3rd Wetsuit purchase? The UPS man must be going crazy?

[Ladyvalea]

anyhow, I purchase a 5-4-3 mm mares womens wetsuit online.
so the first was too big!! giant gaps in the stomach and bum! so I send it back for one size down.. now this seems to fit. Nice and snug everywhere...but I can only zip it to my waist on my own...after that someone has to help zip it the rest of the way .""maybe I have wide hulk shoulders for a girl" after I'm zipped up it feels tight in the chest but ok? maybe it will get better once its wet.
so do you think this is ok? if I need assistance to get the zipper past mid point? or is this wetsuit to small for me?

thanks ps. Oh while tryin this on ....my zipper teeth caught the neoprene zipper protector??? and ate up some of the neoprenne? can I still send it back?

 

[mudhole]

Check with your dealer, if they will take it back. You've found one of the most frustrating things in diving, a comfortable fitting wetsuit. And it is an important part of whether you will enjoy diving, or soon give it up. No wetsuit should gap or fit too tightly to zip up by yourself. And will it fit better in the water? NEVER.

Some manufacturers make only 4 sizes, some make 7 sizes. Also, to make things more difficult, no two manufacturers use a "standard" size. Three brands of size "large" will all fit differently. To get a warm and comfortable fit you have to go to multiple dive shops to try on different brands.

Also, different thicknesses of suit influence the comfort. Three "mil" suits will stretch more, and are more forgiving on comfort. . . 7 "mil" suits are stiff and need to fit perfectly to feel comfortable. But remember these are meant to keep you comfortable in the water. 3 mil suits may be fine if you are not temperature sensitive. 80 degree water in Cozumel, Mexico is too cold for some people, just right in a 3 mil suit for some, and too hot for any suit for some people.

Try to remember your class and checkout dives. . . were you cold, or comfortable when others in the class were comfortable? Your Profile says you are in Fort Worth Texas. . . Possum Kingdom lake is to your west. Water temps in July and August would be fine in a 3 mil suit. . . but the visibility is very poor then. Visability is best in that lake in the late fall, winter, and early spring. A good fitting 5 mil suit should be comfortable in October and November and April and May. Many ladies are comfortable with multiple days of diving in Cozumel waters with a 5 mil. suit.

Sometimes by trying lots of brands of wetsuits you can find one "good enough". Many times by spending $20 or $30 more you can get a custom fit suit, and that is worth the extra time and money. Ask your local shops, many will order for you. . . or search the web for custom wetsuits. Many are made in Thailand, and have good reputations for custom suits. They also make custom clothing for above water and are famous for their tailoring.

Good luck, get a comfortable wetsuit, and run up those dive numbers. If you haven't found them yet Texas has some good freshwater diving, between hurricanes and droughts. Dive Possum Kingdom, Travis and the san marcos river. Come up to Lawton, Okla. to Elmer Thomas lake in the Wichita Wildlife Refuge, Look at the Buffalo fish, and the Buffalo in the refuge.