I had a 5mm open cell hooded freedive suit which was good from mid 50’s to 70°. Now we mostly snorkel in warmer water and I use a 2mm neoprene top and a Lavacore insulated hood with board shorts. This combo lets me snorkel and freedive for hours at 80°. At 77° I start to get cold after an hour or so. This is in windy and/or cloudy conditions. When it’s sunny and calm I’m warmer. 60 year old man not super-fit.

I’d like to be a bit warmer so am shopping. Ideally something with an integrated hood and maybe short legs.

For example, when snorkeling in Maui in ~78 degree water early in the AM for a couple of hours daily, I now need a Thermocline vest w/integrated hood or a full zip wetsuit jacket (3mm) to be comfortable. After a week or so of daily snorkeling, I use the vest and the jacket together. I use rash guard bottoms or Thermocline tights for my legs.

My husband’s warmth needs haven’t changed as much as mine. He uses a rash guard long sleeve top with hood and rash guard bottoms most of the time. He has the same vest as me, a 3mm wetsuit full zip jacket, and the same Thermocline bottoms as I have, but he doesn’t need any of these often. I think he’s working harder in the water than I am – he has lots of muscle and little fat, so he’s not super buoyant and hence moves fairly constantly in the water.

I finally settled for a rash guard, with a front zip farmer jane wetsuit from LevelSix and a front zip lined neoprene jacket from Bare. Having the layers allowed me to adjust based on the water temps and how long I snorkel.

We have 3mm shorty wetsuits. The only time we used them for snorkeling was in Hawaii. We DID like having them there. We’ve spent two months in French Polynesia, and we are headed there for the month in August, 2024. We don’t plan on taking them. We spend several hours at a stretch, and just don’t seem to want or need them.

I travel all times of the year and pack a rash guard long sleeved top, 2mm vest, and a 3/2 shortie wetsuit. Probably 80% of the time the rash top is all that I need, but in cooler conditions, winter or windy, the vest is often used under the rash top. I think I have only used the shortie wetsuit 4 or 5 times over the past 12 years. However 2 of those have been this year and probably would have done another couple of times this year in hindsight on a poor weather winter Fiji Island cruise. I have never tried a hood but looking at the comments above I think I should add one to my list.

I do generally run hot and everyone else on the tour for the most part wore wetsuits. I brought two of the Tuga tops (with an attached hood) and bottoms and they dry so quickly which was an added bonus!

I have done this in the Caribbean: (BVI), and Belize, and also in the Galapagos. I am no longer cold.

By the way, I started with a shortie wetsuit years ago and progressed to a full wetsuit as I aged and lost collagen under my skin.

I hope this is helpful. I am a gal at 80 who still loves being in the water.

I wear a full wetsuit and a beanie in all water temperatures, for protection from the sun, jellyfish, coral abrasions, as well as warmth. I use a 5mm wetsuit (with sealed seams) below 65 degrees, 3mm (with sealed seams) from 65-80 degrees, and either the 3mm or a Thermocline suit (with or without a 2mm vest) above 80 degrees. If you only have one wetsuit, I think 3mm is by far the most versatile. A Thermocline suit plus a 2mm vest is also a versatile combination for all tropical waters.

I always wear a wetsuit for warmth and protection from the sun, and brushes with rocks. I also wear gloves and booties or thick fin socks. As I’ve gotten older I don’t need a thicker suit, but I feel the modern suits are much warmer.

Going from warm water to cold, I wear my short sleeve, long leg 2mm chest zip wetsuit in water that is above 78 degrees. I like chest-zip wetsuits because I feel they are easier to get on and off. A back zipper that gets stuck can be a big pain.

For summer here in Southern California, where water gets to about 68-72°F, I wear 3/2mm full suits, chest zip. I also wear a 5/3 hooded vest under my suit, unless temps somehow get up to 75°F. For someone with a wetsuit of any thickness, who wants to extend their time in the water, this will do wonders. For more tropical waters, a wetsuit hood might be enough to keep you warmer, plus will mean less sunscreen needed.

I also wear the hooded vest under my 4/3 wetsuit, which works well below 65°F.

As our group was mixed, divers and snorkelers, Wakatobi does three 70 minute snorkels or dives per day (no night snorkels on the liveaboard but the resort allows night snorkels on the fabulous house reef up to 22:00).

I started out wearing my Aqualung 3/2 mm wetsuit with a hood and aqua socks. I felt chilled after the first day on the liveaboard so I added a 2mm vest to my kit. This was perfect for thermal, if not a bit restrictive.

Snorkeling at Wakatobi is superb but the currents seem to make one feel a bit cooler than otherwise 80-81 degree water normally would.

On another trip to Raja Ampat we wore 1 mm skins in the south (water temp 84+) and 3 mm wetsuits up north (more current, cooler water).

In addition to water temp, I think currents, wind and solar radiation affect how warm or cool one feels so I travel with a variety of gear (hood, socks, and various thickness wetsuits). I guess this is another advantage snorkeling has over diving in that it’s possible to bring multiple wetsuits without exceeding airline baggage weight limits given you don’t have to pack a regulator, BCD and heavy diving fins and booties.

So on my trip to Fiji last year (Aug-Sept 2022) I went with a 5mm long sleeve shorty and used my 3mm pants. Also used this combination in Alor and Komodo in April 2023. I was pleased with it. It was not easy to find a long sleeve shorty with a full open zipper down the front, but it makes it super easy to put on/off when wet, or at the shore with no chairs.

I also have a 3mm one-piece wetsuit that is impossible to put on/off if wet, so I rarely use it even though it is really nice.

For short snorkels (30 -45 mins) I will use a 3mm vest or jacket with skins on legs for sun protection.

I always use a nylon hood if I’m in warmer water or swimming, and a 3mm hood in colder water for warmth and sun protection.

Remember, wetsuits must fit really snug to keep you warm.