Which suit for Egypt Liveaboard end of August

[blondie]

Don't particulary want to buy a new suit i will admit.

I have a 3mm shortie that i like and am comfy in.
I have a 5mm full wet suit that i've never worn and might be a bit too tight.
I have a 7mm semi dry - not worn but fits.
obviously not taking the dry suit.

This time last year i did day boat divings in Sharm and used a shortie from Ocean Club (not sure thickness). Was fine and never cold. I don't in general feel the cold but in Dom Rep in May, diving in my shortie in 26 degrees after about 50mins i did get a bit chilly but not badly so.

So any advice? (looks like i'm making my mind up re the holiday eh!)

ta,
x

[albal]

If you dont feel the cold too much the 3mm shortie will probably be fine. My buddy dived in one last time I was out on a liveaboard (August time couple of years ago).

Think the 7mm will be a bit of overkill and you will get very warm when kitted up before / just after dives!

5mm suit would be ok temperature wise, but if it is uncomfortable or a pain to get in to then could spoil the holiday.

I am out tail end of August on a liveaboard and will be diving in a 3mm suit which has short arms and long legs and it has served me well a good few times before.

If you were really concerned then a full 3mm suit can be had for about £30-£35 on ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-Wet-Sui...toreviewQQtZkm for example, but there are others.

Slater
AlBal

[Sean]

I would take the 3mm and 5mm its going to be very hot at that time year. you may need the 5 for any night diving and the just is case factor

Sean

[Narced at sea level]

3mm shortie would be a very bad idea in my opinion - its ok for 2 dives a day shorebased stuff - but dicey in terms of your health on a liveaboard

your body temperature will drop sucessively lower after every dive and it takes around 24 hours to recover fully - dive repetitively at 4 dives per day for 6 days with a thin suit and no coverage at all on your arms and legs and you will not get a chance to recover fully for the whole week, couple that with the fact that you will be eating food that contains a few bugs that your body isn't used to, that'll you'll almost certainly get mildly dehydrated by breathing dry air and by the egyptian sun, and you are on a surefire road to making yourself ill and missing out on the diving.
28C water temp may sound warm but its still 10C cooler than your body temperature and water conducts heat away from your body VERY efficiently.

Plus there may well be some stinging plankton in the water, so a full suit will also give protection against that too.

5mm full suit - no contest

[Conor]

Originally Posted by Narced at sea level

3mm shortie would be a very bad idea in my opinion.

your body temperature will drop sucessively lower after every dive and it takes around 24 hours to recover fully - dive repetitively at 4 dives per day for 6 days with a thin suit and no coverage at all on your arms and legs and you will not get a chance to recover fully for the whole week, couple that with the fact that you will be eating food that contains a few bugs that your body isn't used to, that'll you'll almost certainly get mildly dehydrated by breathing dry air and by the egyptian sun, and you are on a surefire road to making yourself ill and missing out on the diving.
28C water temp may sound warm but its still 10C cooler than your body temperature and water conducts heat away from your body VERY efficiently.

Plus there may well be some stinging plankton in the water, so a full suit will also give protection against that too.

5mm full suit - no contest

I'd tend to agree, having seen a buddy gash his leg on the thistlegorm while wearing a shorty and the fiasco of medical treatment afterward. I won't be wearing a shorty in Egypt

[PW1664]

3mm or 5mm will be fine, however I usually dive shorts and T shirt in September.... very free, very comfortable...

BUT always take my suit just in case.

[Jim Shaw]

Originally Posted by blondie

So any advice? (looks like i'm making my mind up re the holiday eh!)

ta,
x

Your 3mm shortie will be more than enough for you,

I dived the red sea last august and a 3 mm was plenty and I leave tomorrow for the same trip again ,

I like you don't feel the cold that much and a 3mm has always been enough for me at that time of year, in fact I also wore a 3mm shortie in January but was a little cold after the dives but not too much.

[blondie]

Have a great time Jim Shaw - where you going? live aboard or hotel?

[Ian B]

In July the water was 31C. I did three dives daily and sometimes a 4th night dive wearing a 3mm full length wetsuit. The cold was not a problem for me. Someone else on our boat did a similar number of dives in a shortie and found it cold by the third dive each day.

Even if you don't get cold quickly I'd still suggest a full length suit.

Enjoy it out there!

[HelenP]

I'm going in Sept and am taking a full 3mm suit. I havent been to egypt before and was told that a shortie would prob be fine, but have decided to take a full length one as some protection against accidental knocks against wrecks/ reefs/ protection against any stinging stuff in water etc