Sipidan - thermal protection

Dear Forum members

I'll be in Sabah at the end of March.

hate having cold.

Will a 3mm wetsuit do ? Even for long repeated dives ? Better take the 7mil ?

I'm not used to warm water diving, please advise.

Thank you

Sven.

I went last year in May - and would have been fine in a rash vest and shorts. Water was 30ËšC.

3mm will be perfect.

Alex

Yeah, 3/2 mm full length was toasty for me. Sometimes too hot, but then on the boat in a storm one day, I was glad for the extra wind protection. 7 mm would be overkill.

Like they said. But if you are not accustomed to warm water, I would also suggest you invest in a lycra suit. They are cheap and weigh very little but keep the stingy thingies to a minimum and if your 3mm is too warm, it's a good alternative.

I found it a little cool in January.

My core temp dropped after a few days ( 4-5 dives per day ) and I ended up in a 5mm suit for the rest of my trip.

A light weight hooded vest might be a good thing to pack if you have space.

Peter since you're in Cairns and GBR, you qualify for WWW status.

Fair to say if you are use to 27-30°C water, your body will acclimate. Sven says he has little experience with "warm" water.

Sven to recap water temps are from 26-30°C the mean being around 28°. Dress accordingly.

Thank you.

Will pack the 3 mm i have.

Sven.

I was in Mabul, diving Sipadan and Kapalai too, in January. Water 28 Celsius. A 2mm was warm enough, and too warm out of the water (and that was the wet season!).

Visibility a bit soupy, especially around Kapalai, but very few divers and photography pretty good despite the conditions:

Tim

B)