7mm wetsuit suggestions!

[Jayfarmlaw]

I have no experience with Mako Wetsuits but would not hesitate to buy one just based on the company's reputation alone.

I just purchased a Deep 6 3mm and dove it where I have layered 2 3mm (a full and a shorty) suits and was just fine. I would bet their 7mm would keep you roasty toasty where most 7mm may need a skin as well. Great suits and the pockets are pertfectly placed and not in the way when you don't need them. They are also on sale!

Specials

Good luck,
Jay

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I'm a fan of Bare for wetsuits, though my current wetsuit is a Pinnacle. Bare seems like a nicer fit overall. Pinnacle has better seals on the wrists and ankles. I wouldn't hesitate to buy new of either...

 

[loosenit2]

I use an inexpensive Neeosport with no problems. Haven’t used their farmer johns but based on experience with 5mm I would not hesitate to try.

Neosport by Henderson 2 Piece

 

[msinc]

I am looking to buy a 7mm wetsuit. The only dive shop in my area has one 7mm semi dry that is way above my price range.
I have been looking online, but am having a hard time choosing. I am considering the Henderson Thermoprene Pro but cannot find any customer reviews. Does anyone have input on this wetsuit? Or suggestions for another kind of 7mm?

I have both the Thermoprene Pro and the Titanium with Fire Fleece. I absolutely love these wetsuits. Honestly, if you can get the Titanium with Fire Fleece you can probably drop down to a 5mm, It is that warm. They are comfortable, warm and they stretch a lot more than most suits. Fire Fleece makes a big difference over other suits without it as far as warmth goes.
Henderson has the Aqua Lock suits that dry real fast and I am thinking of trying out one of those soon, Buy with confidence, the Henderson suits are worth every penny!!!! You will love it!!!

 

[stuartv]

How you can buy a wetsuit online and get it to fit right is beyond me.

Does a suit fit differently if you buy it online versus buying it in a brick and mortar store?

When I bought my first wetsuit, I ordered 3 different suits from LeisurePro. They sent them to me with free shipping. I tried them all on in the comfort of my own home. It turned out that none of them fit me the way I wanted, so I returned them all for a refund. I could have done the same thing with one suit in 3 different sizes. Or, with their Pressure Free Fit guarantee (free shipping back and forth), if you know the suit you want, you can just order the size you think, try it, if it's not right, return it and they'll send the next size you want to try.

Really, buying a wetsuit online CAN be a LOT easier than buying from a shop. Most shops don't have the selection to choose from that LP does. So, buying from a shop can involve a lot of driving around.

 

[stuartv]

I am looking to buy a 7mm wetsuit. The only dive shop in my area has one 7mm semi dry that is way above my price range.
I have been looking online, but am having a hard time choosing. I am considering the Henderson Thermoprene Pro but cannot find any customer reviews. Does anyone have input on this wetsuit? Or suggestions for another kind of 7mm?

You don't say what your budget is.

My thought is that a good 5mm can easily be warmer than a low quality 7mm. But, if your budget is not enough to buy a high quality suit, then you might have to replace some quality with quantity (of neoprene you're wearing).

I would much rather wear a high quality 5mm than a lower quality 7mm that gives me the same warmth.

I would also probably rather wear a 5mm and a hooded vest over it than just wear a 7mm.

I think the top models from Henderson, Bare, and ScubaPro are probably all comparable and which one is warmest for you will boil down to which company makes a suit that fits your individual figure the best.

The Henderson Thermaxx (w/Fire Fleece), Bare Reactive (w/Ultrawarmth, formerly aka Celliant), and ScubaPro EverFlex (w/DiamondSpan) are all super stretchy with excellent fleece-like linings to keep you warmer than other, lesser suits.

Waterproof also makes excellent wetsuits, but they seem to take a different approach. Their neoprene is less stretchy, so they offer more different sizes to ensure you can find one that fits well. Their neoprene being less stretchy means it also compresses less at depth - i.e. you lose less insulation at depth. The Waterproof fit, excellent construction, and excellent seals mean their suits can be quite warm as well. But, I don't think they have the same level of fleecy lining that those others do. However, I'm not really sure. Their 7mm claims a plush lining. I just don't know how it compares.

I have EverFlex suits and a Reactive and I dive regularly with people with Thermaxx suits. They all seem very comparable. My EverFlex suits are older and don't have the newest lining. My Reactive suit is brand new and it is WARM.

I think the Henderson Thermaxx is warmer than the Henderson you are looking at. But, the Thermaxx is not sold online anywhere. It is ONLY sold in actual stores. The SP and Bare suits are available online. But, I don't think they're any cheaper than what you'd pay in a store.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I have both the Thermoprene Pro and the Titanium with Fire Fleece. I absolutely love these wetsuits. Honestly, if you can get the Titanium with Fire Fleece you can probably drop down to a 5mm, It is that warm. They are comfortable, warm and they stretch a lot more than most suits. Fire Fleece makes a big difference over other suits without it as far as warmth goes.
Henderson has the Aqua Lock suits that dry real fast and I am thinking of trying out one of those soon, Buy with confidence, the Henderson suits are worth every penny!!!! You will love it!!!

I personally would never recommend going from a 7 mil down to a 5 mil because of firefleece. Firefleece in no way provides 2 mil of protection and most brands have some sort of heat reflection that may slightly very slightly aid in heat retention but not 1 mil or 2 mil worth of heat retention. That is my opinion only but I think people may be mislead by your comment. I have two hendersons personally also with this and a bare with celient which is a similar heat reflection. Many heat reflection technologies in past were just pure gimmick. Its hard to say whether it is the quality of suit keeping you warm or a sometimes dubious heat reflection tech.

Not attacking you by the way at all just saying for the original poster....want a 7 get a 7 and if it has heat reflection all the better.

To the original poster I have two hendersons and you want to get one that has 250% and not the older 75% stretch. the 250 stretch is the most comfortable wetsuit anyone can buy. By the way, far more important than firefleece or celient heat reflection would be getting a semi dry suit. Those are suits with the hood build in and front zipper sideways across chest with an extra flap to keep out water from circulating. I use a henderson 8/7 semi dry in monterey CA and am toasty warm where i freeze to death in my BARE normal 7 mil suit. Semi dry is a big help.

also someone mentioned BARE wetsuits instead of henderson. The stitching on those is nicer and better protected but they are much more expensive than henderson normally.

i like bare and henderson but henderson suits are FAR more comfortable if they are the newer 250% stretch

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Does a suit fit differently if you buy it online versus buying it in a brick and mortar store?

When I bought my first wetsuit, I ordered 3 different suits from LeisurePro. They sent them to me with free shipping. I tried them all on in the comfort of my own home. It turned out that none of them fit me the way I wanted, so I returned them all for a refund. I could have done the same thing with one suit in 3 different sizes. Or, with their Pressure Free Fit guarantee (free shipping back and forth), if you know the suit you want, you can just order the size you think, try it, if it's not right, return it and they'll send the next size you want to try.

Really, buying a wetsuit online CAN be a LOT easier than buying from a shop. Most shops don't have the selection to choose from that LP does. So, buying from a shop can involve a lot of driving around.

So you paid for 3 wetsuits, had them shipped, tried them all on, then RETURNED them back..... that my friend is a nightmare lol. Id rather try in my local dive center which carries henderson, bare, hollis, and a few other wetsuit brands.

Zero dollars out of pocket and much to choose from. That said i have bought suits online on huge sales. But in that case I buy one size and if it doesnt fit ill know i can go one up or one down ...

you also recommend a 5 mil hooded vest vs a 7 mil suit. If you go that route might as well get an 8 mil semi dry suit which is lightyears more comfortable than wearing two wetsuits. Also many people dont fit a hooded vest correctly. just cant get them over the head. I myself and others have this issue.

 

[stuartv]

So you paid for 3 wetsuits, had them shipped, tried them all on, then RETURNED them back..... that my friend is a nightmare lol. Id rather try in my local dive center which carries henderson, bare, hollis, and a few other wetsuit brands.

Zero dollars out of pocket and much to choose from. That said i have bought suits online on huge sales. But in that case I buy one size and if it doesnt fit ill know i can go one up or one down ...

you also recommend a 5 mil hooded vest vs a 7 mil suit. If you go that route might as well get an 8 mil semi dry suit which is lightyears more comfortable than wearing two wetsuits. Also many people dont fit a hooded vest correctly. just cant get them over the head. I myself and others have this issue.

Yes, if someplace convenient to you has the suits you want to try on, then that is definitely the way to go.

But, when you don't have that. Or maybe you would have to go 3 different places and spend a few hours, total, driving around just to try on what you want, then having them all delivered to your home MIGHT seem more convenient.

LeisurePro does make it really easy. I got all the suits, tried them on, put them back in the box, logged in, clicked "Return Items", printed out the shipping label they provided, stuck it on the box, and dropped the box off at a Staples that has UPS pickup.

It took less time than even driving to one local shop (other than the time waiting on the suits to arrive via UPS). It cost me a little in shipping, to return them. But, LP gets discounted shipping rates, so paying for their pre-printed mailing label still wasn't much. And what's my time worth? That cost of shipping was easily paid for in the time I did NOT have to spend driving around.

A semi-dry is another good option. But, it is less versatile. The OP lives in Texas. I'm guessing she might be diving in cold local lakes but also make some trips to the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean. A 5mm plus hooded vest might work in the lakes and then the 5mm by itself in the other places. Really, it's just an option to consider. Only the OP can really decide what makes the best sense for her.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Yes, if someplace convenient to you has the suits you want to try on, then that is definitely the way to go.

But, when you don't have that. Or maybe you would have to go 3 different places and spend a few hours, total, driving around just to try on what you want, then having them all delivered to your home MIGHT seem more convenient.

LeisurePro does make it really easy. I got all the suits, tried them on, put them back in the box, logged in, clicked "Return Items", printed out the shipping label they provided, stuck it on the box, and dropped the box off at a Staples that has UPS pickup.

It took less time than even driving to one local shop (other than the time waiting on the suits to arrive via UPS). It cost me a little in shipping, to return them. But, LP gets discounted shipping rates, so paying for their pre-printed mailing label still wasn't much. And what's my time worth? That cost of shipping was easily paid for in the time I did NOT have to spend driving around.

A semi-dry is another good option. But, it is less versatile. The OP lives in Texas. I'm guessing she might be diving in cold local lakes but also make some trips to the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean. A 5mm plus hooded vest might work in the lakes and then the 5mm by itself in the other places. Really, it's just an option to consider. Only the OP can really decide what makes the best sense for her.

Great point on versatility of hooded vests... ya got me! I have to agree with you on that point. And yes I am a fan of liesurepro, although they are not always the cheapest on certain things and so I also use divegearexpress and scubatoys.com