When divers daydream, they often imagine themselves floating weightless in water so warm clear it creates the illusion of flight. The next time you're in diver's paradise, check what you're wearing. Just a swimsuit, or nothing at all?

Well, flip out of it. In the real world, most experienced divers wear some type of full-body exposure suit, even in the warmest and most benign waters. The warm tropical water sure feels good on the skin, until you accidentally bump into a bit of fire coral, or swim through a school of tiny jellyfish.

Divers and snorkelers looking for UV protection and a defense against sea lice, jellies and other biological irritants will love these super stretchy and comfortable Lycra suits. They are naturally form fitting to reduce drag in the water while providing full-body protection. The long front zip makes slipping in and out lightening fast and foot stirrups prevent the suit from riding up at the legs.

Wetsuit Liner

Some divers find that wearing a skin suit as a liner makes it easier to slip into a wetsuit, without tugging and fumbling. They usually have the zip on the front to avoid discomfort when wearing scuba gear on the back. It also allows them to peel off the rubber and still have full sun protection while on the surface.

Dive skin suits are also non-buoyant, which means you won't have to add any lead to the weight belt to compensate for your suit. Some divers will wear a light bodysuit throughout the day, even if they plan on adding a thicker wetsuit during the dive.

A convenient solution is to pair a good hat with a full bodysuit to provide complete sun protection without the hassle of changing outfits before and after each dive. This is especially true on smaller, open boats where shade and changing space is at a premium.

Jeans and a tight pullover (or Lycra swim shirt) are an inexpensive stingersuit alternative unless you are in area with very small jellyfish that could swim inside your clothes or up your jeans legs.

This outfit is more robust than a stingersuit and gives you good protection from sunburn, stingers, rough rocks or corals.

We've found this outfit more practical than a stingersuit, but not as confortable due to weight of wet jeans when you come out of the water. They also don't stretch as much and take longer to dry.

Although this suit causes more drag in the water, you can also wear it elsewhere, even when you're not swimming. There is also no need to get changed when you want to go swimming.