Xpedition Galapagos wet suits

[jamacka]

I'm sorry.. I'm sure this topic has been discussed on here somewhere in some other forum but for the life of me, I can't find it after about 45 minutes of search.
I have a fairly simple question for people who have been on the Xpedition and have first hand experience with their wet suits and the water temperature.  Main concern is water temperature and comfort.  I don't want to have to leave the water early because I'm getting cold.  My cousin, an experienced diver but who has never been to Galapagos tells me that the water is not warm (I was not expecting it to be warm) and that she has heard that another layer, like a Thermocline Fourth Element or a Hydroskin shirt under the wet suit would add an little extra warmth in addition to making the wet suit itself easier to get on and off.  Just looking for people's opinions on that.  I already have a rash guard that I was planning on wearing instead of sunscreen for ecological reasons mostly, but its not quite the same thing.

Also, does the Xpedition have a lot of wet suits sizes to choose from?  I would take a ladies small or medium (never wore a wet suit before so I;m just going by regular clothing sizes).  I don't mind something that's tight but I don't want to get stuck with a baggy, too-big wet suit if they run out of my size.

[MountainEER74]

Speaking of wet suit sizes... should we be able to go to a site that sells wet suits and using their sizing info determine the size that we need to look for on the Xpedition? Are all or most wet suit brand sizes the same or similar? Going in with a size in mind would greatly speed up the selection process. 

[jamacka]

32 minutes ago, MountainEER74 said:

Speaking of wet suit sizes... should we be able to go to a site that sells wet suits and using their sizing info determine the size that we need to look for on the Xpedition? Are all or most wet suit brand sizes the same or similar? Going in with a size in mind would greatly speed up the selection process. 

  

Yes... I have no idea what to expect.  I wonder if there will be a generic one-size-fits-all type of thing.  Hope not.  With all the trouble the Xpedition was having with licensing and whatnot, I have to say, this wet suit business has been probably one of my biggest concerns.  I like snorkelling and diving and I don't want the suit to be a hindrance.   On other Celebrity cruises we had to wear ridiculous deflated life vest "just in case".  It was bulky and prevented me from diving down for better pictures. I hope we don't have to wear those this time.

[sippican]

We are Floridians who keep our pool at 89 degrees, lol! I hate cold water. We wrestled with this same question last year. We traveled to the islands in November. The selection of wetsuits was great; no problem at all finding a good fit (we are both a bit "fluffy").  You want the wetsuit to be snug, rarther than loose. We ended up with the shortie wetsuits and found that we were comfortable on both the beach and deep water snorkels. We did wear a short sleeved rash guard shirt under the wetsuit, more for comfort than warmth. Although upon the initial shock of entering the water, it felt cold, we quickly warmed up and enjoyed the experience for the duration. 

IMHO, I am very glad we did not use up precious luggage space for wetsuits.  We are traveling back in October of 2021 with friends and will not be bringing wetsuits.

 

For future reference, the discussions of all things Xpedition or Galapagos related can be found here: 

 

 

If you type the term "wetsuits" in the search function, you may find a number of opinions.

[jamacka]

2 hours ago, sippican said:

We are Floridians who keep our pool at 89 degrees, lol! I hate cold water. We wrestled with this same question last year. We traveled to the islands in November. The selection of wetsuits was great; no problem at all finding a good fit (we are both a bit "fluffy").  You want the wetsuit to be snug, rarther than loose. We ended up with the shortie wetsuits and found that we were comfortable on both the beach and deep water snorkels. We did wear a short sleeved rash guard shirt under the wetsuit, more for comfort than warmth. Although upon the initial shock of entering the water, it felt cold, we quickly warmed up and enjoyed the experience for the duration. 

IMHO, I am very glad we did not use up precious luggage space for wetsuits.  We are traveling back in October of 2021 with friends and will not be bringing wetsuits.

 

For future reference, the discussions of all things Xpedition or Galapagos related can be found here: 

 

 

If you type the term "wetsuits" in the search function, you may find a number of opinions.

 

 

Thanks!!!  For all that information.  We keep our pool here in Nova Scotia at 89F so I know wha you mean LOL

And I knew that discussion was out there somewhere.  Thanks for theta on the searches too

[KathyL2537]

jamacka: While not the Xpedition, there is also some discussion on Galapagos snorkeling and wetsuits on the Recently Returned on Flora thread in the Flora Roll calls.  What time of year are you going ? We were there in mid August and the water was definitely cold. I used a long sleeve rashguard under mine and DH brought a long sleeved neoprene top ($33 on amazon). We were both glad we had done so, in fact I could have used gloves. For the most part though, after the initial shock you just start swimming around and mostly don't think about how cold it is. 

[MarLieb]

We did the Galapagos in June/July on another line and, yes, the water is cold.  I purchased full dive skins for each of us.  I got a lycra one for my husband and neoprene ones for myself and my son.  After dealing with each of these suits and the wetsuits, I would recommend purchasing full, lycra skin suits.  While they don't add a ton of warmth, they are easy to get on, easy to get the wetsuits over and provide UV protection over your entire body, except your face.  The neoprene dive skin ended up being very bulky and my son actually had an allergic reaction to it (he is allergic to latex).  The lycra skin suits look like this:  https://www.leisurepro.com/p-blrlm/neosport-unisex-lycra-spandex-skin-suit

 

I also purchased neoprene dive socks to wear under my fins and I really loved those - easy to get my fins on and off and added some warmth to my feet.

 

For better warmth, you could purchase your own 5mm, full wetsuits, but they are fairly expensive and bulky to pack.  I am not fond of swimming in cold water, but found I got used to it fairly quickly.

[ipeeinthepool]

Just remember, some people think these wetsuits are just like the pool.😉

[jamacka]

On 9/22/2019 at 3:09 PM, KathyL2537 said:

jamacka: While not the Xpedition, there is also some discussion on Galapagos snorkeling and wetsuits on the Recently Returned on Flora thread in the Flora Roll calls.  What time of year are you going ? We were there in mid August and the water was definitely cold. I used a long sleeve rashguard under mine and DH brought a long sleeved neoprene top ($33 on amazon). We were both glad we had done so, in fact I could have used gloves. For the most part though, after the initial shock you just start swimming around and mostly don't think about how cold it is. 

 

We're going in November.  I think it's always cold though. The water at least.

[jamacka]

On 9/22/2019 at 3:58 PM, ipeeinthepool said:

Just remember, some people think these wetsuits are just like the pool.😉

 

 

 

 

I have considered that too 

[ipeeinthepool]

26 minutes ago, jamacka said:

 

 

 

 

I have considered that too 

 

It's been about 3 years since we were in the Galapagos but I doubt you will have a problem.  It seemed like there were plenty of wet suits and I don't think I ever read about that being a problem.  We went in February, the water is as warm as it gets, and we didn't have a problem.  As a point of reference, I usually wear a shorty wetsuit snorkeling in the Caribbean to stay warm.  When we've snorkeled in Nassau in January the water was a lot colder than in the Galapagos.  They also collect and wash the wetsuits after each use to prevent transferring any material from one place to another.  You would likely need to wash your own personal wetsuit with them.  they also wouldn't want you dragging  your wet wetsuit through the ship back to your cabin.  I'm sure you will be fine with their wetsuits and I would worry about any under layers.  However if you wear glasses I would suggest that you get your own mask and snorkel with the lenses corrected for your prescription. That will make a world of difference.  As an alternate you could wear some disposable contacts and use them specifically for the snorkeling and dispose of them after the week.  I would prefer not to wear contacts snorkeling to minimize the chance of any eye infections on the trip.

[nesheiml]

We went last January and the water was warm.  I didn't wear my wetsuit but I did not do the deep water snorkels.  Staff was very good at giving you the size that will fit but you can try it on and switch it if needed. 

[jamacka]

9 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

It's been about 3 years since we were in the Galapagos but I doubt you will have a problem.  It seemed like there were plenty of wet suits and I don't think I ever read about that being a problem.  We went in February, the water is as warm as it gets, and we didn't have a problem.  As a point of reference, I usually wear a shorty wetsuit snorkeling in the Caribbean to stay warm.  When we've snorkeled in Nassau in January the water was a lot colder than in the Galapagos.  They also collect and wash the wetsuits after each use to prevent transferring any material from one place to another.  You would likely need to wash your own personal wetsuit with them.  they also wouldn't want you dragging  your wet wetsuit through the ship back to your cabin.  I'm sure you will be fine with their wetsuits and I would worry about any under layers.  However if you wear glasses I would suggest that you get your own mask and snorkel with the lenses corrected for your prescription. That will make a world of difference.  As an alternate you could wear some disposable contacts and use them specifically for the snorkeling and dispose of them after the week.  I would prefer not to wear contacts snorkeling to minimize the chance of any eye infections on the trip.

So glad to hear they rinse them out.  I wouldn't have even considered the transference of material from one location to the next.   We always bring our own mask and snorkel.

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, jamacka said:

So glad to hear they rinse them out.  I wouldn't have even considered the transference of material from one location to the next.   We always bring our own mask and snorkel.

 

If I remember correctly you actually do the washing.   I think you put all of your gear in a bag marked with your cabin number.  Then you dunked and soaked them in the wash followed by a rinse tank.  Then the bag is hung up and allowed to drip dry in a common area.

 

They also are very carefully about cleaning your shoes after you return from walking on an island.

 

But I can give you some tips on how to make the wet suits warmer.  

Edited September 24, 2019 by ipeeinthepool

[sippican]

13 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

If I remember correctly you actually do the washing.   I think you put all of your gear in a bag marked with your cabin number.  Then you dunked and soaked them in the wash followed by a rinse tank.  Then the bag is tired and allowed to drip dry in a common area.

 

They also are very carefully about cleaning your shoes after you return from walking on an island.

 

But I can give you some tips on how to make the wet suits warmer.  

 

Yes, we were responsible for rinsing out all snorkel gear upon return to the ship. They will hang it up to store. FWIW, we brought out own masks, snorkels and fin socks. We just stored them in our gear bag until the last snorkel excursion.

 

Ha! It took me a minute!😂

Edited September 24, 2019 by sippican

[ipeeinthepool]

7 hours ago, sippican said:

Ha! It took me a minute!😂

 

A lot of people are still trying to figure out the secret. 😉

[mac66]

I am assuming that the dive operator/ship with have the appropriate size and thickness of wet suits suitable for the environment.

 

If the OP needs more answers they might want to ask this question in the scuba/snorkeling forum.