3/2 o'neill dive suit vs 3mm full

Just wondered if anyone had an opinion on getting a 3/2 full o'neill
reactor dive suit verses the 3mm 3000x full. I will be using it for
diving (mostly carribean/Hawaii I would guess) but mostly will be using
it in the summers on Hood River, windsurfing. The price of the 3/2 is
about $70 cheaper, so it is not a small difference. I figured save the
$$$ and buy a nicer 5mm or 7mm for the colder conditions. A friend
sugested that I probably would notice the difference much between the
two. Any thoughts? Thx.

ps where is it 3mm verses 2mm? Couldn't find that on their website. Just
the torso 3mm?

The torso is 3mm with 2mm on the legs and arms. I'd get it, and then buy a
drysuit ;)

Jon

"GK" <XXXgkinney@u.washington.edu> wrote in message
news:tFWPb.22250$1e.20909@newsread2.news.pas.earth link.net...
> Just wondered if anyone had an opinion on getting a 3/2 full o'neill
> reactor dive suit verses the 3mm 3000x full. I will be using it for
> diving (mostly carribean/Hawaii I would guess) but mostly will be using
> it in the summers on Hood River, windsurfing. The price of the 3/2 is
> about $70 cheaper, so it is not a small difference. I figured save the
> $$$ and buy a nicer 5mm or 7mm for the colder conditions. A friend
> sugested that I probably would notice the difference much between the
> two. Any thoughts? Thx.
>
> ps where is it 3mm verses 2mm? Couldn't find that on their website. Just
> the torso 3mm?
>

In article <tFWPb.22250$1e.20909@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink .net>,
GK <XXXgkinney@u.washington.edu> writes:

>Just wondered if anyone had an opinion on getting a 3/2 full o'neill
>reactor dive suit verses the 3mm 3000x full. I will be using it for
>diving (mostly carribean/Hawaii I would guess) ...

Can't speak for O'neill and this particular model, but I have a custom
3/2 suite and I love it. Great for Floroda and Caribbean conditons.
I recommend a hooded vest that can be worn with it for colder times.
(Mine is 5 mil body, 3 mill hood.)

>but mostly will be using it in the summers on Hood River, windsurfing. ...

I'm not a windsurfer, but -- does a wet suit for surfing have a different
cut and/or other different features compared to a dive suit?
I'm not certain that on suit will work well for both activities.

--
Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
(hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

GK <XXXgkinney@u.washington.edu> wrote in message news:<tFWPb.22250$1e.20909@newsread2.news.pas.eart hlink.net>...
> Just wondered if anyone had an opinion on getting a 3/2 full o'neill
> reactor dive suit verses the 3mm 3000x full.

I use an O'neill 3/2 Reactor in SoFL (dives of up to 90 minutes) and
for short (<45 minutes) training dives in the springs. I had a Mares
3mm before that. I do not get cold faster in the 3/2, and it is
considerably more comfortable. I particularly like the way the arm and
leg ends are made in the O'neill.

"GK" <XXXgkinney@u.washington.edu> wrote in message
news:tFWPb.22250$1e.20909@newsread2.news.pas.earth link.net...
> Just wondered if anyone had an opinion on getting a 3/2 full o'neill
> reactor dive suit verses the 3mm 3000x full. I will be using it for
> diving (mostly carribean/Hawaii I would guess) but mostly will be using
> it in the summers on Hood River, windsurfing. The price of the 3/2 is
> about $70 cheaper, so it is not a small difference. I figured save the
> $$$ and buy a nicer 5mm or 7mm for the colder conditions. A friend
> sugested that I probably would notice the difference much between the
> two. Any thoughts? Thx.
>
> ps where is it 3mm verses 2mm? Couldn't find that on their website. Just
> the torso 3mm?
>

I don't know the particulars about the O-neil, but I've been diving with a
full 3/2 Bare for a few years. The torso is usually 3m, while the arms and
legs are 2mm. I've used it in Cancun, Cozumel, Tobago, Thailand, DR, Cayman
and was never uncomfortably warm, but then again, I don't like diving cold.
The suit also gets used in Northern Ontario - but only in the summer. The
divers up here usually go for a full dry suit for spring/fall dives. I did
my openwater in early summer in a 7mm and it got cold fast when you hit a
thermocline.

As for windsurfing, I've used mine in a pinch when travelling - but I do
have a surf specific suit for windsurfing. In the Windsurfing suit (Neil
Pryde) - the arms are cut a bit looser on the length and under the pits. The
curvature is also intended to accomodate the raised arms. The suit also is a
smooth finish without the fabric on the outside to reduce the cooling effect
of the wind. The dive suit will work, but you'll find your arms tightening
up and getting tired quicker.