Wetsuit Thickness Guide
Not sure what to wear? Enter the water temperature at your destination and your personal cold tolerance to get a tailored recommendation on wetsuit thickness and accessories.
Conditions
Standard recommendations
Recommendation
Also recommended:
- Hood optional for longer dives
Quick Reference
Choosing the Right Exposure Protection
The right wetsuit keeps you comfortable, extends your dive time, and prevents hypothermia. Water conducts heat 25 times faster than air, so even tropical water (28°C) will cool you over a 60-minute dive. The key is matching neoprene thickness to water temperature and your personal tolerance.
Wetsuit vs Drysuit
Wetsuits work by trapping a thin layer of water between the neoprene and your skin, which your body heats up. They're simpler and cheaper but provide less insulation. Drysuits seal completely, keeping you dry with insulating undersuits. They're essential below about 15°C but require training to manage buoyancy.
Factors Beyond Temperature
- Dive duration - longer dives need thicker neoprene; you cool down over time
- Depth - neoprene compresses at depth, reducing insulation
- Current - moving water strips heat faster than still water
- Body composition - leaner divers lose heat faster
- Multiple dives - your core temperature drops cumulatively across a day