7mm wetsuit recommendations

[Doc Harry]

1. Fit
2. Fit
3. Fit

If it doesn't fit properly, it won't keep out the cold and you won't wear it.

 

[Jason Ooi]

7mm wetsuit price comparison http://www.nextag.com/7mm-wetsuit/search-html

 

[Lone Frogman]

The biggest waste of money was buying my 7mm wetsuit. I'm glad it was a cheap one. Your money would be better spent by buying a dry suit. Your winter and cold weather diving will be so much better.

 

[Quero]

i tried doing a search because i know this question has already been asked before. i'm new to scuba and i'll be diving minnesota lakes. i've rented equipment a couple of times and used 7mm wetsuits. could anyone let me know what some of the considerations would be in choosing a wetsuit? they all look the same to me right now. any brands that i would most likely want to look at? if there is a forum that has already covered this let me know and i can just look there for answers too. thanks.

I have a 7mm Henderson Hyperstretch that I layer over a .5mm titanium-lined skinsuit for extra warmth since the hyperstretch tends to allow greater water flow than the traditional kind of neoporene. I'm happy with it. Yes, it's bulky (no way around that), but I don't get blisters on my knuckles trying to wrestle myself into it, and it's "bendier" at the elbows and knees than others I tried. One common complaint about the hyperstretch is that it tends to get compacted more quickly than other kinds of materials (requiring more frequent replacement); since I rarely dive in water cool enough to warrant using a 7mm, this isn't an issue for me, but it might be a factor for you to consider since you will be wearing it a lot. Having said all that, if I were diving in the cold lakes of the upper midwest, I'd be in a drysuit!

 

[underboats]

Greetings, below is the wetsuit we use for working when the temp drops below about 75. It is an inexpensive durable suit that is easy to get on. The vented hood is great. When you wear non zipper boots and good gloves you will stay fairly dry and warm. http://www.unrealfind.com/Merchant2...PROD&Product_Code=wet53&Category_Code=011mall

I prefer a hooded suit as the unattached hood becomes a source of cold, and a pain. We have found it to be a good soultion to have a hooded 7mm and then a non hooded 3mm with seperate hood for the summer switch. You will find if you are 6-1 and 175 that an XL will fit you pretty good. It will seem tight at first but you will get used to it and enjoy the suit and the attached hood. Chuck

 

[segundo3000gt]

thanks for all the feedback guys. this might be kind of a broad question, but are there any brands to stay away from? are there cheaper wetsuits that might look like a really good deal until you get them in the water and have leaks all over the place?

 

[reefugee]

All the wetsuits I have used leaked. I always get wet when using one.

Seriously though - It's all about fit. Try on a wetsuit and pick the one that fits your the best. The things I usually look for in a wetsuit is something made out of stretch materials. I have tried on Bare, Henderson, and Aqualung Aquaflex. I really liked the Henderson and the Aqualung wetsuit, but they were about $150 more than a Bare suit. I ended up with the Bare suit instead. I tried on the O'Neille suit, and it was a pain to get on because the material wasn't very stretchy. And once one, it didn't fit me very well. Find a few suit that fits well, and then make your selection based on price and features. BTW - for good prices on Bare stuff, you can always check out Divetank.com .

But then after getting my wetsuit - I ended up ordering a drysuit.

Minh

are there cheaper wetsuits that might look like a really good deal until you get them in the water and have leaks all over the place?

 

[Wayward Son]

You may be interested in looking at the XS Scuba Pyrostretch suits. Pyrostretch is their version of Hyperstretch. I'm buying one in 7mm & my LDS, while an XS dealer, does not stock the suit. Even with here ordering it for me it's costing me $200.

www.scuba.com sells them & their price for a 7mm pyro is a bit more, $220 I think.

I know some people who have this suit & they're very happy with it. So I'm going to give one a crack. Mine just came in, I have to go & try it on, should get it wet next month.

 

[ScubaDivaDivemaster]

As said many times before, FIT will be very important. I use the Hyperstretch and layer for cold water. Of course, I avoid cold water as much as possible, but unfortunately you won't be able to do that up there in MN! I know an instructor that got the new Henderson Instadry, which I thought at first was another gimmick to sell suits, but not after hearing him. He was doing his instructor training in cold water, and after doing skills and being in the water a very long time, everyone else got out of the water to warm up, he was ready to go fun diving. Several of the other people were wearing dry suits and/or very thick wetsuits. He had a 7mm Instadry. He said it kept him really warm.

I layer with the henderson trilam, 7mm hyperstretch, 5 mm core warmer and I can still move very easily. I've also heard the henderson semi-dry works well but haven't tried it.

Good luck and keep warm!

Oh yeah, check out the hot deal section for an inventory clearance at crazyscuba.com. You can probably get a great deal on wetsuits while they're having their sale.

C U underwater,
ScubaDivaDivemaster

 

[EvaL]

Hi. I've been using the Bare Arctic 7mm and Bare Arctic 7mm vest (that covers the hip) with attached hood for years in lakes and cold ocean waters and love them. I'm an advocate for full suit and vest rather than farmer Johns because you can wear only the fullsuit if it is not as cold (upper 50's to lower 60's) and use both in colder waters (down to upper 40's). If your lake water temps are never below 50's, you only need the fullsuit plus a hood.
Dive safely.