Wetsuit suggestions for semi-cold water sports?

[MGrande305]

Anyone have suggestions for wetsuit thickness for watersports in semi-cold water (Lake Erie 50-60F). I am thinking 5mm but wondering if that is overkill for 50-60F. Wondering if 3-4mm is good enough. Also any brands/types you could suggest would be great also!
Thanks!

 

[OrangeTJ]

50-60 degree water is no joke. Might not feel too bad when you first get in but that cold will sneak up on you. Look into booties, too. I made the mistake of wakesurfing in 45 degree water in my drysuit once without booties. That was painful on the feet!

 

[jgourlie]

I have a 3mm shorty wetsuit but our water is between 60-70 and that is fine for me. My advice is go the warmest you can get/afford because you are never going to complain about being too warm, but you will certainly worry about being too cold.

 

[buckbuck]

I concur with @OrangeTJ . The cold can really impact you for hours after getting out of the water. I suggest you get a drysuit and booties. I once thought to get a hoodie but found the drysuit is very buoyant due to the amount of air trapped inside. Make sure you get some bees wax to maintain the zipper.

 

[Ronnie]

I just purchased 3mm suits for my wife and I to use while on our waverunners before the weather warms up near the end of june. 3mm should be fine for our purposes as we should not actually be in the water much. If I planned to wakeboard or tube I’d go for a thicker suit.

Dry suits are nice but usually heavy and very expensive compared to wet suits. Dry suits can also be very hard to put on and take off. Not really apples to apples because of the time difference but my full body wet suit only costs $59 this week whereas the dry suit I had in the late 80s/early 90s was $800. I also had to use silicon spray on the cuffs of the dry suit to put it on easily. One nice thing about dry suits is that they really keep the user dry so the user can wear clothing while in the dry suit no problem at all. Lastly, if you have to, peeing in your wetsuit is ok, the pee will leak out eventually, not so with a dry suit.

 

[marcham]

In the water constantly (scuba) vs occasionally (wakeboard / water-skiing) need different wetsuits.

For wakesurf and wakeboard, we use 4/3mm with booties and gloves for water down to 7 deg C (45 F) (Glacier fed lake)

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

Anyone have suggestions for wetsuit thickness for watersports in semi-cold water (Lake Erie 50-60F). I am thinking 5mm but wondering if that is overkill for 50-60F. Wondering if 3-4mm is good enough. Also any brands/types you could suggest would be great also!
Thanks!

If the water temp is truly 50-60F, 5mm is not overkill. For scuba you'd be in 7mm at least, or maybe a drysuit for that temp but of course you are submerged the whole time. If you're just getting splashed and not submerged, 5mm might be ok if you have some other accessories like gloves and hood.

 

[InmyElement]

I've been looking for a while. I have a few 3 mm, but also looking at the same temp 50s-60s to get some more surf time in pre and post season. looking at the 4/3 and 5s. Probably go with gloves and boots, maybe even the hoodie. I've always liked my O'Neil. My wife loves her Henderson its lined with gold, real easy on and off..
I like this loose up top style for movement.

O'Neill Fluid Neo Drysuit

Free shipping, expert advice and our best price promise on the O'Neill Fluid Neo Drysuit at WakeMAKERS.

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Trying to find this one, but sold out everywhere..

HYPERFREAK 4/3+MM CHEST ZIP W/HOOD FULL WETSUIT

The HyperFreak F.U.Z.E. (Chest Zip) is constructed with super light TechnoButter 3 and TechnoButter 3X neoprene. We added 0.5mm thicker material as a set-up from the Hyperfreak Comp. The minimal seam design, lightweight, quality construction, and attention to detail make this another team...

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Let us know what you find. Watching the video reviews..learned the best way to slide your feet in is putting thin plastic grocery bags on them..learn something new everyday.

 

[Sonic Blue]

...looking at the north side of lake Erie..... Does anyone have a recommendation as to where to shop for wetsuits or pants suitable for waterskiing in Canada / Ontario? Online or otherwise? Recommended brands to research ? Completely new to the sport but gonna try it this summer. I have skis already.

 

[Maccam26]

We have 3/2 but will only work from 60 plus. Don’t really want to go below that lol

 

[eriediver]

Good Day. I have been diving Lake Erie waters and others for over 35 years. Yes that makes me old. I only dive dry, but for shallow wrecks, weed beds or in water repair the 5mm. is your best bet. 3mm is okay for surface swim. Have a 7mm with hood, but it is bulky. I picked up a "NeoSport" suit on Amazon last summer. About 1/2 the price of "hi quality" Bare wetsuit. Honestly the stitching and material truly compares for much less money. Boots, gloves and a hood are suggested. And remember that those suits need to be snug to prevent water flow inside the suit. Best of Luck MGrande305.