7mm neosport John and Jacket?

[jdavidson12991]

During my certification dives for open water I used a rented 3mm John and Jacket in the springs (temp is 72 F). We had down times of only thirty minutes, but by the time I was done my whole body was shaking and my lips turned blue.

Would the 7mm neosport John and Jacket be a good buy so I don't freeze or is there possibly a better deal for the protection I can get? I'm just not sure how much wet suit would be enough for me. Thanks for help.

[TJDiver]

A 7mm 2-piece is one hunk of neoprene over the core, and shouldn't be necessary for most people in 72-degree water. My son and I dive 2-piece 5mm suits in the local quarries where temps get down to 50-51 degrees F below the thremocline, and we stay pretty comfy. I would go with either a 1-piece 7mm, or if you're prone to the chills, a 2-piece 5mm, which will actually give you 10mm over your core. But, as with most things, different people have different tolerances. Try renting 5mm and 7mm 2-pieces before actually buying anything. You could also try wearing a 3mm hood to see if that helps.

[redsoxphan]

I have a Neosport 7 mm J & J and it's quite warm in the chilly waters of Lake Champlain. But as TJDiver mentioned, it's a bulky. I ended up purchasing both a 5mm & 7mm one piece Thermoprene suit from ST and I am fine in both of those...5mm during the hot summer months, 7mm in the late summer/early fall when the temp starts to drop. Now I'm diving in my dry suit...not so much due to the water temp, but the air temp getting out of the water. I will end up selling my 7mm J & J eventually.

I would recommend trying several out (if you can) te determine what works best for you. Advice I never had or followed.

Good luck!!

[rayaa3]

I agree that different folks have different tolerances. I can stand 69 degrees in a 5mm full (no hood) - other people can wear that down to 65, or lower (crazy Canadians, usually)

I have tried on that particular wetsuit on (7mm john/jacket combo, by neosport) - That's 14mm of neoprene over your core...I felt like the michellen man. On the other side I liked the idea of just wearing the jacket (like a long sleeve shortie) in warmer water...kind of a 2 for 1 deal.

I ended up getting the 5mm full henderson thermoprene from ST...I liked it a lot more...and if it's colder than 66-69 degrees I stay on the boat

bottom line - rent a suit and try before you buy....and though I don't wear one, I hear that a hood will take a thinner suit and really let you get more comfortable in colder water...as you are getting more 'neoprene bang' (warmth) for your 'neoprene buck' (thickness).

good luck.

Ray

[FoxHound]

Originally Posted by rayaa3

I agree that different folks have different tolerances. I can stand 69 degrees in a 5mm full (no hood) - other people can wear that down to 65, or lower (crazy Canadians, usually)

Love the crazy canadian quote haha

well this crazy canadian dives a 1mm in anything 70 and above.

Since i dont have any other wetsuits besides my 7mm and 1mm, i wear the 7mm 1 piece in any temp lower then that (which is all the time around here) and ive taken that down to temps below freezing on ice dives.

Most of the time i just dive dry in a shell suit and adjust as needed....which is the big thing, adjust as needed. If you are absolutly shaking after a dive with a 3mm, then either something slightly bigger with a vest, or a larger 1 piece would be needed. The 5mm outer with a vest is a great suggestion, you'd get lots of core warmth, or you could go all the way to 7mm 1 piece.....if need be could even get a vest for that too. Find whats comfortable for you, demo if you can.

[navyhmc]

I have and dive the Neosport 7mm J&J. It's a good set up, easy on and off-especially if you have a lycra skin on under it. It is nice and warm, I can go to 48 f +/- with it. Where it's a bit of a pain is the mobility. As TJ said, it's bulky and makes and bend over about 45 degrees a bit difficult-not impossible, but harder.

I did a dive in 55f water with the J&J and a hooded vest and found I was way too warm. Took the vest off and replaced it with a hood and did fine.

Each of us have a different cold tolerance and heat production. I dove 68f in just the john and did okay for two dives. The third dive was definitely the last dive of the day though. Shold have tried just the jacket...

[Sansho]

Each person has a different 'cold' quotient. And that can be influenced based on how many back-to-back dives you do. At 72º, I find a 5mm suit, with hood and gloves, is quite comfortable, and that combination is good into the high 60's. After that, I switch to 7mm Pinnacle farmer john, with hood and gloves.

[crandf]

Why don't you get 1 2mm wetsuit and 1 3mm wetsuit, wear the 2mm when its warm, switch to 3mm when its colder, 2+3mm when its really cold. And of course a thick gloves and hood will likely help a lot, since your head loses a lot of heat and fingers tend to feel the cold more easily

And bear in mind that rental suits are sometimes quite worn out and do not offer the same protection as a newer suit of the same rated thickness.

[TJDiver]

Originally Posted by crandf

Why don't you get 1 2mm wetsuit and 1 3mm wetsuit, wear the 2mm when its warm, switch to 3mm when its colder, 2+3mm when its really cold. And of course a thick gloves and hood will likely help a lot, since your head loses a lot of heat and fingers tend to feel the cold more easily

And bear in mind that rental suits are sometimes quite worn out and do not offer the same protection as a newer suit of the same rated thickness.

That's a very good point to keep in mind when trying out various configurations via rentals.

[rednose83]

All the springs around here are 72F. Seems most people (myself included) wear a 3mm with gloves. Some wear hoods/others don't. Perhaps your rental was a bit worn/less effective?

Everyone has different tolerances but I'd be roasting in a 7mm in 72. In a 7mm over a 7mm, I'd probably have heat exhaustion!

As it was, I was constantly flushing water through my 3mm to cool down!