Apnea wetsuits for scuba diving

[quasimoto]

Most of my scuba diving has been done using freediving suits. At the Channel Islands in Southern California, I use an off the shelf 3mm Omer suit that is skin-in, and it keeps me plenty warm in 60-70 degree water for hours. Under 60 degrees I get cold after an hour or two, depending on what kind of diving I'm doing. But I just ordered a 7mm Elios suit with nylon elastic outside and a black lining inside (not nylon), and will be using it for scientific scuba diving in Northern California, and it should be plenty warm. It should be here in a few days, and I'll let you guys know how it works out.

 

[Blackfinn]

Big fan of Elios; but also look at Mareasub.

 

[CompuDude]

Good info, thanks!

 

[Thalassamania]

Forget Elios, forget Mareasub, get yourself a custom suit made out of Rubatex N-231, there is no comparison for warmth and it will last twice as long.

Writing on another board a suprised scuba diver who took a freediving class observed about an "apena suit" made from inferior (thouh as he describes it "hideously expensive") Yamamoto neoprene:

Was it warm? Well, I spent 3 hours the second day in 59 degree water relatively motionless, and was chilled. The next two days, I was toasty (63 degrees, 3 hours) and warm (59 degrees, 2 hours). They were right – there really is a difference with a freediving suit.

 

[rsirvine]

Many thanks to everyone who responded to my original post regarding apnea suits and scuba diving. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated. I'll be ordering an apnea suit in the next week or so. I'll be doing it with much more confidence than I had a few weeks ago. Again, thanks!!!!

 

[htn123]

rsirvine,
I know this is a little late but here is a great site for apnea suit
Suits, Diving Apnea. Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba

I have the cressi sub 5mm. It was great for diving in California and in Baja free diving. I am in Tampa now and it is a bit hot in 5mm.

Cressi made some awesome suits. The inner linning is open cell, slick as it gets. All I need is a bottle of water with a little hair conditioner. Pour it in there and I just glide in like butter.

Hope that help.

 

[rsirvine]

Most of my scuba diving has been done using freediving suits. At the Channel Islands in Southern California, I use an off the shelf 3mm Omer suit that is skin-in, and it keeps me plenty warm in 60-70 degree water for hours. Under 60 degrees I get cold after an hour or two, depending on what kind of diving I'm doing. But I just ordered a 7mm Elios suit with nylon elastic outside and a black lining inside (not nylon), and will be using it for scientific scuba diving in Northern California, and it should be plenty warm. It should be here in a few days, and I'll let you guys know how it works out.

Hi,
This is a MUCH belated response. Did you get the Elios 7mm? What do you think of it?
What conditions are you diving in? What was it like to deal with Elios?

I was going to order an Elios 7mm last year but some family matters sprung up suddenly and diving was put on the back burner for most of the summer.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Ross Irvine

 

[Seabird62]

Just asked Picasso the question about freediving suits for scuba. This is what they said:

Warmth
- Freediving suits use open cell neoprene they have no additional fabric
materials lining the interior neoprene. Freediving neoprene is closer to the
skin, thus warmer and the open cell neoprene literally "clings" like a second
skin. Additional fabric material and zippers add bulk, increase the space of
the neoprene from the skin as well as water entry.
- Scuba suits generally have zippers which allow more water entry and bulk -
freediving suits are generally two piece suits with a farmer john or waist band
a a jacket with intergated hood. The open cell neoprene and this design greatly
reduces water entry.


Compression
- Open cell neoprene has a higher compression rate than the closed cell
neoprene used in scuba suits (contraction and expansion of the neoprene).
- As the freediver descends the open cell neoprene contracts and at ascension
expands quickly - allowing greater flexibility and less muscle fatigue. The
open cell neoprene decreases the diver's energy and oxygen use.
- Freediving suits are not recommended for scuba because of the greater
compression rate of the open cell neoprene. Open cell neoprene will compress
quicker at deep depths. It is chosen for freediving suits because the diver is
expected to descend and ascend within a matter of minutes. As for a scuba diver
the neoprene will remain in a compressed state for a longer period of time which
will decrease the thickness of the neoprene much more quickly (i.e. a 7 mm open
cell suits will become "thinner" with each dive).

Overall
- A freediving suit maximizes a freedivers energy and oxygen use - the reduction
of materials provides increased flexibilty and clings to the skin, during
descension the suit works with the diver not against.

- Not recommended for scuba diving because open cell neoprene will compress
and remain in a compressed state.

 

[Crock]

(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!!!

I also dive in Tobermory. Are you only comparing 7mm scuba to 5mm freedive? Is the 5mm freedive as warm as a 14mm scuba suit? if not what is?

 

[cmburch]

A freedive suit is not recommend for SCUBA. In general, the freedive suits that I use will not last as long as a SCUBA wetsuit. They are easier to tear and some the seams come apart easier. I use a 5mm Farmer John for Southern California and a 7mm for Northern California same as SCUBA divers.

They compress more at depth (see SeaBird62 post), so I assume a 7mm freedive Farmer John would be comparable to a 5 mm SCUBA Farmer John at 60 feet for a SCUBA diver due to compression.

I use an Xcel 9/7/6 mm one piece with integrated hood for SCUBA down to 46F. It has Yamamoto neoprene.