Cairns Wetsuit Guide

Talia Jones

Updated Tue 22 Aug 2023

Scuba diving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns is a bucket-list experience. People from near and far travel to Australia to see how incredible the reef is for themselves! When scuba diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, there are a few pieces of equipment that are essential. If scuba diving you’ll need diving tanks, weight belts, snorkels, masks, regulators, fins, and of course - a wetsuit! Snorkelling requires less equipment but fins, snorkels, masks and depending on the weather - wetsuits!

Perhaps you're embarking on a day scuba diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns on board Diver's Den or a day of snorkelling on the reef with Passions of Paradise, wetsuits are included in the tour costs. Generally most Cairns tours that go out to the Great Barrier reef will have both wetsuits and stinger suits available to wear. 

Wetsuit Material

Most of the wetsuits used in Cairns for scuba diving are made from Neoprene, a soft, flexible and resistant material. Neoprene comes in three types of thickness - 7mm, 5mm and 3mm. The 7mm thickness is best to wear during cooler months in Cairns where the water is around 20 degrees Celcius. Whereas the 3mm wetsuit is suited to warmer waters - you could even opt for a short sleeved wetsuit too!

Why wear a wetsuit?

Wetsuits don’t only warm you up in the cooler waters, but they protect your skin from cuts and scratches you could acquire when swimming near the coral reefs and wreckage sites. Plus! They help to prevent you from being stung by the dangerous jellyfish (box jellyfish, bluebottles, and irukandji) during stinger season (which goes from November through to May). 

Wetsuit Size Guide

Wetsuits - Junior

Wetsuits - Unisex and Men

Wetsuits - Women

*If your size is not on the women's chart, use the above unisex guide.

For further information on wetsuits or what to do in Cairns, contact our local experts on (07) 4082 7470 or jump on our live chat today!