Custom Wetsuits?

[kelemvor]

I own a Wetwear suit and haven't experienced any problems with it. I don't understand blaming the neoprene when some people's problems is the wrong thickness for the water temps they're diving.

because their marketing material repeatedly claims their neoprene is somehow superior enough that you can go to the next thinner size and be equivalent to competitors thicker size. e.g wetwear 3mm = scubapro 5mm for example. There are detailed videos on the site talking about it and they mention it in person. That's the why of it.

not that I'm saying we hate the suit, just that if you're ordering you should expect regular neoprene and you won't be disappointed.

 

[Bali1]

I find that the nitrogen neoprene does offer better warmth at depth. That said however pushing a 3mm where a 5mm is needed may be a bit aggressive and logically wrong. But the final decision gets made by the buyer and experience with your typical diving locations should give a better idea of what you need in various environments.

The suit I use fits me really well. Keeps me warm for diving I do. And is dead easy to doff/don whether dry or wet. My only complaint is that I need extra weight to counteract its surface buoyancy and that is not much of a complaint.

YMMV

 

[Dish]

@Skulmoski mentioned Carapace earlier. Saw this today. Might be something to check out.
http://gizmodo.com/this-custom-fitted-wetsuit-is-the-future-of-sports-gear-510266460

<Yes, I know that it is an article from 2013, but the review comes from someone outside of SB>

 

[Kensei]

Seems like most of the posters ordered 3 mil suits from Wetwear. It is not surprising that a thin suit would be flexible, but 7 mil is different.
Suits that are easy to get on and off are just not going to restrict water flow enough to stay warm on long dives when the temps are 60 degrees or less. Wherever there is a zipper, you are going to have some water intrusion.

I have a custom M&B 7 mil farmer john, attached hood, skin-in suit. The raw neoprene on the inside makes it a bear to get in and out of, but that, plus a front zipper that doesn't start until the upper abdomen, makes it a very warm suit. I've been comfortable in 48 degree water.

A 3 mill with lots of long zippers is going to let in more water, but that is probably an acceptable trade off in warm water. It isn't in cold water.

 

[Kensei]

@Skulmoski mentioned Carapace earlier. Saw this today. Might be something to check out.
http://gizmodo.com/this-custom-fitted-wetsuit-is-the-future-of-sports-gear-510266460

<Yes, I know that it is an article from 2013, but the review comes from someone outside of SB>

Carapace is no longer in business. One of the Carapace founders started a new company called 7till8 located in Gardena, CA. Go to 7till8.com

 

[charlier]

I have two custom fitted wetsuits from Elios, an Italian company. A local reseller in Thailand took my measurements and helped me decide about neoprene, outer and inner materials, thickness, and design. In my experience, the Elios wetsuits are warmer, more flexible, and provide a near perfect fit.

 

[Mr. Rubber]

Who makes them nowadays? Liquid Fit seems to have gone out of business. Wetwear is still making custom wetsuits but they use stiffer neoprene which I am not too fond of. Anyone else making custom wetsuits?

Surf ‘n Sea Custom Wetsuits have been making custom wetsuits since 1954.
They guarantee the fit & they guarantee the seems.
They glue the seem only, they don’t poke holes in the suit by sewing it.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Mr.Rubber

"Surf ‘n Sea Custom Wetsuits have been making custom wetsuits since 1954.
They guarantee the fit & they guarantee the seems.
They glue the seem only, they don’t poke holes in the suit by sewing it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Rubber
That is interesting -- very interesting-- all the way from the great state of Texas ! Wet suits in 1954 !
I was unaware that the wet suit concept of thermal protection had migrated east all the way to Texas in 1954

News to me

Perhaps you can elaborate and educate the masses ?

SDM

 

[JEEP PIRATE 08]

Anytime i see "Custom" i also see $$.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

because their marketing material repeatedly claims their neoprene is somehow superior enough that you can go to the next thinner size and be equivalent to competitors thicker size. e.g wetwear 3mm = scubapro 5mm for example. There are detailed videos on the site talking about it and they mention it in person. That's the why of it.

not that I'm saying we hate the suit, just that if you're ordering you should expect regular neoprene and you won't be disappointed.

I agree that their marketing on this is a little aggressive. But, I can say that their suit thickness will be significantly warmer that any comparable super-stretch neoprene, especially if you dive below 3 atm or 66'. They just do not compress nearly as much. I have a Bare Reactive 3mm super-stretch, and, while it is a very well made suit with excellent water sealing, it just gets cold at depth due to compression. I have a Waterproof 3mm with less compressible neoprene, and it is much warmer at depth.

Would my Waterproof "equate" to a Bare 5 mil super stretch? Maybe not quite, but it would be pretty close. If your diving is mainly shallow, then you won't notice as much difference and the stretchy 5 mil might be noticeably warner--but at depth the difference will not be so much.

My wife has a custom Wetwear 3mm. She says it is definitely warmer even than her Waterproof 3 mil. She wears it on manatee dive trips and has been in 68-72 degree water for two hours. While she is cool at the end, she is not shivering, and the people in the 3 mil rental suits are out of the water after an hour.

So, yes, get the Wetwear the same thickness as you would typically get for your diving conditions. It will be warmer than almost all other suits of the same thickness and really warmer if you dive deep. And no, don't go "one thickness less" thinking it will make up the difference just due to the lack of compression.


their Chamber testing was done with Rubatex neoprene, which was the best in the business. Rubatex was very stiff, however, and hard to doff and don. So, like always, there are tradeoffs. It seems Rubatex is not available any more for wetsuit construction, but the NCN that Wetwear uses is about the best you can get now in terms of low compression.