Custom wetsuits

[Sparky84]

I have looked through the archives and found some topics regarding this but still have questions.

I am 5'6 about 200 lbs. I am very stocky (yea yea I have a little gut on me) and my chest is 47' around. Due to my size I am assuming going to a dive shop and buying a wetsuit off the shelf is not likely.

Does anyone with similar shape have any luck with getting a off the shelf wet suit (or even drysuit)??

Any suggestions when it comes to fairly priced custom suits?

I am from Wisconsin and will be diving mostly up here, I would be willing to spend about $400 on a wetsuit but if I could find a good deal on a drysuit (under $800) I would consider that as well.

 

[captndale]

I understand your desire to have a good fitting exposure suit for a cheap price. No dive will be enjoyable if you are not reasonably warm and comefortable. Most off-the-rack suits seem to be made for idealized figures. Barbie and Ken come to mind. Unfortunately, about 80% of the population of real divers will not fit an off-the-rack suit. Trying to dive with a suit that does not fit will mean that you will be cold, uncomfortable and probably both. You certainly will not enjoy the experience. Lately, it has become popular to make wetsuits out of very stretchy neoprene. It makes the suits more comfortable and easier to put on in the store. Unfortunately, the soft, streatchy material compresses more than the better grades on neoprene, so that the suits made with it compress much more with increased depth. They do not keep you warm. They also wear out faster.

With your body type, there is little chance you will find a stock suit that will fit. That will be true for both wet and dry suits. Your stated budget figures are a bit on the short side also. A good custom 7mm wetsuit will cost you around $600. Dry suits start at around $1500. A customized suit will cost around $300 more, but you might be able to reduce that if you can fit a stock drysuit with only small alterations. I believe drysuits are the more economical way to go for diving in these local waters. A dry suit will last about twice as long as a wetsuit; is more forgiving of moderate weight shifts and is warmer and more comfortable to wear.

 

[g1138]

You could also buy a stock suit and have it tailored to your size by a custom shop. Altercations run from $150-200. Altering Zippers and lengthening will run you into the higher end.

If you get a skin in custom suit with no zippers you might even be as dry as if you were in a dry suit.

The local shops here, Heatwave and Otterbay Wetsuits, tend to run between $700-800 for a full custom suit. They'll even give you instructions for a fitting and ship a suit out to you.
Heatwave
Otterbay Wetsuits

 

[merxlin]

Try JMJ-

JMJ Wetsuits

I don't know of anyone that has regretted the purchase from them.

 

[Sparky84]

Thanks, looks like I could get a suit for around my price range. For diving in the cooler waters up here would the farmer john and jacket combo keep me warmer than a full suit?? I'll do some research but JMJ seems pretty decent, thanks again!

 

[g1138]

The 2 piece, long john and beaver tail jacket w/ attached hood, skin in neoprene, is the go to for diving customs suits here in Monterey (52F).
With one piece full suits you tend to get chilly after 30mins. Farmer johns will keep you warmer provided they keep water from circulating through the suit. The trouble is farmer johns w/o attached hoods have a poor neck seal compared with full suits.
In that case you are usually warmer than a full suit, but not by much.

Once again fit is important here. If it allows a lot of water to enter, then it's not a good fit.

 

[spectrum]

Thanks, looks like I could get a suit for around my price range. For diving in the cooler waters up here would the farmer john and jacket combo keep me warmer than a full suit?? I'll do some research but JMJ seems pretty decent, thanks again!

You will want to have 2X of 7mm on your core (groin/torso). The John and jacket is one approach. I prefer a full suit layered with a hooded step-in vest as shown here.

Go direct to custom. There is no point in buying off the rack only to have alterations made. More on custom suits here.

Pete

 

[buddhasummer]

I empathize, I have a similar problem, although my build is more hobbit-esque, I could not find an off the shelf suit that fitted. Having done my OW using ill fitting suits and being uncomfortably cold I knew how important having a good fitting suit was. In fact I was so uncomfortably cold I did several times think that perhaps diving was not for me. Generally my local diving is in the 57-71 range. I went with a custom made 2 piece FJ with hood. What a difference it made , less than 60 and I begin to chill but above that Im fine. The suit was only a fraction more than an off the shelf suit. In the tropics I wear a 5mm one piece and am fine. Being skin and bones I do feel the cold more than most it seems. I can't help re where to get one made as mine was done in NZ but definitely echo what others have said, having a good fitting and warm suit makes all the difference, in fact being too cold on a dive can be potentially dangerous. If your body shape dictates the need for a custom suit, go for it. Im sure unlike NZ, where choices are limited, there are numerous custom wet suit makers in the US. Good luck.

 

[Kryssa]

I am about your size and wear Pinnacle XXL Short and it fits great. They have wetsuits in 3, 5, & 7mm.

 

[rhwestfall]

Altercations run from $150-200.

only if the judge is nice....