Bare Velocity 5/4 fit question

[andrethediver]

I got Bare Velocity 5/4 in ML size (my size according to the size chart). First I should say this is one tough suit to don - nothing like the much thinner Velocity 3/2 I tried on before. When I think about donning it on the boat in 90+ F heat as opposed to the air conditioned apartment - this might end up being a problem.

But once the suit is on and all suit parts seem where they should be - everything feels snug and tight with one exception - there seems to be a lot of slack in/around armpits. I am not sure whether the suit armpits are sitting lower than they supposed to because of the suit sleeves being on the short side or this is the way it is supposed to be - when I raise or extend my arms this neoprene slack stretches and looks like a pair of 'wings' underneath my arms...Does this sound like a fit problem? Thanks.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I dive in a Bare 5/4, in fact, it is my default suit.

Have you tried ensuring the suit is really pulled up on your shoulders? I always give mine a firm tug by grabbing the suit at the neck. I pull from one side then the other, then repeat. It seems to snug it tightly.

A 5/4 will be harder to don than a 3/2 --even with hyperstretch material. One trick is to use thin neoprene socks which will make your feet slide through the suit easier. However, if it's a 90 degree day you are going to have to work to get this suit on because your skin will be moist. If you really have problems doing that, try wearing a very thin full body undergarment which will help.

Jeff

 

[andrethediver]

I dive in a Bare 5/4, in fact, it is my default suit.

Have you tried ensuring the suit is really pulled up on your shoulders? I always give mine a firm tug by grabbing the suit at the neck. I pull from one side then the other, then repeat. It seems to snug it tightly.

A 5/4 will be harder to don than a 3/2 --even with hyperstretch material. One trick is to use thin neoprene socks which will make your feet slide through the suit easier. However, if it's a 90 degree day you are going to have to work to get this suit on because your skin will be moist. If you really have problems doing that, try wearing a very thin full body undergarment which will help.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I don't have particular problems getting it up to the crotch area but I think you might be right about shoulders not being all the way up. I guess I just want to make sure I don't rip the suit before I get a chance to use it in the water. I also noticed that it is completely impossible to zip the suit up without assistance. As I was donning/doffing the suit I noticed numerous wrinkles on the inside of the suit (although they don't seem to show when the suit is right side out) - is this normal for a new suit? I will give it a try using a dive skin tonight. Thanks.

 

[spectrum]

It sounds to me like you have a long torso and are in the wrong size. I suffer the same affliction. By Bare's chart I am a perfect XLS however that suit suit fits me just as yours fits you.

Bare has an awesome selection of sizes. The catch is that they do not provide a "torso circumference measurement. This is over the shoulder and back through the crotch and I bet you come up short there.

Measure yourself then lay the suit flat, measure it and double it. It should be very close to 1:1compared to you. In my case I ended up with the regular XL and the added length didn't bother the fit at all. You may need to get the tall variant if you're in a common size.

I happen to dive the 5/4 Velocity as well as 7mm Arctic and they are easy suits to don. Technique has a lot to do with it though. Here are some tips that work well for me.


As for your follow-up questions, check the fit as described here.

Pete

 

[andrethediver]

Pete, thanks a lot for your helpful links. I think you're absolutely correct about my torso being longer than the suit is designed for. I just donned the suit yet again (using recommended method which simplified it quite a bit) and confirmed that with crotch and shoulders being where they are supposed to be, the arm pits on the suit are located way lower (good 4") than arm pits on my torso, which causes previously described effect.

Honestly, as I am filling out RMA form I am a bit hesitant to order a tall version of the same suit - especially after trying on a number of Pinnacle Elastiprene suits at one of the local dive shops. Although I was surprised to see all Pinnacle suits having 'Made in China' label stiched to them (I thought it was a Thai brand) as well as absence of Bare style gaskets I really enjoyed the ease of donning these stretchy suits and did not have any problem with the rolled skin neck seal.

I recall a thread on this board suggesting 3mm Pinnacle is closer to a 5mm non-Pinnacle suit so I will probably go with either Bare 3/2 Velocity (that one was stretchy too), Bare Elastiprene 5mm, or one of the presumably warmer Pinnacle suits (potentially with additional 3mm vest as it was suggested) - that should be good enough for tropical destinations. Thanks for you input nonetheless.

It sounds to me like you have a long torso and are in the wrong size. I suffer the same affliction. By Bare's chart I am a perfect XLS however that suit suit fits me just as yours fits you.