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I'm wondering about the usefulness of a 2 mm shorty wetsuit for canyoneering? I have a thicker full wetsuit but would like to have others for my adult sons to use on rare occasions and possibly for myself if a 2 mm might sometimes work. All of us are thin and get cold fairly easily.
Not super useful... I have one...use it for super hot days in crowded canyons where I might have some dwell time...ie Keyhole.
If you can find a cheap shorty...can save wear on spendy hiking shorts.
I have used a 2mm shortie for a lot of canyons. Imlay, Pinecreek, Eye of the Needle, tubing down the Weber River and Provo River and was "fine" for a few examples.
A shortie packs up nicely and provides "enough" warmth to make things do-able for in and out of water canyons. And getting IN and OUT of a shortie is soo nice and very quick.
But......................... if you get cold easily, a shortie isn't a good idea.
Then again, any thermal protection is better than none. We once "rescued" a group out of Pinecreek back in October last year that was "waiting for Search and Rescue" because one guy didn't bring a wetsuit and refused to move on due to his uncontrollable shivering. The rest of the group brought wetsuits and were trying to prod him but he adamantly refused to take another step. One guy in our group had a 2mm wetsuit hood that he could give up, so we gave that to him (while we towed him through the rest of the canyon) and that made all the difference.
A shortie is nice for short, in and out water canyons like Zero Gravity, Fry, Knotted Rope, Pinecreek (but not in the spring or fall) and Keyhole in my opinion.
But....I've been in the subway on a cloudy day in the fall and was doing just fine in the shortie until we got to the bowling ball corridor and waited well over an hour for the group of 12 ahead of us to finish the swim. I was uncomfortable waiting in the shortie for the group to finish. If you are moving in a shortie, you'll be okay.
Things to ponder.
I like layering my wetsuit options for better versatility, so a 2mm shorty could be really useful if you also have other items to pair with it, such as a long sleeve neoprene jacket or wetsuit shorts or pants. Or wear it over a full 4/3 or 5/4 if you were doing a canyon that you need a bit of extra warmth. The layering system works well if you don't know how much neoprene you'll want that day, then you can take off or add on as necessary. It beats sweating yourself through a canyon because you're only other option was too much.
Great observations. Thanks. I have a 4/3 full suit and a separate long sleeve top that's a 3 I think, so the shorty would give me lots of combos.
+1 on layering. A 2mm shorty would be a nice complement to a farmer john, thinner full suit, etc.
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I have a shortie that has not come out of my canyoneering wet suit box for over 10 years. For me, a shortie is only sightly better than no wet suit. I'd rather not have the weight and be a bit colder or take my universal 4/3 and be cozy. If I need more I put on the hooded vest. IMHO, a shortie is a waste of money for canyoneering. But based on the comments above, to each his own.
I have 2 mm neo pants and a 2 mm neo rash guard with long sleeves of heavy polyester fabric. These have proven to be amazinging versatile garments. The pants are superfine down the narrows and I have hiked the entire narrows in them. They can also be layered under my 2/3 wetsuit and under my 5 mm wetsuit. I did Imlay last May in the 5 mm wetsuit and the 2 mm neo pants. I stripped to the neo pants after completing Imlay and finished the Narrows in the pants. Damn happy with these light garments.
Ken
I have over a dozen different wetsuits and dry suits.... my most used wetsuit is a 2mm full. I use it for about 80% of the canyons I do that require protection.... I have two shorties and they never get used. Food for thought if adding to you collection. YMMV
I've had a 5/4 that has been stellar for cold Zion canyons. But mid season, it's way overkill. I just got a 3/2 (for $50, yesssss) and I suspect it will become my new go-to.
LNT