Getting a neoprene drysuit over your hips

[Shadow]

I have a 4 mm compressed neoprene drysuit (Bare CD4 Pro). I bought it used, so did not have the benefit of custom sizing or anything like that. The suit is a Ladies small, and it has a curved shape, that is, narrower at the waist. The problem I have is that I need to get that waist part over my hips! My husband has to use both hands and pull the suit up for me!

I am wondering how snug is too snug? I haven't had a neoprene drysuit before so I'm not sure how they are supposed to fit. It feels okay once it's on, and I have good mobility. I can crouch down and move around as the suit stretches. My previous suit was a trilam, with no stretch, and therefore was baggier.

I am wondering how neoprene drysuits are supposed to fit? Any other women divers have trouble getting their suit on? Thanks!

 

[decompression]

If I may, my wife is well proportioned in the hip type area. This has always been an issue. Many hundreds of dives, as a loving husband I would pull the suit for her. Then I got her a custom made DS, although because of her measurements the hips still had to be "snug". Big hips and a small waist. Soon I will try a whites fusion for her and I think that will be the solution.

To answer the question, as long as it's warm, not restrictive that would hamper safety, it's fine. Neoprene will be stiffer but not necessarily tighter, it's just a size thing. If you can, try a fusion on for comparison.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[aMc10]

I have a neoprene drysuit too, and I have to dance like a drunk uncle at a wedding to get mine on sometimes. It's fine once it's on. Neoprene suits are usually much more "fitted" than trilams.

 

[oldschoolto]

My wife has that same trouble with her DUI suit... Not that she needs to dance like drunk uncle, but she does a very nice butt shake to get it over her hips.....
Jim...

 

[cool_hardware52]

I have a neoprene drysuit too, and I have to dance like a drunk uncle at a wedding to get mine on sometimes. It's fine once it's on. Neoprene suits are usually much more "fitted" than trilams.

We need video.

Tobin

 

[FinnMom]

I gotta remeber that "drunk uncle" simile! Jep, that's it exactly; exactly describes both occasions.

 

[Imla]

Sounds familiar. Even the "ladies" DS are usually not buildt for ladies, and if you happen to be taller than 167, then you need to be skinny as a post to get anything to work. I am 180 tall, and need to get that suit over my barndoor of an a$$ Because of my height, none of the ladies suits would fit, but to get a gents suit over my behind, the sizing gets all wrong for the torso...

So... at the moment I have a trilam suit that is _snug_ around the bottom and big as a three people tent on top... and a 2mm crushed neo that is just about stretchy enough to be teased over the hips with a pretty decent fit on the top.

I am now waiting for a custom Ladies Santi E-motion... And crossing my fingers that they'll get it right.

 

[SubMariner]

I have a 4 mm compressed neoprene drysuit (Bare CD4 Pro). I bought it used, so did not have the benefit of custom sizing or anything like that. The suit is a Ladies small, and it has a curved shape, that is, narrower at the waist. The problem I have is that I need to get that waist part over my hips! My husband has to use both hands and pull the suit up for me!

I am wondering how snug is too snug? I haven't had a neoprene drysuit before so I'm not sure how they are supposed to fit. It feels okay once it's on, and I have good mobility. I can crouch down and move around as the suit stretches. My previous suit was a trilam, with no stretch, and therefore was baggier.

I am wondering how neoprene drysuits are supposed to fit? Any other women divers have trouble getting their suit on? Thanks!

IMHO if you are working that hard on getting a drysuit on, it's too snug. A drysuit should not fit as tightly as a wetsuit. In fact, it would be counter-productive because how else would you be able to put some decent undergarments on underneath?

My first drysuit was a 5mm Wardell -- yes, this was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth in the early 90s. I got a super deal on it because someone had ordered it, put down a deposit, then literally walked away. Some alterations had to be made (at the shop's expense of course) but that suit served me very well diving in Ontario & Quebec. Underneath I wore two sweatshirts, a pair of sweatpants, and two sets of socks because those built-in Frankenstein booties where HUGE, even after the "alterations".

I have since moved on to a DUI 350 TLS trilam. Even if you can't afford a custom suit, I would still suggest trilam because it gives you so many layering options for a much wider range of diving.

FWIW,