Can you recommend a 5mm suit?

[DIVESeekers Jason]

Hi gNats,

I have to apologize in advance, I'm not a lady, however I do have 13+ years experience fitting Women and knowing what wetsuits will bring out the best of a women and make her look great!

The 5mm I am looking to purchase should be:

1) Comfortable. Easy to put on with a silk skin underneath.

2) Racy, sexy, feminine. LOL. Okay, my 7mm is black and boring and I feel like a dirty Michelan man in it. I want something that looks good and is very female looking.

3) Affordable.

#3 is a big one. I will probably only wear the 5mm on warm water dive trips. For really hot temp local diving I have the 7mm and will most likely dive dry year round in Michigan. I don't want to spend a lot of money for something that only gets maybe one use a year.

I'm thinking of a budget < $225. I am 5'2" about 110 lbs. equally proportioned. I would love to buy the Henderson hyperstretch 5mm, but really don't want to spend that kind of money for the limited use.

So, the only brand I am familiar with is Henderson. What other manufacturers should I consider for fit, look, and cost?

Well for starters, IMHO there is nothing that is going to bring out the curves of a women better than the Henderson 5mm Hyperstretch wetsuits! They are a bit on the expensive side but you do get what you pay for.

Next on my list would be the BARE 5/4 Velocity with Progressive Stretch!

* PROGRESSIVE STRETCH 5mm torso and 4mm arms/legs
* LUMBARE-X-TENDER panel in low-back (MenÃÔ & WomenÃÔ only)
* 3D anatomically correct shaping
* Contoured comfort collar and adjustable GLIDESEAL neck
* Heavy-duty PK back zipper with internal gasket
* Mid-forearm and mid-calf internal flip seals
* ARMOR-FLEX kneepads and ankle zippers
* Glued and blind stitched

Based on you're size you would need a size 6 for the Bare 5/4 Womens Velocity and if you decided to pony up and go with the Henderson 5mm Hyperstretch you would need a size 4

Please feel free to contact me at sales@diveseekers.com if you would like some more information on product and price!

Cheers

 

[DiveMaven]

I'll have to respectfully disagree with Jason on this one. I used to be a diehard Henderson Hyperstretch fan (owned 3 of them) until I realized they just aren't warm enough and tried a Pinnacle Elastiprene. Not only does the Pinnacle have the same great fit/stretch as the Hyperstretch, but IMO it is a far superior suit in warmth and construction. They aren't any cheaper than the Hendersons, but for the same price you can get the Merino lining in the Pinnacle suit, which gives you even that much more warmth.

I've sold all of my Henderson suits and replaced them with Pinnacle Elastiprene suits, that's how much I believe in them.

HOWEVER all that said, you should absolutely buy the suit that fits you best and meets your needs, regardless of what I or anyone else likes "best".

 

[diverkun]

I usually dive with henderson suits, but for a 5mm, I absolutely love my Pinnacle fusion suit. It has the merino lining as well as nice seals at the neck, legs and wrists, so it feels warmer that I would expect from a 5mm suit. My wife has 'borrowed' it on many occasions. That's my 2 cents.

Pinnacle Aquatics

 

[K9Pig]

Sorry, I am not trying to invade the women's forum....

My daughter is the same size as you(last summer), and I purchased her the Pinnacle Cruiser 5mm and she loved it the four fresh water dives that it fit her. My little girl is growing up to fast.... I would just like to add that Pinnacle makes a great product and I don't believe you would be disappointed at all. The only thing about Pinnacle is BLACK, Black, black with a little bit of maybe red or blue here and there...

 

[scubamickey]

I have a 5mm Henderson GoldCore that I use for all Caribbean diving regardless of water temp. The GoldCore lining is like silk and the suit almost like diving in a semi-dry. It's expensive but I will never go back to a regular neoprene wetsuit. Nothing keeps me warmer and it's very comfortable. I'm 5' 3 1/4 and the size 8 is a perfect length for my 30 in inseam.

Already have the vest and I'm getting the booties next. I love that GoldCore lining.