Aqualung SolAfx 8/7mm Semi-dry

[jimdiverman]

Here is what I have come to realize about wetsuits and cold water... they are great if you are not going too deep. A dive in 40 degree water at 50 feet is not equal to a dive in 40 degree water at 100 feet. After carefully listening to all of the posts here, and my own experience, there is a sliding scale for how deep you can go based on the water temperature and the thickness of the suit. It sounds like this would be a great thesis for a college kid to do a study on. What is the level of tolerance based on a given starting thickness of wetsuit 3mm, 5mm, 7mm, etc. and how does that change as the depth is increased and the temperature is decreased? What is the length of time that a person can stay at the depth? What is the person's body type / body fat? how much exertion is required in the dive, i.e. current, waves, surge, etc.? There are so many factors that all have to do with an individual's comfort in a given suit and a given body of water. The novice diver just can't take all these factors into consideration on top of the need to weigh cost of exposure protection against all the other gear that needs to be purchased. Certainly, the exposure suit is one of the most important. If you have ever been cold on a dive, then you know how important it is to not be cold.

Anyway, I had to bring my dry suit to dive in San Diego because diving deep (>100 feet) in even an 8 mm can be cold due to compression at depth. The research that needs to be done, and maybe someone has, is at what depth can someone dive at what temperature with what thickness for how long before they get too cold and need to ascend to warmer waters? If I am not planning to exceed the NDL for a given dive, then I can probably get away with a suitable wetsuit, just as diving in colder water for longer periods doing decompression dives usually requires a dry suit for comfort. But what is suitable? This question could be and should be more scientifically researched.

Of course, people are all individuals and there are a lot of variables, but I think this would make for an interesting study.

 

[mastakebob]

I just bought one on Saturday and did some free diving on Sunday.
Ups: Worked really well. never felt at all cold (water was probably a bit under 60 degrees). Very comfortable and easy to get into and out of (mostly, see below). Stretches well so you can move. good seals.
Downs: not 100% self zipperable (at least not easily). The across the chest zipper is easy for all but the last 5 inches. The zipper goes from your left should to your right shoulder, so you have to use your right arm to zip up. For the first 95% its fine (just grab tether and pull). however, the last 5 inches or so it gets difficult due to your arm not being able to touch its own elbow. So basically the suit bunches up and you don't have any more leverage to pull on the zipper and you can't zip it anymore without help. Also, really REALLY buoyant (not really a down).

 

[jamon]

Question: anyone know the positive boyancy of this suit, both on the surface and at depth (with compression)? I got mine from Leisurepro for $323, and I Love it- keeps me toasty in Monterrey.

 

[stargost]

I have feedback but also questions on thick wetsuits:

I have tried the following (but not in the water - yet):

1/- Aqualung Solafx : it is very comfortable, and easy to get in/out. Price is good at LP, and LDS seems to reduce the ASP. Front zipper works pretty well, and you can get in this suit alone. The quality of the aqualung material doesn't seem reliable. I'm not sure I really like the integrated hood.

2/ Pinnacle ME 7 : the merino makes this suit very comfortable as well. I'd say maybe little better than the AL. It is also little cheaper, but is a 7mm, and has back zipper (and you cannot get it done your self). It has leg zipper as well, which is this case is a +.

3/ Pinnacle Kodiak. Waouw ! This one is actually in another league. Thicker and More expensive. No hood but really good protection around neck, arm and legs. The neck seal is actually little too tight. Woudl fit what I had in mind as a semi-dry.
Now, it is a real nightmare to get in and out of the kodiak. And you'd better get into cold water fast, otherwise, you'd die ! At 500$, and with the pain to get in/out, it raises the question about used drysuit anyway.

4/ BoddyGlove x3 7mm, which is the one I'm using in the water now as a rental. at below 200$, it seems a good deal, it fits ok, but you can tell it is in the lower league than the others. Maybe. (the fact that this brand is chosen for rental makes me wonder this suit may be extra good quality !)

It seems that the 2 pinnacle are much much better quality than the Aqualung. But it may be just perception, as material are different. I have heart many time that a full stretch (like AL solafx) is not good at depth at it'd compress more.

But here is my biggest problem: SIZE !
I just fit in L size, but in this case:
- The Aqualung hood is far too tight - at the neck -> blocking point. I will have to take the XL, but then it is a little (just a little) loose.

- The Kodiak 'L' is too tight at the neck, and the 'XL' is good except at the chest where it is far too loose then...

- The Pinnacle ME7 'L' is almost ok, but also tight, and XL is little loose between arm and chest.

Conclusion = you'd better try a suit before making a decision (obvious isn't it !?)

I'm diving with a boddy glove x3 7mm now, 'L' size and it fits ok. The 'L' new is kind of the same, maybe on the loose side.

So here are the questions:
- Is 8m will really be much warmer (especially at depth) than 7mm ?

- Will dry suit of 7mm or more will have a tendency to shrink a little over time (which is my thinking), or is it the opposite by your experience ?
When you all experienced 'cold water guys' try new wetsuit, are you getting the same size as what you use for shirts, or one up ?

Thanks !

 

[leabre]

Response to Stargost:

My Hnderson Hyperstretch (Gen 1) was an excellent suit for my first few dives, and in warmer waters (it is 7mm) (and by warmer, I mean when it is >69* here) but at depth I have never felt such powerful chills to the point I cannot continue the dive.

I go back and change the Henderson out for the AquaLung SolAfx and continue the dive and I have no problems. My AL has well well into about 170 SoCal shore dives and stil looks and feels as if the first dive. Could be my body configuration but the hood is a perfect fit and the neck is perfect (I'm an XL in size, being 6'2" and 225 LBS).

Thanks for your writeup. I haven't tried any other "stretchy" wetsuits than these I mention. But I'll say this, even if I'm in a group dive (rare for me), they'll everyone of them abort the dive for chills at 80' and I won't be terribly affected by it (computer registers 52* at that depth). So I'm not particularily worried about he AL, but the Henderson would have prevented me from continuing that depth and temperature for long. I think the Henderson (Gen 1) material is significantly more comparessable than the AL.

 

[bigsnowdog]

I really like mine; it is very warm and quite dry. No noticeable circulation inside. You get in the water and the only thing you notice get wet is your feet.

My only downside to it is I can't get in and out of it by myself, but I don't care....