sharm in april??

[David McNamara]

What do u reckon.....7mm semi?? i get quite cold. will that b ok?...plz dont say dry suit..thats 4 portland n swanage

[alison boler]

Honestly, I think you'll be much more comfortable in a 4 or at the outside a 5mm and it will be a better investment. I don't feel the cold and I dive in a 3mm in April and the rest of the family are in 4s and don't get cold - even my youngest daughter who is a skinny liz. Remember the air temp is going to be hot - high 80s as the day gets on. You have to balance off water temp - which is going to be about 25C with your comfort when you kit up and are waiting to get in. Not to mention the pleasure you will be missing if you can't dive with a minimum of weights.
If you have a 4/5mm it will do you well in most overseas locations, Med, Caribbean, Red Sea. You could also get one of those waistcoat style sleeveless jackets as an insurance policy. Then, in really hot conditions or the pool, you could just wear that and you have it as an option to put on over your 4/5mm if you are really cold. Most people find protecting the trunk effectively keeps them warm.
I used to wear a 7mm in the uk before I bought a drysuit and I can only liken it to feeling like a walrus in the water!!! Not what you really want out of your Red Sea experience.

Have a good time

Allie

[Jeanne]

Alison is spot on. I first dived at Sharm in March '92 and took my 7 mm semi-dry (Salopette + hooded jacket) and I was toasting both in the water and very uncomfortable on the boat unless I dekitted swiftly after the dive. Imagine re-kitting for the second dive in wet and thick wetsuit..., not ideal.

I invested soon after in a 4 mm steamer (one piece, full arms and legs) with good neoprene neck, wrist and ankle seals, which is brilliant for minimising water ingress. If you feel the cold, as I do, this will be ideal for you. I also have a 3 mm version which I take for very warm destinations (Maldives, Carribean in summer/autumn).

Whatever you decide, I recommend that you get a suit with full arms and legs length, ie. not a shortie. A shortie is for the pool. I saw the most appaling injury from coral occur to some-one in a shortie we met on a boat trip in the Red Sea, having accidentally bumped his knee onto a fire coral. His knee blew up the size of a melon, it was very serious for a while with shock setting in, and he had to be hospitalised for antihistamine and anti-inflammaroty treatment for 48 hours. Out of the week, he had 3 dives...though luckily he made a full recovery.

Mares, Gul, Oceanic etc have some very good wet suits, though they are on the pricey side, they are superbly made and look very classy! If you need made to measure, other recent posts will point you in the right direction.

Good Luck,

Jeanne

[tony dwyer]

I will second Jeanne's advice.

Two years ago a very dear friend of mine was diving off Dubai, in very warm and pretty murky conditions. The water was so warm that she decided to leave the removable sleeves of her wetsuit behind for the second dive of the day.

During the descent (down a shot) she was hit from behind by a very large jellyfish which was drifting in the current. It got her along one of her exposed arms. The venom did it's work. By the end of the day her arm was red raw and very swollen. She now has permanent scars.

I always wear a full body suit in the tropics.

In July 2002, I rescued a snorkeller off Negril in Jamaica. The Russian lady was wearing a minute bikini and had been washed onto the reef. She had no idea of the dangers. Quite a few nasty cuts and Fire Coral burns. Injury to me? None at all. My wet suit on the other hand acquired a few new scars.

Of course, stay off the coral and watch out for jellyfish & such & you should be OK. But stuff happens and Murphy's Law always applies.

[bob mann]

What do u reckon.....7mm semi?? i get quite cold. will that b ok?...plz dont say dry suit..thats 4 portland n swanage


I have just come back from Sharm, and I got away with a full length wet suit. 5mm on the chest and 3mm arms and legs. This was great, I am sure you will be warm as toast in a 7mm.

Enjoy your holiday.

[bob mann]

What do u reckon.....7mm semi?? i get quite cold. will that b ok?...plz dont say dry suit..thats 4 portland n swanage


I have just returned from Sharm and you will be fine in a 7mm. I was wearing a full length wet suit 5mm chest and 3mm arms and legs. You will be warm as toast in your semi.

Enjoy you holiday