Apnea wetsuits for scuba diving

[rsirvine]

(I recently posted the following in a scuba forum but have received no responses. Perhaps someone here can help.)

I'm looking for scuba divers' experiences and suggestions on using apnea wetsuits for scuba. In an article, a diver discussed using an apnea suit in the Arctic. He wore a 7mm apnea suit in -2oC water for 70 minutes. I was impressed!!!

In the last few days I've talked to 4 or 5 local dive shops about apnea wetsuits. They know nothing. A couple thought "apnea" was a brand name. A distributor for a well known line of scuba equipment has apnea suits in the company catalog but knows nothing about them.

If you're using an apnea wet suit for scuba can you let me know what you think of it? I'm particularly interested in the thermal protection factor. Tobermory (Ontario) gets cold!

I've been in touch with with Elios, an apnea suit manufacturer in Italy. They offer apnea suits with a lining of some sort that makes the suit easier to get on. The water/soap approach isn't needed apparently. Your comments? Do these lined suits have the same thermal protection as other suits?

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[holdingmybreath]

most apnea suits have no zippers, an integrated hood, and come either lined or unlined. A custom fit apnea suit will surpass a scuba suit easily in warmth per mm of thickness. Types of neoprene also have a great affect on warmth due to compression, which will become more of an issue on scuba, as you will tend to be at depth for longer period of time and at the surface for much less time. I have really noticed this while wearing my freediving suit while scuba diving. It seems much more noticeable (the compression) with the higher end neoprenes than the cheaper, more dense ones. I have several freediving suits of varying quality and thickness. Realistically you could probably say a 5mm apnea suit compares to 7mm scuba suit or better.
I have been very comfortable with a 5mm custom freediving suit with an inexpensive 2mm standard suit over the top in some near freezing water while scuba diving, but was not that deep, maybe 40'. Freediving in freezing water with an unlined 5mm suit has been no problem, but a lined suit will let a bit more water in and not seal so well to the skin as an unlined. It is no fun putting on lube when it is freezing and windy outside though either.
All the scuba divers that move from a scuba suit to a good freediving suit, made of good quality neoprene, are amazed at the difference in warmth and surprised that they don't get wet when they enter the water. Many times I've taken off my unlined suit, and my swimsuit is still dry.
I understand that Elios makes some great apnea suits, some of the best.

 

[rsirvine]

Thanks for the response!!! Still no response on a scuba forum.

Moving from 7mm to 5mm seems amazing. The question is: "Do I have the nerve to do it?" I really don't like getting cold underwater! It takes the fun out of diving.

I'm not sure if I understand your comment about compression. Do apnea suits compress more or less than typical scuba wetsuits?

Again, thanks.

 

[DaleC]

I'm interested in this question too as I have been considering moving to a wetsuit for summer diving/freediving.
I can get a Bare 7mm fairly cheap but wonder if the compressability is an issue for freediving. Does an Apnea suit compress less?

 

[holdingmybreath]

the densities of the neoprene will be reflected in how much they compress. Of course, a higher density neoprene will compress less at depth than a a lower one. A company like Elios will be able to answer your questions much better. If you would send them an email, I would like to see their response posted here as to the pluses and minuses of going with low, high, or medium density neoprenes, and what densities are available across their lines of neoprene, i.e. yamamoto, heiwa, etc. I believe there is different densities within the makes of neoprene. Two of the suits I have are different densities, but also different thickness, so really can't compare.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

A freedive suit will work fine for Scuba diving. I use them all the time. Before a summer trip to Maine, I had a custom Elios suit made from 7 mm medium density Heiwa? neoprene. This was the material they recommended for scuba diving since it is more dense and will undergo less suit compression than some softer more flexible rubber.

The jacket was super warm and comfortable. I was able to use off the shelf 5 mm FJ pants with it and was comfortable in cold water.

Elios people know more about wetsuits than all the monkeys at the dive shops, I assure you. There is a little bit of a language issue with them and they take a while to get a custom suit built, but it is worth the wait.

I have a jacket with attached hood and no zipper. it is a little harder to get on and I need a buddy to take it off, but it is great and a custom suit from them is still relatively inexpensive compared to high end scuba suits.

I think you can even order a suit with the body made from 9mm rubber if you really want.

 

[PeterVV]

I prefer to scuba dive in my freedive suit. Since it is custom made for me with no zipper i can use a much thinner freedive suit compared to an ordinary scuba suit.

However, some freediving suits might have smoothskin on the outside for better hydrodynamic which is not suited for scuba diving because it is very fragile.

dumpsterDiver> I also had trouble getting out of my suit at first but now it is no problem with this technique: en_Vestizione

 

[rsirvine]

I prefer to scuba dive in my freedive suit. Since it is custom made for me with no zipper i can use a much thinner freedive suit compared to an ordinary scuba suit.

However, some freediving suits might have smoothskin on the outside for better hydrodynamic which is not suited for scuba diving because it is very fragile.

dumpsterDiver> I also had trouble getting out of my suit at first but now it is no problem with this technique: en_Vestizione

Thanks for the link. It's most useful!!!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I....
dumpsterDiver> I also had trouble getting out of my suit at first but now it is no problem with this technique: en_Vestizione

thanks! that is a good site and information, but my shoulders just don't work like those skinny european freedivers...

 

[Thalassamania]

That's the way I take off my unlined suit, except for the water bottle stuff that is, as far as I can tell, not needed. Actually, I reach down, cross my forearms and grab the bottom of the jacket on both sides between my thumbs and the second knuckle on my forefinger, then I just pull it up and over my body and arms. Not very hard to do.