Lavacore instead of wetsuit for 77F 25C water?

[jimqpublic]

I will be going to Maui, Hawaii in January and want to be comfortable in the water. I mostly snorkel on the surface with dives to the reef from 10 to 30 feet (10m) depth.

I just returned from a trip and was a bit cool after an hour in the water on cloudy days or when in bays with cold-water springs. I was fine on sunny days. January water temperature is predicted to be about 3 degrees cooler at 77F (25C). I wore board shorts, a 1.5mm neoprene T-shirt, and a long sleeve hooded lycra rashguard. I would rather not add more buoyancy since I'm diving so shallow. I want long sleeves and a hood for sun protection.

I recently learned about Lavacore and Sharkskin garments. They use a fleece lining inside a stretchy water resistant membrane. The idea is the fleece holds water in place, the membrane keeps flushing to a minimum. Since they don't have foam, they are neutral buoyancy. Claims of warmth are equivalent to a 2-3 mm wetsuit which would be great for my use.

We tend to try out different beaches, go to town for lunch, etc. so having an insulating top over board shorts is a lot more convenient than a full wetsuit.

Any experience with these types of garments?

 

[Brochman]

I remembered having a discussion on the same topic with someone a couple of years ago so backtracked to dig this one out but hope it helps.

Sharskin VS Wetsuit

Hi all, would like to seek your advice and suggestions on this. I am in the midst of choosing either a Sharskin (top+bottom/ full suit) or a conventional 3mm wetsuit. I usually dive in tropical waters and already hit 30 plus dives up until now. I've tried on the Sharskin twice in the shop...

scubaboard.com

 

[Commander Coo1]

I have a lavacore hooded top. It is pretty nice, but nowhere near as warm as my 3mm open cell top. If ill be in for a couple hour waters, I can get by with the lavacore, especially on a sunny day. If I'm going more than 2 hours, Ill wear the wetsuit top, if im going all day, ill wear the pants too. I would say 77 is a bit borderline. and I wouldnt expect the lavacore to be too much different in warmth from the 1.5 you have.