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Diving Bonaire: Exposure Protection
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2003-05-01 to 2004-02-15: Exposure Protection
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Streutker (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, May 5, 2003 - 1:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My wife-to-be and I will be in bonaire in just 6 short weeks for our honeymoon and I can't wait. I hope to get a great deal of diving in while we are there so that brings up a concern about my fiance. She is a very cold-natured person and find the 68 degree water of the Florida springs to be down-right numbing. We dove 3mm shorties while n Hawaii and she didn't act cold but later told me that she was. I want to make sure that she is adequately protected during our trip and was wondering if anyone thought that a full 3mm suit would be too much?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Daniel Senie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #241) on Monday, May 5, 2003 - 1:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I dive with either a 3mm full suit or a 1/2mm full suit (depending on whether the water temperature is around 80 or up at 84), plus a 1/2mm hood or 3mm beanie (depending on mood) when diving Bonaire.

It's nice to be warm. Since getting henderson hyperstretch 3mm suits, I've pretty much worn that everywhere, even when I might have been OK with the 1/2mm.

Some folks (cue Linda) dive Bonaire in even heavier suits.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DIVER DEBBI (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #278) on Monday, May 5, 2003 - 6:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

we dive in 3 ml Henderson hyperstretch suits when we are in Boniare in Feb...sometimes 3 dives later or at night dive I layer a vest with hood just for xtra comfort...depends on the length and amount of your dives before you start getting cold..hope you have a great honeymoon and Congratulations..may you come back to Bonaire for your 50th !

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Renea (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Tuesday, May 6, 2003 - 5:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The more dives you do, the colder you will get regardless of the water temperature. We dove 4 -5 dives a day in Bonaire when the water temperature was 82 - 84 degrees last August/September and we dove with full 3mm suits and am VERY glad we did. Especially for the night dives.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Gaunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #465) on Thursday, May 8, 2003 - 11:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Cameron! I'm sure you'll have a great trip. The first time my wife and I were down there we dove 4-5/day in 3mm and skins, like what Renea mentions. We started to get VERY cold by the end, especially on the night dives without the sun on the surface. I would gladly have put on my 7mm if I had taken it with me. This first trip was in March.
The last time down I wore a 3mm with a skin underneath and was fine the whole time. My wife is also quite cold sensitive and she never really got chilled. My advice - if you've got the luggage space, pack something heavy. You probably won't need it but you'll regret it if you need it and it's not there. This second trip was in late August and the water was noticeably a few degrees warmer.


Happy Diving!
Michael

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Allen (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Friday, May 9, 2003 - 3:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cameron,

I agree with the above posts. another reason that I recommend a 3mm full wetsuit (I wear a Henderson and think very highly of it) is that it provides calf and knee protection when wading out when shore diving. I'm not the most graceful person in the world when I'm on dry land and not wearing 30 or more pounds of SCUBA gear. I've been known to slip on a rock or two in my day. :-)

 


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