Dan Luke wrote:
I dive and 65-70F is acceptable with a 3mm wetsuit, even at depth... I
currently use a 5mm FJ style, thus 10mm in the torso area... It's quite
acceptable for 70F Florida caves even when you're down for an hour or so...
We used to do those same caves without a wetsuit, but after hiking a mile
through the woods to get to the cave in 95-100F weather, the 70F water felt
really good...

I don't remember the specs on the wetsuits we wore. I do remember trying to
stand up on the board and not being able to feel my feet.


I made a trip to a rock quarry in wintertime back when I was young and stupid.
When I got there, I discovered I'd forgotten my booties. Well, damn! It was a
2.5 hour ride so there was no way I was going to leave without going diving. I
used socks instead. Later, after I crawled out of the water on what felt like
stumps, somebody expressed amazement that I'd dived in 42F degree water without
boots.

"Hell", I said, 'it was fine after my feet went numb".

For the Florida springs we generally used a 1/4" farmer john without the jacket.
For the quarry, I used that same farmer john... with the overlying jacket, hood
and gloves. And I wished to hell I'd brought my boots.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com