Buying a wetsuit - spending more or less $$

[CUunderH2O]

Hi all,

I debated whether to post this under newbie or not, but ...

I had the opportunity to try on a Henderson Hypestretch full core combo (full 7 with core warmer shorty on top) this weekend, and it was awesome; easy to put on, fits like a glove. Only thing is it's 799 CDN, which I can't afford right now. The other problem I found was the velcro stuck to it very easily so I'm afraid it would start to look bad soon (bad for resale). I also tried on a Pinnacle full Polar, without the Merino lining. It's 399 CDN, and the merino-lined Elite is 499 CDN. I'm thinking of going with the Elite, mostly because I'm a newbie and I still need to buy a reg set, BC and numerous other accessories, so I don't want to spend too much on the wetsuit yet, yet I still want to be warm. The water was 63 degrees last week, so I'm hoping I'll be warm enough for the rest of the summer with the Elite.
My question is, am I better off spending less on the suit now and saving for a good reg/bc? Or it it better to spend more $$ now on everything, since it should last for a while? And, since I only saw one thread on Pinnacle suits, are they really good? They seem to fit me well, which I guess is what really counts, but not many shops seem to carry them. I'm doing my OW this weekend, so I'm also wondering whether I should wait until after that to order the suit. Am I getting ahead of myself?

TIA for any replies

 

[RIDIVER501]

Everyone who has bought the henderson hyperstrecth suit, from the shop I teach for, love em. I am personally diving one of the seaquest iso-flex suits and really like that. But my recommendation is to buy the gear that is most comfortable to you.

top two reason most diver stop diving, 1 no buddy, 2 hate their gears' fit or function, diving becomes a hassel so they stop doing it.

 

[aquaoren]

IMHO a good thermal protection is something that is frequently underestimated.
What good are the best BC and regs if you are cold and not enjoying the dive? I am not even talking about the increased risks of diving when undercooled
The brand of the suit is less important than a proper fit and if the Pinnacle suit fits you well than by all means. If you are not really happy with the fit, don't buy it and look for something that would fit you better. The resale value for the suit should be less of a consideration because suits are items that really wear off esp. if you're diving frequently.
The price you named appears to be fairly high. For $100 more you can already get a dry suit package from couple reputable companies (Whites, Bare).
This may be the way to go anyway if you are planning to dive in Canada all year around.
You may want to look for the Henderson suit online, esp. now when you know the right size

 

[ShakaZulu]

I think you are paying to much............check PM

 

[ChrisA]

Hi all,

I debated whether to post this under newbie or not, but ...

I had the opportunity to try on a Henderson Hypestretch full core combo (full 7 with core warmer shorty on top) this weekend, and it was awesome; easy to put on, fits like a glove. Only thing is it's 799 CDN,

TIA for any replies

I'd almost recomend taking a plane to California and buying a suit here. I think you'd break even. You can buy something decent for US$125. or get a tripple-L 7mm suit for half that. No doubt you get what you pay for but it's not linear. If $XX gets you something servicable you have to pay double that for the next increment in quality and double again for the next increment.

I think I'd go for the "servicable" wet suit and save the money for a dry suit. With wetsuits "fit" is everything. If yu are hard to fit then a "hyperstretch" material can help, but if you are lucky and have the "standard" body shpe/size cheaper material will do just fine.

 

[CUunderH2O]

Thanks for your help; I've checked out online retailers (LeisurePro), and with exchange, tax & duty it works out to the same price as I was quoted, for the Henderson Hyperstretch. I've also been looking at a Bare suit, as the Arctic SGS is only $269 CDN, but no-one in town has a size that will even remotely fit me. I've also been told Bare's prices will be rising soon, so it would be nice to find a suit soon.

The problem is that I don't have a 'standard' body, as I have bigger hips but I'm small on top. Most wetsuits I've tried on seem to be made for small-hipped women, so they don't fit me. Except, of course, the Hyperstretch.

Does anyone know of a Canadian online scuba retailer? I haven't been able to find one yet. At least I wouldn't have to pay duty or estimate exchange rates.

I'm beginning to think I should shop around some more, maybe visit some dive shops around the US border. Does anyone know of a dive shop in the Alexandria Bay or Thousand Islands Bridge area that has a good stock of wetsuits? I'm thinking of heading to Syracuse sometime in the next month, so anything in that general vicinity is good.

 

[CUunderH2O]

One more question: if I try on a suit in one wetsuit brand that's a 3 mm, would the same brand of suit, different style & 7 mm fit me? I've heard that the thinner the neoprene, the stretchier the suit, so I'm thinking that the answer is probably no. (there's a surf shop in town that has Bare Velocity 3mm suits, I figured I could try one on for size)

 

[ScubaFishee]

One more question: if I try on a suit in one wetsuit brand that's a 3 mm, would the same brand of suit, different style & 7 mm fit me? I've heard that the thinner the neoprene, the stretchier the suit, so I'm thinking that the answer is probably no. (there's a surf shop in town that has Bare Velocity 3mm suits, I figured I could try one on for size)

The answer is maybe.

I've found I need a smaller size in the thinner suit of some brands. But a friend fits the same size perfectly in all the thicknesses.

Best to try it on to know for sure.

 

[MookieMoose]

Thanks for your help; I've checked out online retailers (LeisurePro), and with exchange, tax & duty it works out to the same price as I was quoted, for the Henderson Hyperstretch. I've also been looking at a Bare suit, as the Arctic SGS is only $269 CDN, but no-one in town has a size that will even remotely fit me. I've also been told Bare's prices will be rising soon, so it would be nice to find a suit soon.

The problem is that I don't have a 'standard' body, as I have bigger hips but I'm small on top. Most wetsuits I've tried on seem to be made for small-hipped women, so they don't fit me. Except, of course, the Hyperstretch.

Does anyone know of a Canadian online scuba retailer? I haven't been able to find one yet. At least I wouldn't have to pay duty or estimate exchange rates.

I'm beginning to think I should shop around some more, maybe visit some dive shops around the US border. Does anyone know of a dive shop in the Alexandria Bay or Thousand Islands Bridge area that has a good stock of wetsuits? I'm thinking of heading to Syracuse sometime in the next month, so anything in that general vicinity is good.

If you don't mind a bit of a trip, there's a fabulous shop in St. Catharines, ON called Dan's Dive Shop - they stock just about every major brand, and always have a variety of sizes, etc. You can check them out online at www.dansdiveshop.ca

Cam