It depends on your water temp and your body tolerance........ not to mention the CRITTERS out there. I have a Vest i wear when the water starts getting cooler, then a 3MM suit, then winter a 7MM suit just because i dont like getting cold not because i need on that high of a MM. Mine are all full arm then to the knee front zip suits. I hated the full suits with the zipper in the back..... just frustrating..... and mine you step in and out of quickly. I also have MARE hard bottom 6.5 MM boots. The heavy boots dont smell over time like the thinner ones..... and being thicker handle the pulling and tugging on them. You wont wear out the bottoms from your scoop either. Cool water after say 7 hours in it can get COLD.