Buying my first suit (5mm) - advice and reco?

[JDelage]

All,

I'm buying my first suit. I need a 5mm, and I think I'd like a front zipped one.

What are people's recommendation on shopping for a suit? Are there brands that are consistently considered good value?

Thanks,

JD

 

[buddhasummer]

Henderson make nice suits. Fit is the most important aspect. This may be obvious but make sure you're buying a suit thickness suitable for your coldest water temps and your personal cold tolerance levels. It's better too warm than cold. You can always cool down in a suit but it's virtually impossible to warm up if cold.

I'm not a fan of front zip suits and although only tried one once I didn't like it, it didn't seem to stem water influx as much a back zip suit.

There are different types of neoprene, Yamamoto is very highly regarded but I'm unsure if any larger manufacturers use it or not. I had a custom suit made out of it, thanks Seaquel NZ, some years ago and after several hundred dives it still looks new and hasn't lost any of its insulation. Good luck.