What exposure gear should I bring to the Cayman Islands?

+1 vote
asked Jan 29, 2017 in Scuba Diving by SpongeBobby (50 points)

7 Answers

+1 vote
answered Feb 23, 2017 by sthowe10 (100 points)
I would recommend any long sleeve shirt with SPF protection. This will keep you from having to re apply sunscreen every hour. Also sunglasses or a hat. This will help with the bright sun which can be annoying on the water. Lots of sunscreen is mandatory, If you are swimming, it will come off very quickly.  I would bring at least two bottles. But yea apparel is up to you however wear long sleeve some of the time unless you want to be very burnt on your arms. And a bathing suit, lol.
+1 vote
answered Feb 24, 2017 by ricom (175 points)
If you are diving, it depends on how cold your body naturally gets.  I've seen a dive guide wear two layers - a rash guard under a wetsuit - when the water temperature was in the upper 70s.  On that same dive, another diver was just wearing a rash guard and swim trunks.  You have to make sure you are going to be comfortable the entire dive so you don't have to call the dive earlier than you would like because of hypothermia.  It is easier to take layers off, than it is to put on an item of exposure gear that you don't have with you.  Alternatively, you don't want to put on too much on the boat too early, or you will subject yourself to overheating and possibly getting sick on the boat.  You might want to touch base with the shop you are diving with in the Caymans to see what they recommend for the time of year you are going.  That's always helped me to know what to bring.
+1 vote
answered Apr 13, 2017 by revgramza (1,095 points)
This question is all about personal comfort.  You don’t want to be cold.  I wear a 3 mil long sleeve shirt (Fourth Element) when diving in the Cayman Islands.  Others only wear a bathing suit.  I once had a divemaster there that wore a full body 5 mil with a hood.

I also wear pants for extra protection on night and wreck dives.

For the boat I wear:  sunscreen, a long sleeve Shark Zen shirt, a buff for my neck, and a hat.
+1 vote
answered Apr 17, 2017 by George1224 (5,147 points)
It all depends on water temperature and your body's reaction to it. Me, I love warm water but hate wet suits. Thats why I prefer the Caribean to anywhere else. 86 and above I only wear swim wear. 80 to 70, 3 mil. 70 to 65, 5 mil. Below 65, I stay at home.
0 votes
answered Feb 16, 2017 by traxarnold (25 points)
Wear the shark zen shirt, while swimming, or any activity. Also I cut the long sleeve shirt and took the sleeve and used it around my neck like a neck gator. The rest of the shirt became a short sleeve shirt
0 votes
answered May 17, 2017 by Pablo (1,108 points)
I would suggest a full 3 mi. It should be plenty warm.
0 votes
answered Jul 29, 2018 by Scubachuck (1,093 points)
Depending on current temp a 1-3 mm wetsuit. A skin will work but doesn’t afford much protection.
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