Wet Suit Sizing- 7mm specific

[Yoshua]

So I went to a LDS this weekend with the intent to purchase a exposure suit setup.


Well it didn't go as planned. The shop had rentals for me to try on but they were 2pieces. I hadn't tried on a 2piece before and I think that is going to be the last time I do.


I am not a small guy, I am not HUGE by any means but I am definately oddly purportioned.


Measurement wise i would be a 2xl on paper, which is what I was expecting so that is what we tried on.

Well the 2xl bottom went on perfect, not too tight but definately sealed. The 2xl top was a no go. the 7mm chest piece for the bottoms made it impossible to get it zipped up. Took a 4xl to get the job done but there was soo much extra materail all over the place it was ridiculous. So needless to say i didn't buy a suit yet.




My question is this. For those of you who got certed in the winter in the North West (puget sound area) or in a cold location with a 7mm suit.

Did you stay warm in a 1piece 7mm in the 45-50ish water temps? I was thinking a 1 piece would be fine for me but the people at the shop, who also came in various shapes and sizes all said that a 2 piece or a hood with a vest underneath 3mm would be the way to go.


I don't think I need that, but I don't want to buy a suit and then be up a creek having to get more or a different suit later.



Any advice to the guy who is probably going to be renting for a while till he finds what he actually DOES wanna get?


Thanks in advance

 

[ligersandtions]

I have a suggestion for you, but it probably won't be one that you will like. Every person I know who is an active local PNW diver dives in a drysuit. If you want to dive consistently year-round, and go fairly deep or do multiple dives a day, you are going to be much better off not wasting your money on a 7mm wetsuit for now, and saving up some more for a drysuit.

In fact, I'm pretty sure there are shops up there that rent drysuits as well. See if you can get into a certification course (cause you have to have a card to rent the suit...) and figure out what drysuit you like. Rent until you can afford to buy....I think you will be much happier in the end.

 

[fnfalman]

If you can't afford a drysuit for NW Pacific diving then do yourself a favor and get a good 2-piece farmer john suit from a custom manufacturer. I think that 7-mil x 2-layers over the torso would keep you fairly warm for 45-F water. I dive with a one-piece jumpsuit custom wetsuit in 50-F and I'm good with it. Not toasty warm but functional and enjoyable for up to 30-minutes.

 

[Yoshua]

I have a suggestion for you, but it probably won't be one that you will like. Every person I know who is an active local PNW diver dives in a drysuit. If you want to dive consistently year-round, and go fairly deep or do multiple dives a day, you are going to be much better off not wasting your money on a 7mm wetsuit for now, and saving up some more for a drysuit.

In fact, I'm pretty sure there are shops up there that rent drysuits as well. See if you can get into a certification course (cause you have to have a card to rent the suit...) and figure out what drysuit you like. Rent until you can afford to buy....I think you will be much happier in the end.

Dry suit is definately in my future, but not quite yet. I wanted to also do some free diving and so a PNW wet suit is in order on some level.

Free diving will probably be more of a summer thing, but I don't have the cash to splurge on all the toys at once either.

 

[frogman159]

My question is this. For those of you who got certed in the winter in the North West (puget sound area) or in a cold location with a 7mm suit.

Did you stay warm in a 1piece 7mm in the 45-50ish water temps? I was thinking a 1 piece would be fine for me but the people at the shop, who also came in various shapes and sizes all said that a 2 piece or a hood with a vest underneath 3mm would be the way to go.

In those water temps I use a 7mm 1 peice like you described with this 7mm vest over the top of it: Bare 7mm Arctic Vest, Womens Black/Steel

It comes in men's too

IMO this is better than standard vests cause it covers the top of your legs and crotch- Areas where you can loose a lot of heat, and it give you 14mm on the core similair to that of the Farmer John you were trying on.


Also 6.5mm boots and 5mm gloves. Keeps me pretty warm for about 35-45 minutes

 

[Steve50]

Drysuit

 

[nwhitney2003]

I'd say a custom made wetsuit would be in order. From my understanding they can be fairly comparable in price to a good off the rack wetsuit.

 

[scubadada]

Hi Yoshua,

I don't dive cold water enough to justify a drysuit yet so still dive wet. I dive a full 7mm with a hooded vest, gloves and booties and am very comfortable down to about 50 degrees. Below that and I start getting cold before the end of the dive.

Perhaps one of the more stretchy materials like Henderson Thermoprene or Hyperstretch (or other branded equivalent) would help you somewhat with the sizing problem. I've found a lot a variability in sizing and cut depending on brand also. I wear a large with Henderson (3, 5, and 7mm). Previously, a had an Akona 7mm and definitely needed an XL for correct fit as it seemed to be cut considerably smaller. Best of luck in your wetsuit quest.

Good diving, Craig

 

[mselenaous]

PNW= Drysuit for year round diving. Ligersandtions had good advice.

You had a hard time trying on suits. Note that not all brands of suits fit the same. Go to as many different LDS as you can to try on a variety of brands before you decide. Also go to your local dive sites and check out what your local area divers are wearing.

If you must go wet, seriously consider custom-made. Many of us are not stock sizes and fit is the key to warmth. Good custom suits are no more expensive than most of the high end brands. I recommend that instead of a 2piece (john with no sleeves + jacket with no legs), go with a full 7mm jumpsuit with a 5 or 7mm core warmer (like a john without long legs) with or without attached hood or use a hooded vest. This way you can add or subtract that inner layer as needed to fit your comfort level. The jumpsuit can be worn alone where as the 2pc if wearing only one part, will leave either arms or legs exposed.

The warmest wetsuit is a semi-dry which is a onepiece jumpsuit with attached hood and seals to reduce water movement. And you can still add a corewarmer if necessary. Not all semidrys are built the same so check out the various brands. Some have better seals, some are more flexible, etc.

Stay warm so you can dive often. Just my 2psi.

 

[rstofer]

I have been diving in 50 deg F water at Monterey with an AquaLung SolaFX one piece semi-dry suit. It works pretty well. Still, it's a premanufactured suit so it might not fit.

I have yet to dive it very deep and I know the stretchy material is supposed to lose its insulating properties at depth. We'll see. The suit is around $500.

Sure, a drysuit is the way to go but they are far too expensive. By the time you're out the door with the undergarment and the other accessories (maybe special gloves and boots), you might be looking at the better part of $2000, maybe more.

If there are rental suits that fit, rent them! If this economy keeps sinking, drysuits might get a little cheaper. Maybe there will be some sale pricing in the near future.

Richard