3mm wetsuit vs Sharkskin T2

[chaad]

@PamelaH and @thomschoon plus anyone else with the T2. How fast does it dry? If you wring it out, does it completely dry in 12 hours so it's fine for the next day of diving?

Does not dry quickly in my experience. Much less terrible putting it on wet than a neoprene wetsuit though.

 

[WillieJustice]

Does not dry quickly in my experience. Much less terrible putting it on wet than a neoprene wetsuit though.

That was my experience with it as well. It can take a couple days to dry completely.

 

[thomschoon]

@PamelaH and @thomschoon plus anyone else with the T2. How fast does it dry? If you wring it out, does it completely dry in 12 hours so it's fine for the next day of diving?

Turn it inside out and hang it up, is usually dry the next day. I have also put mine on wet, it is t like neoprene, it just feels damp and goes right on.

 

[PamelaH]

@PamelaH and @thomschoon plus anyone else with the T2. How fast does it dry? If you wring it out, does it completely dry in 12 hours so it's fine for the next day of diving?

It dries overnight. I usually turn it inside out (I think??) Drying time was not an issue, in any case. Also, it's easy to get on wet. I think on my last land based trip where I packed the day after I dove I might have put it in the sun to get really dry before I packed but honestly, I don't remember. You certainly can wring it out a bunch - it's very flexible.

 

[fred32176]

I let my T2 dry for a day or two. I normally hang them hangers overnight on the back porch. I would have either soaked them for a few minutes (after a salt water dive) and then hung them on hangers or hosed them off (after a fresh water dive) on the hangers. The moisture migrates to the lowest parts of the sharkskin. By lowest part I mean the lowest 3-4 inches. If I squeeze the lowest part before I go to bed, the only damp part the next morning is the lowest part of the sharkskin, the rest is dry. I move the sharkskins on hangers to inside my garage the next morning. I let them get thoroughly dry in the garage for a day or two. I live near the ocean in Florida which impacts the drying time.

 

[cookiefactory]

Has anyone taken their T2 to the tailor to get fitted? I took advantage of the recent Labor day sale to pick up a full (modular) set of T2. The medium long sleeve full zip fits well in the shoulders, however being a 32" waist it's a bit looser than I'd like toward the bottom. I'm curious if anyone has gone down the tailoring/fitting road and if so, what experiences and lessons learned?

 

[fred32176]

Has anyone taken their T2 to the tailor to get fitted? I took advantage of the recent Labor day sale to pick up a full (modular) set of T2. The medium long sleeve full zip fits well in the shoulders, however being a 32" waist it's a bit looser than I'd like toward the bottom. I'm curious if anyone has gone down the tailoring/fitting road and if so, what experiences and lessons learned?

I never thought about getting T2s tailored. If you are worried about droopy bottoms or a gap between the top and bottom, you can use suspenders. I use chums ski suspenders. I also don't use the foot stirrups while diving as the bottoms need to go over dive boots.

The only time I use the foot stirrups is while wearing T2s while rafting.

 

[WillieJustice]

I never thought about getting T2s tailored. If you are worried about droopy bottoms or a gap between the top and bottom, you can use suspenders. I use chums ski suspenders. I also don't use the foot stirrups while diving as the bottoms need to go over dive boots.

The only time I use the foot stirrups is while wearing T2s while rafting.

I wear dive boots over the foot stirrups. I'll put on whatever lightweight suit, like a rash guard or Sharkskin, at home and then wear shorts and sandals outside the water. The shorts are mostly for carrying things like phone, ID, etc. All that stays in the boat. I put on boots over the stirrups. I suppose it might look a little odd, but I'm not a fashion plate wet or dry.

As far as sizing, my top and bottom are mismatched, which means separate pieces works well for me. I haven't had noticeable problems once there's a BC clamping everything down pretty well.

 

[fred32176]

I wear dive boots over the foot stirrups.

Whatever works. With tall dive boots water can get trapped in the T2's legs when climbing a ladder. Putting the pants over the dive boots gives water somewhere to when exiting the water. That and suspenders help avoid the plumber's look the public does not want to see when I exit the water.

 

[cookiefactory]

I never thought about getting T2s tailored. If you are worried about droopy bottoms or a gap between the top and bottom, you can use suspenders. I use chums ski suspenders. I also don't use the foot stirrups while diving as the bottoms need to go over dive boots.

The only time I use the foot stirrups is while wearing T2s while rafting.

FWIW SharkSkin customer support got back to me and confirmed their gear can be tailored with no extra/special consideration for the material or otherwise.

I'm mainly concerned about bagging/sagging while in the water. From all I've read the primary culprit is too loose a fit, i.e. if it's not uncomfortably tight when dry it's probably not tight enough. My T2 pants are definitely uncomfortably restrictive so I think I'm all set there, but my abdomen area is quite relaxed, bordering on loose. One potential solution is to wear tek shorts which would cover, compress, and help seal the gap. Obviously this is all theory-craft and I might be optimizing prematurely but much as possible I like to address potential issues before they manifest (during a dive).,

I'll also look into the suspenders, especially as it has real world confirmation on viability.