may not speak fluent English and you've just met minutes prior to your dive. Make sure you're properly certified in the states by an accredited organization so you'll be prepared for any emergencies that might arise.

[james]

Gloves should not be worn (in warmer waters and in cenotes) because they encourage touching things that probably should be left alone. My 2 pesos. I would always discourage customers from wearing them.

I would probably want more than a 3mm in 70F water. I'd probably dive in my 6.5mm semi-dry (seals at ankles, wrists and neck, waterproof zipper), which is also what I use cave diving, with a hood, but no boots (however most people wear boots). A hood is one of the best ways to feel warmer. Much/most of your heat can be lost through your head and neck. Make sure you get a good fit. A wetsuit that 'pumps' water around your body isn't doing its job. It's supposed to keep a small amount of water of a fairly constant volume between your skin and the neoprene. The less water 'turn-over' you have, the less heat loss you have.

For just snorkeling cenotes, I don't wear any neoprene but in the wintertime (although the water temp in the cenote is a fairly constant mid-seventies F year-round, getting out of the water can be chilly), if I have to snorkel several, like while guiding a tour, I like to have a shorty on. Usually I forget about it and just rely on my fat. :)

[skiptown]

Also if you have a guide for some of the cenotes they will provide shorty wetsuits. Hidden World did and while they were warm in the water they were really hot for the truck ride to the cenote.

[beachreader]

Haven't been diving in a while so I really can't answer your question, just want to say that the trip sounds awesome, and you're giving your daughter the experience of a lifetime!

[AdGuy]

My daughter and I will be going to the Galapagos in July as part of a youth group.


My how times have changed...I think my youth group once took a tour of the pastry factory to see how cupcakes were made! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_11_3.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk762YYUS) A bit different than heading to the Galapagos! You'll have an incredible time...it's definitely on my "50 places to see before I achieve room temperature" list but we're not scheduled to go till May 2010. Which reminds me...I better go eat my vegetables! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_4_53.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk762YYUS)






http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb096&pp=ZNxmk762YYUS (http://smiley.smileycentral.com/download/index.jhtml?partner=ZSzeb096_ZNxmk762YYUS&utm_id=7924)

[DougSR]

http://scubatoys.com/store/Scuba_Wetsuits_Mens.asp (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscubatoys.com%2Fst ore%2FScuba_Wetsuits_Mens.asp)

The 3/2 for $89.95 may be a good choice. If you are going to hit any cenotes and/or if you get cold easily you might go for the 5mm Henderson. I think a 3/2 or regular 3mm will be plenty, but a 5mm will definitely do the job.

Also, I wouldn't worry about a hood or gloves. If you are using fins then you may want to get some boots. You can get some for $20 from the above site.

Thanks think! Got my boot order in today. I have all my snork stuff ready but forgot I would need boots for multiple days in the water. Mine were $24 from scubatoys with shipping, etc.

[farmboyswife]

Thanks all for the wetsuit advice. I hadn't found the scubatoy.com site in my searches. Looks reasonable.

We're only going to be snorkeling. Not quite ready to try diving just yet. And I'm such a worrywart there is no way I would learn from someone without boocoo (sp?) certifications. And their firstborn.

As for "taking" my daughter, I'm really the tagalong. She applied and was selected for the trip. Later I heard they were looking for a second chaperone so I applied. She's not particularly happy to have mom going with her, but she'll get over it. There are 14 teenagers going. What was I thinking?

I bought an underwater housing for my camera yesterday and a 4 Gig memory stick today. I might take a picture or two thousand.

[think]

DougSR, you're welcome. You could actually swing by their store if you wanted. They are in your neck of the woods. They are very cool guys who will do just about anything to keep the customer happy (getting rare these days.) If you join their forum you get 10% off your order, a $10 GC when you get to 10 posts, they will price match other sites, etc.

Lol, sounds like I work for them or something.