Shopper would lavacore work for snorking in the great lakes (huron, georgian bay)? huron is on the cold side. not antarctica but not a swimming pool.
JOSH S These appear to be like a slightly insulated swim shirt - Im not sure of the water temp in the great lakes - if you get cold - you may want to consider a skin?? We dive and the guys use these to dive in warm temps 80 plus - otherwise a skin or wetsuit, but we are diving. Hope this helps a little??
JOSHUA S probably not, it provides about the same exposure protection as a 2mm wetsuit.
VLADIMIR J yes it would help. i used it in 75F ~ 68F water. in 70F+ it's even too hot, especially on a sunny day. below 70F it helps, again especially nice if it's sunny so your back is warm. if you only surface snorkel it will keep you warm. if you free dive with it, it will still help. i'm barely wet below it when taken off after use. it's a semi-dry garment so water isn't flowing past your body in and out and to keep you extra warmer than 1mm seems it should. next stop is a 3mm shorty which starts to get more elaborate and makes you way more buoyant, harder to stay down if you free dive w/o weights. note that the lavacore absorbs quite a bit of water, more than neoprene wetsuit material so it will take a while to dry, especially if the nights are cool/cold. i am glad i got it. will buy lavacore pants next as a base layer below my semi-dry wetsuit when scuba diving in sub 60F temps.
JAMES A Im sure it would - i got the long sleeved one because i never wear a wetsuit but needed something for a little warmth- i th
JAMES H I use the Lavacore for swimming in a heated pool in the winter when the temperatures are a bit cooler. The shirt provides minimal heat compared to a wetsuit. Fourth Element makes a dive skin much like the Lavacore that compares to a 3mm neoprene wetsuit.
KIRILL L It works about the same as 2mm neoprene t-shirt. I think great lakes are too cold for that. People usually use drysuits or 7mm there for scuba diving
LARRY B I think that I would be able to get by with the Lavacore in Lake Huron but I am not very susceptible to the cold. It depends on your level of "cold". It is not a wetsuit by any means but it does provide some great insulation even when wet. I use this as my only undergarment in my drysuit; it has gotten wet (due to a poor neck seal) and I was still warm throughout the day on multiple dives. I would not use it in the winter.
PAUL P I haven't used it in water that's as cold as I Iimagine Huron is...the Lavacore is pretty warm, though, like a 3-5mm wetsuit, I think. With neutral buoyancy. Igues it would depend on the time of year and whether you wore a layer underneath. Sorry I can't be of more help
JAMES B I don't think so. Its worked great in Mexico and I have used it under my drysuit here in Washington. But not by its self in under 70 degree water
DALE C I'm guessing that it's about equal to 1/8" neoprene suit. Nice thing about it is it's not bouyant.
DAVID B I wouldn't reccomend it for water colder than the upper 70's as it allows water infiltration. I've used mine in the Atlantic in the low 70's and it was insufficient for a half hour dive.