Can I use my surfing wetsuit to go scuba diving?

Question

I'm getting certified and I have a wetsuit, but I'm not sure if diving suits have to be a certain thickness or not. My suit is a Rip Curl and its pretty nice. Let me know if I can use it.

Answer 1

Sure, I used mine all the time

to poke squid back home in Hawaii.

Everybody did, anybody who said no,

don't live around water and don't know

what they talking about.

Answer 2

Depending on the water temp, your wetsuit should work fine.

In more tropical climates, some people will even leave out their wetsuit altogether.

If you're diving the Puget Sound however, it will be a much different story. Diving that with a core warmer, farmer john, hood, and gloves, I was a freaking popsicle after 45 minutes.

Answer 3

nope

Answer 4

I think so cause my friend wears one from rip curl too and it looks good enough to go scuba diving in. u can always ask  a surf shop cause they usually know.

Answer 5

What is a diving??

Answer 6

Sure you can, just like you can also go scuba diving without a wetsuit at all. Your surfing wetsuit is more then likely a 3/2, that is 3mm body, 2mm arms. This is designed to give freedom of movement. If you surf in Northern California, it would be more likely to be a 4/3.

Dive wetsuits are typically 7mm. The water gets colder as you go deeper, plus you are dealing with full immersion so you will lose a lot of heat through your head. Diving in 60 degree water with a 3/2, hood and booties and you may get chilly. Down below 55, you won't be able to dive very long in a 3/2.

Every body has a different tolerance to cold. I used to surf in Humboldt county in a 3/2, booties and hood, with rubber dishwashing gloves. In 52 degree water, I could last about an hour before I froze. Good luck.

Answer 7

Wet suits a diver wears can be anything from a 3mm to a double 7mm with integrated hood and semi dry. It's all going to depend on where you plan on diving and your own cold tolerance.

70 F and up, a 5mm to 3mm for most people. Colder and you're likely into a 5 - 7 mm. Scuba is a pretty laid back activity. If you're working to get where you want to go, you're not doing it right. Because there's less work, you won't be generating much heat, so keep that in mind. There's nothing stopping you from using that wet suit, but you.