I'm going to be diving during the second week of March. I have an old 2/3mm wet suit and am wondering if I need a heavier suit, 5mm? What water temp can I expect?

hi barton, welcome to bonaire talk. as other posters will tell you, wetsuit thickness is a matter of personal preference. water temps should be about 80. we will be there from early february to late april and i'll use a polartec-lined skin and my wife will use a 3mil hyperstrech. she'll be a little warmer than i'll be. but we'll be seeing people diving in everything from shorts and t-shirts to 5 or even 7mil suits.

a lot depends on how well you adapt to water temps, how many dives per day you'll be doing, how many days you'll be diving...things like that.

normally, i'd say your suit will be fine but in the end, it's up to you.

In Virginia, if you go to the grocery store on a day when the temperature is 40 degrees, you'll see people in shorts and T-shirts (running into the store), some with sweatshirts on, and others with heavy coats and hats. Same thing happens with wetsuits when the water temp is at 80 degrees.

I'm also going in March. I plan to bring my 3MM wetsuit. I usually just wear a sweatshirt when running to the store...

JoAn

(Message edited by fergusonjlf on January 29, 2008)

I'm a throw on a sweatshirt person. I dive in a 2m shorty and if I get cold I put a skin under the shorty. I get too hot in a 3m. My husband wears a 3m with a skin underneath. I found that if I wear a hood and keep my head warm it makes all the difference.

I suggest this,

If your 3 mil wet suit is a full one, it should be fine. If not, you might want to pick one up.

I've been diving in the Bonaire in November, and my 3 mil shorty is fine. I've been to Cayman in January, and quite honestly, I wish I had brought my farmer john full length. I've been to Belize in February, and was quite comfortable with my shorty.

Bottom line...in spring,summer or fall, a 3 mil shorty is fine anywhere in the Caribbean. In winter, I'd take a full wet suit, if that's all you have the room for. Comfort and warmth is a big part of enjoying a dive, and I'd rather feel like I'm in a hot tub underwater than an ice bucket.

Of course, like Dennis Miller says......that's just my opinion, and I could be wrong!

At some point or other the water temp bottoms out in bonaire (does it work that way?) the water cools off/heats up more slowly than the air so that by the end of winter (march) the water has cooled to its minimum?

if there is also some sort of upwelling at that time you could see water temps drop to 75-76 degrees...

i'd bring the hood along with the 2/3mm suit...you want to be nice and toasty taking pics

I hope it doesnt get to 76! I took my 3mm full suit in november , water was 82 average temp. It felt toasty and i get cold . If it gets below 80 degrees let me know , I will pack my 5mm in april . thanks!

80-82 98% of the time. (1-60')
75-79 98% of the time (61-100')

On my last trip to Bonaire in December, I finally broke down and bought a full 3mm wetsuit. I had always used a 3mm shorty before. It was more than adequate for me, and I'm old.

50 something is not old Jim, 97 with a feeding tube is old.

Another thing that I do is I take a 3mm vest that adds additional protection to your core. I was there the month of January last year and after about 10 days the extra protection to my 3/2mm full wetsuit was just what I needed.

Hey,
You are never going to believe this. You are able to dive without a vest. Your BC is fine. If you are diving at mid day or early afternoon, a t shirt is a good idea to protect you from the sun. Was certified there 34 years ago by Capn Don and Bruce. Been back since, but global warming has not resulted in Bonaire water cooling. Life is life & vice versa.

I wear a 7mm plus a 7mm vest and hood and still find I am starting to get chilled by the end of my second or third dive.

I think it all comes down to genetics. One thing to keep in mind is that with a full wet suit you really reduce the risk of getting scrapes and cuts on entry/ exit.

Good point Fid,

I've logged my share of scrapes and bruises myself. A full suit would definitely have minimized them! I'm more comfy in a shorty though. But, I'm getting better! Last trip I didn't bring home a single battle scar!

As far as warmth goes, you are also right. Genetics plays a big part. So does perspective. I'm in Virginia. What to me is a cold winter day, is a balmy spring one for Canadians. You live in Bonaire...and what you consider cold after 2 or 3 dives, feels like warm bathwater to us living a thousand or so miles north.

I would encourage anyone who's never been to Bonaire to bring a full suit to start out with. If you have
a shorty as well, bring it too.....and experiment a little!

and the hood/beanie idea is good too. remember in open water classes how they stress that most of your heat is lost thru your head. i'm going to get a neoprene do-rag this time and see how it helps. i'd save some money if i can be warm enough with that as opposed to buying a thicker suit.

They make neoprene do rags ? I started using a cloth do rag and it made a difference . We actually lose 80% of our body heat through our head , my skulls so thick i dont feel the heat getting out .

last year carib inn had neoprene do-rags. they were thin, maybe 1 or 2 mil. i'm going for it this year when we get there....NEXT WEEK....OH YEAH!!!!!!!!

I will check that out , thanks for the heads up !