A stinger suit is an important part of planning time in North Queensland’s tropical waters. Whether you are organising a reef trip from Cairns, a day around Townsville or a trip near Mackay and the Whitsundays, think about coverage, warmth and fit together.
This guide combines regional marine-stinger guidance with how I choose between our Lycra stinger suit and 2mm wetsuit. It is a starting point for choosing your equipment, not a declaration that a particular beach or dive site is safe on the day.
When is stinger season in North Queensland?
Marine stingers can be present throughout the year in tropical Queensland. The higher-risk period is generally November to May, according to WorkSafe Queensland. Its guidance applies broadly to tropical waters north of Bundaberg, while noting that the range may extend further south.
Use the season to plan, then check current conditions with your operator or local lifesavers. Follow signs and closures. A month outside the main season is not a guarantee that stingers are absent. Queensland’s marine-life guidance recommends full-body Lycra coverage as one precaution and explains other local hazards.
Cairns: plan around the trip you have booked
If you are travelling to Cairns for a reef trip, ask your operator whether a suit is included, which sizes are available and whether you can use your own. Bringing your own lets you check the fit before departure. Allow time to try it on and arrange an exchange before your travel date.
A snorkelling trip and a long spearfishing session may call for different equipment. Check the planned activity, expected time in the water and current conditions rather than choosing from the destination name alone.
Townsville: choose for your time in the water
For a trip around Townsville, decide whether you mainly need lightweight coverage or added insulation. Consider how easily you feel cold, how long you expect to stay in, and how a similar trip felt last time. If you are booking with an operator, ask what they recommend for that itinerary and date.
Check the suit through the shoulders and torso before you leave. It should allow comfortable breathing and movement, with the top and trousers staying overlapped.
Mackay and the Whitsundays: coverage and warmth are separate choices
Mackay and the Whitsundays fall within the broad tropical Queensland area covered by the regional guidance above. Check conditions for the specific place you are visiting and the activity you plan to do. Suit coverage does not replace local advice.
My own seasonal routine in tropical waters north of Mackay is to reach for the stinger suit around October or November as the water warms, then move towards the 2mm around April or May as it cools. That is my warmth preference, not a start or end date for marine-stinger risk.
What to look for in a stinger suit
The Life Below Electric Blue DNA Stinger Suit combines a hooded Lycra top with full-length trousers that rise just below the nipples. The high waist creates generous overlap beneath the top for added torso coverage. A cushioned loading pad and reinforced knees and elbows support its spearfishing use.
It provides UPF 50+ sun protection on covered skin. Use sunscreen and other sun protection on exposed areas. Full-body Lycra is used to help protect against marine stings, but openings and exposed skin remain: no suit guarantees protection from every sting.
Compare your chest and waist body measurements, height and weight with the product’s size guide, then consider your build. Chest and waist ranges are body circumferences in centimetres: each range indicates the recommended fit that the stretch of that size accommodates. If you are between sizes or unsure, size up or ask us for advice.
When I add a 2mm top
For in-between temperatures, I sometimes wear the 2mm wetsuit top with stinger-suit bottoms. This adds insulation around my torso while keeping lighter Lycra coverage on my legs. On a long day in blue water, I may want the full 2mm even during a warmer part of the year.
The full 2mm suit also has high-waisted trousers. The neoprene overlap adds insulation around the core. Check the fit and overlap of whichever combination you use.
Ordering before your North Queensland trip
Life Below dispatches the same day or next day, Monday–Friday. Australian shipping is $12 standard or $20 express, with free standard shipping on orders of $300 or more. Dispatch time is not the delivery time: allow for transit to your destination and time to check the fit.
For an eligible size exchange, you pay return postage and Life Below pays to send the replacement size. Read our shipping information and returns and exchanges policy before ordering. For help choosing, contact Life Below with your height, weight, build, intended activity and travel date.
Read more about how Lycra and neoprene help protect covered skin, and how their warmth differs.
Related guides
- Stinger suit or wetsuit: which should you choose?
- How to choose your Life Below wetsuit or stinger suit size
Explore our stinger suits and 2mm wetsuits, or ask us for help choosing your fit.