One Piece Wetsuit vs. Farmer John

[Dirk Diggler]

THT98,
In my opinion I believe it could easily go both ways, but suits are a matter of subjective opinion. What feels good makes an inpact on your comfort level while in the water. That being said, there's in a myth in my opinion on many of the suit properties out there. Almost all suits are designed to minimize how much water enters the suit. From wetsuits (normal), to semi-dry (little), to dry (none). Thickness is important for depth as the compression of a suit decreases your insulation against thermal conductivity to the otter environment, but there's also a reason why too much thickness negates productivity, flexibility, and an overbearing amount of weight needed to overcome the suit. All in all, the seals of a suit are a large determining factor of how much water is allowed into the suit and with it flush additional amounts of cooling over you throughout the dive. You can see some threads where many of our freediving guys are going into the deep cold with just 5mm. Its the seals of the suits that make a big difference.

A one-piece suit with proper seals can easily match the thermal ability of a two-piece farmer john. I have seen very few well sealing two piece suits, though some divers have been able to work with their own suits in creative ways. I believe the one-piece designs overall have much better seals against water exchange and are the way to go.

Layering is also much more easily done with a one-piece suit in my opinion. Adding a hooded vest to either suit can be really beneficial.

This might not be a huge help because suits are personal, and like masks, one suit many not be right for another person. If you are going to dive locally without a dry suit, a one-piece quality 7mm or semi-dry suit with some layering is hard to beat for overall effectiveness.

Get diving, the summer is fleeting....
Dirk