WETSUIT THHICKNESS FOR SHARM

[STEVE]

IM NEW TO DIVING AND AM GOING TO SHARM IN JAN OR FEB, I NEED ADVISE ON WHAT THICKNESS WETSUIT TO BUY.

[Alison Boler]

Its slightly tricky to advise this because, different people feel the cold in different ways, depending largely on how much subcutaneous body fat they have around!!! I would advise you to buy a 5mm wetsuit which ought to be fine.

If you're very hardy you <might> get away with a 3mm but the water is at its chilliest in Jan/Feb and also the air is cooler when you come out. Although the sun is warm, there is often a cold wind. So its a bit risky.

What do you wear in the UK? Some people take their drysuit to Sharm at this time of year, but don't wear the undersuit. I don't much like that solution, because part of the experience of warmer water diving, ought to be the pleasure of actually feeling the water around you. As long as its not too icy, hmm!!

I've also seen people at this time in the Red Sea use a 3mm - which is very good for warm water diving - plus one of those 2-3mm vests over the top to give extra warmth in the chest area. The vests are good for poolsuits, so thats quite a flexible arrangement. You would end up with a suit that was great for tropical or summer Red Sea diving, plus a vest that doubled it up and also went as a pool warmer.

Are you going to the Dive Show? Its a good place to look around for this kit.

Allie

[STEVE]

Allie, thanks for the input it's got me thinking. I do want to use a wetsuit for this trip for the reasons you mentioned. In the uk i have been using a 4mm compressed neoprene suit and have not needed an undersuit, but then i've only been diving over the last two months in torbay. Wont be able to make the show as will have the pleasure of being at work. Is it a 5mm you use yourself Allie?

[STEVE]

Its slightly tricky to advise this because, different people feel the cold in different ways, depending largely on how much subcutaneous body fat they have around!!! I would advise you to buy a 5mm wetsuit which ought to be fine.

If you're very hardy you <might> get away with a 3mm but the water is at its chilliest in Jan/Feb and also the air is cooler when you come out. Although the sun is warm, there is often a cold wind. So its a bit risky.

What do you wear in the UK? Some people take their drysuit to Sharm at this time of year, but don't wear the undersuit. I don't much like that solution, because part of the experience of warmer water diving, ought to be the pleasure of actually feeling the water around you. As long as its not too icy, hmm!!

I've also seen people at this time in the Red Sea use a 3mm - which is very good for warm water diving - plus one of those 2-3mm vests over the top to give extra warmth in the chest area. The vests are good for poolsuits, so thats quite a flexible arrangement. You would end up with a suit that was great for tropical or summer Red Sea diving, plus a vest that doubled it up and also went as a pool warmer.

Are you going to the Dive Show? Its a good place to look around for this kit.

Allie

[Alison Boler]

Steve,
Glad to be of help. As I have a pretty decent layer of subcutaneous insulation <bg>, I must confess to wearing a 3mm!! However, my husband, who is not so fortunate in the natural insulation stakes as I, has a 5mm and swears by it. He used to adopt the 3mm + vest solution too, which I quite like.

You can't go wrong with the 5mm for the Red Sea.

allie

[frederick hill]

IM NEW TO DIVING AND AM GOING TO SHARM IN JAN OR FEB, I NEED ADVISE ON WHAT THICKNESS WETSUIT TO BUY.

Hi Steve

I dive the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba all year round from the Saudi side. I would recomend a 5mm wetsuit for Jan/Feb - this time of year (Dec)a 3mm will keep you warm for about 3/4 hour, but the waters are still cooling down, come Jan/Feb it will be cold and a 5mm will keep you as warm as toast and the wind chill will not get to you as quick. Like Alison said a 3mm will do but it will get chilly especially on the second and third dives! Have a good un. Fred

[Nick McV]

I'm going to Sharm at New Year. I shall be taking my one piece 3mm, and will sometimes wear a T shirt under it, which helps reduce any 'flushing', where nasty cold unheated water gets in and displaces that nice warm stuff that your body had heated up.

If the suit is a good fit, you shouldn't get much flushing - and a 'semi-dry' which is a wetsuit with very snug wrist and ankle seals similar to those on a dry-suit is designed to reduce this further.

One of the greatest areas of heat loss is through your head. I found that adding a 3mm hood to my Red Sea diving kit made all the difference, and I could comfortably complete a 70 minute drift along a reef, and this while taking photos, which means I was not doing much in the way of finning, so there is no muscular activity to keep me warm.

Gloves are frowned on in the Red Sea, as they think you will be more likely to touch the coral, which is a big no-no. Most dive operations refuse to let you use gloves.

Have a good trip.