# 3mil 5 mil or just stay in the boat



## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

well i have got a trip to go for some tuna and groupers lined up forthursday as long as the forcast is good. i am thinking of taking the tanks and gun. what ya'll think i need. all i have is a 3mil,i do have a hood also. the boat is a30 ft cuddy and it does have a heater and portable heater (mr. buddy)


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## Capt. AHO (Oct 2, 2007)

Everbody is different when it comes to cold. I personal would need my 6/6 Farmer Jon for the water temp now. If you have a shorty but it on over your full suit and it will help some. Just add some more weight if you add some more suit.


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## naclh2oDave (Apr 8, 2008)

I personally wouldn't go unless I had on 7mm with a hood and all.

From Telem Piscus' report the other day 

"I had put two wetsuits on to give me 10mm. I was nice and toasty. Jeff on the other hand forgot a key piece of equipment to make him warm. You know the hood. He mans up and we head down." 

Telem Piscus



<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top>

<SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl11_lblFullMessage>"Well jon pretty much summed it up with out making too much fun of how cold i was. and to forget my hood as well. Damn those three dive were cold."

Sniper-Spirit</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

> *naclh2oDave (1/20/2009)*I personally wouldn't go unless I had on 7mm with a hood and all.
> 
> From Telem Piscus' report the other day
> 
> ...


Yeah, Dave pretty much summed up my response to your post for me. I can dive in the winter with just my 7 mil and a hood. But I am nice and warm with both my 3 and 7 mil on at the same time. I did not get the shivers once while underwater. We were out 26 miles and the surface temp was 63 degrees. My computer read a minumum temp of 59 somewhere on my dive. Everyone is different when it comes to the cold. But I can honestly tell you that unless you have some super human mind trick to block out the cold. Your body is going to freeze in a 3 mil suit out there right now. And a 5 mil is going to be just enough to make you wish you had more neoprene.

So if I had the option of A: 3 mil, B: 5 mil, C: stay in the boat.

You better believe, my butt would stay in the freaking boat.

Now if we add option D: 7 mil with a hood. Then we can talk about getting in the water this time of year.

A hood is one of the most key pieces of equipment to keep you warm in the winter. You loose a good percentage of heat through your head. Just ask Sniper-spear-it about our trip. He manned up and dove without a hood. I think that is the last time he ever does that again. I thought the man was going in to convulsions, he was shivering so bad.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

With a 3mm single piece suit you will have about 5 min max before you freeze your ass off. You need a 7mm farmer John with a hooded vest then you will have about 30 minutes at about 80 feet. A 3 mm suet at 80 feey will be less than 1mm thick. Good luck...:banghead


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

If you don't have at least a 6 mil farmer and jacket and hood and gloves I would stay my happy butt in the boat also.


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## Pierce07 (Nov 13, 2007)

I'm fine in my 5 mil with a hood. I think a 3 mil will be chilly unless layered up with a hooded vest


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

7mm and hood. Nothing less. Even with that it gets a little chilly at times, but not bad. And I were thick 5mm boots too by the way. Rememebr, cold can lead to much faster case of the bends!

Good luck if you do go!


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## JSeaWach (Oct 29, 2007)

This time of year I _*used to*_ wear a 1 mil under a 5 mil under a hooded vest and was ok, while in the water. But topside is a bitch wet and my bottom times have gotten much longer. Now I dive dry and will never go back to wet in the winter; I no longer dread surface intervals and/or slipping back into a cold suit! I can handlethe "wimp" comments when I'm on deck toasty warm and everyone else is shivering. :toast


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## Pierce07 (Nov 13, 2007)

You can always just rent a 7mil for a couple bucks at MBT. You can get a farmer john 7 mil. Just food for thought


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## Rich Lacour (Sep 9, 2008)

Good luck even with the 7mm...I would definitely have a hood and cold water boots.


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## bmoore (Oct 10, 2007)

Yea 7mm with a built in hood and get in the water.

I hate cold water and I keep pretty warm in my 7mm. I wear a vest and a skin in the dead of winter..like now.



Well a little late..but how did you do after the Tuna? I have always wanted to freed dive and spear one.


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## NATER (Jan 31, 2009)

*I did a dive last saturday. liberty ship. the water was 61 degrees at 90ft. i had on 3mil booties,3mil gloves, a 5/3mm hooded vest under my 3/2mm. some people complained of cold but i didnt feel a thing*


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## Sailor612 (Oct 3, 2007)

Com'on Nate...admit it,the:sick helped warm you up before the dive! HAHA!
Nah...it wasn't too bad. I dove a 3/3 2piece w/a 3milbeanie.

BTW Nate, this is Michael! I figured you wouldn't know who is doggin on you for you "copious" man-made-chum :moon


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## NATER (Jan 31, 2009)

thanks! alot:moon

haha, what can i say. first open water dive out of cert......unfortunately first time out. but really i was warm and the entire time we were down i didnt feel any cold at all:hotsun the fact that i was :sick the whole time on the boat is completely different. i figured mike would have tagged some action shots though


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