Custom vs stock wetsuits

[hdtran]

I'm going to buy my wife a 5mm wetsuit for a Christmas present. I can either guess at her size & get an off-the-shelf model, or measure her & get a custom-tailored model. While off-the-shelf sounds nice, the problem is that if you go by the standard sizing charts, she's, say P on the height, but Q on weight and R on inseam.

Any experience out there? (Especially from less vertical women?)

Thanks!

 

[goodknight411]

I am 5'2 and wear a stock wetsuit in a M. I don't know how horizontal your wife might be but i'm fairly slim and the wetsuit fits ok, but people much chunkyer than me have worn it. (they were a good 4 inches taller too.) My legs are on the short side( very short) and the legs fit fine on me and the taller people too. The arms are a little long, but not much.
I don't know anything about customs other than they're pricey.

There's always the possibility of just giving her a card that says your going to buy her a wetsuit of her choice. Then you know she'll get the one she wants.

 

[orangeBloke]

If you can I'd go with custom made as it'll fit better and be a lot more cosy in the water. I've had my last couple made as I couldn't get an off the peg one to fit me right all over

 

[Diver Kat]

Being short (5'4") and not skinny ... I ended up with a Henderson Hyperstretch full suit - after trying on an assortment of other brands. I loved it so much, I just bought a shorty for warmer waters. It's made to stretch much more than a regular wetsuit, so it stretches where I need it, and stays snug in all the other spots. My daughter - the exact opposite of me - is tall and slender - she also choose a Hyperstretch as it didn't choke her like the other suits she tried. For an off the rack, it's a great choice. And the full suit is now 2 years old, and holding up great.

 

[spectrum]

Unless she's a dead ringer for a stock size a blind purchase is iffy at best. Maybe you could take your best guess at your LDS with the understanding that she may be in for a fitting and exchange. A good fir is very important. A surprise trip to just got get it may also work but that won't out it under the tree.

As for custom that's the way to go if she's not an off the rack gal. I wouldn't count on being clandestine however since something close to 2 dozen measurements are required. Cost is not an issue as iit's comparable to an off the rack suit. We've had great luck with Liquid Fit but many others are mentioned in currrent related threads. This was also our solution to a less vertical spose, off the rack just not possoble, custom suit... priceless.

Pete

 

[hdtran]

Thanks for the advice; I'm leaning custom. I'm trying to figure out a way to creatively take those measurements (Dear, I need to measure the distance from your elbow to your wrist, so that I can figure out how far to put the dishes in the cabinet...)

 

[MsParamedic]

Why not make up some sort of gift certificate for her! I would reccommend calling Carolyn with LiquidFit. If you do a search on here, you'll thousands of satisfied customers. I have 3 of her suits and couldn't be happier!

 

[Scuba65]

If she's like me i had to go with a custom..i have a skinsuit for doing caribbean diving..and no matter what i had to have it custom since i'm fairly short...5'2 and not heavy, but not slim so the only way to go was with a custom.

 

[reefsong]

I'm with DiverKat on this one. I absolutely LOVE my Henderson hyperstretch and so will your wife. Buy one that's the closest in size to her pant size. This suit is so stretchy and will conform to so many different body types that it's sure to fit her well and give her lots of warmth and comfort. She will love you for buying her this suit!

 

[goodknight411]

I have a comment about the Hyperstrech.
My brother got one about 3 months ago. Now he's only done around 30 or so dives in it, but it has already started fading and the seams are coming out. The material also seems predisposed to holes.

I don't know if he just got a bum or if this is a serious problem. He has also told me that the Hyperstrech isn't as warm as traditional wetsuits.