Are all 7mm wetsuits created equal?

[Searcaigh]

I'll chuck in my CDN0.01 worth.

1. Don't buy anything online, you need to try a suit on first before cash or cc is handed over.

2. If it's not made in the country you are buying in, then it will have attracted shipping charges, import duty etc., which will be reflected in the price.

3. There are different grades of neoprene as pointed out by @Eric Sedletzky

I've bought all of my suits in brick and mortar shops in Saudi, UAE, Singapore, USA and the UK.

Mares suits fit me well, but I've never been able to find a Waterproof suit that fits me at all despite the fact I would like one and some friends use them.

My current wardrobe of wetsuits are all Fourth Element, certainly not cheap where I live but they fit me so I'm willing to pay the extra price.

To be honest it's all hit and miss, which is why going to a dive shop to try on a suit is so important, as I don't have the luxury of made to measure locally.

Good luck in your search.

Oh and if you find a good pair of dive boots, buy two pairs.

 

[Dogbowl]

I'll chuck in my CDN0.01 worth.

1. Don't buy anything online, you need to try a suit on first before cash or cc is handed over.

2. If it's not made in the country you are buying in, then it will have attracted shipping charges, import duty etc., which will be reflected in the price.

3. There are different grades of neoprene as pointed out by @Eric Sedletzky

I've bought all of my suits in brick and mortar shops in Saudi, UAE, Singapore, USA and the UK.

Mares suits fit me well, but I've never been able to find a Waterproof suit that fits me at all despite the fact I would like one and some friends use them.

My current wardrobe of wetsuits are all Fourth Element, certainly not cheap where I live but they fit me so I'm willing to pay the extra price.

To be honest it's all hit and miss, which is why going to a dive shop to try on a suit is so important, as I don't have the luxury of made to measure locally.

Good luck in your search.

Oh and if you find a good pair of dive boots, buy two pairs.

I’d change that $0.01 to another denomination if I were you. CAD don’t get much respect.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have wetsuits from BARE, PINNACLE, Edge, and Wetwear. 5mm in the 1st two and 3mm in the last 3. My wetwear 3mm is as warm as my BARE 5 at depth. This is due to it being made of the G231 neoprene that doesn't compress as much as any other off the rack wetsuit neoprene I've seen. It's also a full custom $900 retail cost 3mm. I got mine for less at a DEMA deal in 2013. I just bought a Mako 5mm free diving suit that is really warm and a lot easier to get on than a 7mm but takes some special precautions being an open cell suit.
I have only had a handfull of 7mm suits on. All in the pool because if it's cool enough for a 7mm I'm wearing one of my drysuits that are easier than any 7 to put on and much warmer in and out of the water.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Interesting thread with very interesting comments...


If I were in the market for a suit I would not hesitate to go with Eric's suggestion

Sam Miller, 111

 

[aquacat8]

Thanks @Sam Miller III ! Love knowing the history.

 

[aquacat8]

Wow this video was worth watching... now I understand why the old backplate divers that had Rubatex wetsuits did not have the buoyancy shift and did not need BC's and probably were warmer, but I'm thinking that material needs to fit, I'm guessing it does NOT stretch to fit. Is that right @Sam Miller III ?
Chamber Test - Wetwear Custom Ez-on Wetsuit

 

[Geobound]

@Eric Sedletzky That is a great deal of information, thanks very much for taking the time to write that out. You also answered a question that I hadn't asked, and that's the difference between free diving and scuba diving wetsuits with the same mm rating. I don't ever expect to get top quality items for bottom basement pricing, but was confused with the whole price range.

@Searcaigh Thanks for your tips. I have definitely tried a few on as I know that the fit and finish vary greatly, but was surprised to learn the difference of just what exactly a 7mm means? The lingo is confusing, and I would have thought that all 7mm would be relatively close in terms of warmth. A little disappointing to find out that the only equal warmth they share, is the change room you are trying them in on.

I get a lot of our friends south of the border trying to direct me to good websites (which I greatly appreciate), but this so called free trade is anything but free, and the prices vary significantly. As mentioned before, I'm actually getting stuff shipped in from the UK and Europe cheaper than I am from the US.........which is just sad, and doesn't make any sense at all?

@Jim Lapenta Thanks for taking the time to reply Jim. I agree that a drysuit is ultimately the way to go, but cost is a significant thing right now. Plus I would like to experience the wetsuit dive for a while. I feel I would be skipping a big learning curve step.

@Sam Miller III Thanks for the history lesson sam, I wasn't aware of that. Or more properly put......I hadn't really thought about looking it up, so thanks for teaching me something new today.

I do tend to agree that the warmth of a wetsuit is relative to the person, but there has to be some similarities between manufacturer A and various body types. Just as there would be for manufacturer B and C and so on.

So if there is an overwhelming large populous of people claiming that manufacture C keeps them warmer at depth than say Manufacturer A had, then it may not be as scientific as yours and other controlled testing was, but at least this is real world tests that I can relate to.

@aquacat8 Thanks for the link, that was pretty interesting to watch.

 

[drbill]

Having gone through a zillion 7mm wetsuits in my 56 years on SCUBA, I can offer a scientifically correct assessment... NO, they are not all the same (in terms of thermal protection, fit, durability, etc). I would never pay $300 much less $600 for a new wetsuit either. But then I'm a starving marine biologist.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

@Geobound
I didn’t really explain the differences in cut and features between freediving suits and scuba suits, so here goes.
Freediving suits are typically made out of unlined raw neoprene inside and many use a camo print outside so freedivers can hide in kelp to stalk fish. I also believe the camo thing has become trendy too to some degree. Freediving suits typically are made from very soft stretchy material of different qualities (determines price point). They are all two piece john/jacket with a thin beavertail with attached hood and no zippers. They are generally a European cut which is more slender and athletic than the American cut. They’re more fitted for skinny young people with low body fat. The suits are soft and stretchy so that they will conform better to a hard defined body. They also go by centimeters for sizing, so like a 60 cm would be an XXL, a 58 would be an XL, etc.
Scuba suits can also be two piece john jacket beavertail attached hood skin in, but the difference will be the density of the material, a wider beavertail, and they will have zippers. They will also more than likely not be camo because most all camo material is made for freediving suits.
Scuba suits also come in one piece to be used with a hooded vest, or a two piece john jacket with no hood also to be used with a bib hood or hooded vest. Then there is the step in style with angled zipper all the way up the front. These are warm but they reduce freedom of hip movement with all the rubber around your legs.
There is generally more variety of cuts and styles for scuba suits.
By the way, Yamamoto has 7mm in a high quality soft material for freediving, and they also have a 7 mil denser material that can be used for deep freediving or scuba. They also make a 9mil dense material which is really nice and really expensive. I priced a custom suit once out of the 9mil dense and it was going to be over 1K!
I’m going to see what options JMJ can offer me with upgraded material and more thickness. I need it for 45 to 48 degree water.
I have a 1/2” Rubatex suit but the material is old and it got stiff. Impossible to use now, makes me so sad

 

[Themerrydiver]

Minnesotans are a tough bunch! If I go ahead and get a 5mm in addition to my 3mm, it will be a super stretch. Can't stand the tugging and pulling on other types of wetsuits. That's where I wuss out