Drysuit for a short female?

[PegsInSpace]

I'm looking for my first drysuit. I'm still open to shell or compressed neoprene (I can see the pros and cons of each) and money is a concern. This biggest issue is going to be my size - I'm only 5'1", but still fairly normally proportioned for a female (except for being short) at 125lbs. Any suggestions/help/info/recommendations? Thanks!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Find an os systems dealer. I went with that because they offer a good product and semi or full custom fitting is available. I got a medium but I'm only 5'7" and needed to have the legs shortened by 2 inches over the stock size. when they do this they also alter the undergarments for you if you buy the set as a package. my hd pro front entry with relief zipper(you don't need this so it will save a few bucks) hood, dry glove sytem, and light and heavy undergarments including socks, and bag was about 1650 including tax and shipping. Don't let them try to sell you stock unless it fits and the measurements are on no matter what brand you go with. measuring properly takes about 20 min or so and involves about 40 different measurements so it's not hard. there is a chart that shows every one and they just fill in the blanks. you may be stock but I doubt it given your height. I run into this all the time because most suits, wet or dry, are if a medium the legs are too long or if small the chest is too small. I'm not long legged but I work out and have a 32 inch waist which can be small or medium but a 42 inch chest and back combo which is a large.Most larges are for 5'9 or 5'10 to 6 something. If you're spending the bucks on a dry suit anyway go for proper fit. It's not worth the aggravation or possible risks to go with close enough is good enough.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

And welcome to the board!!

 

[devolution365]

Hey! I'm not in the market for a dry suit (yet), but post whatever you find to this thread. I'm almost exactly your size (5'1"/135)!

 

[Diver Lori]

A good friend of mine is 5'1" also....normal build. She has DUI off the rack. At one time, two of my dive buddies were the tallest and shortest DUI had fit. Not sure if they still have the record or not.

 

[PegsInSpace]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'll let you know what I learn.

 

[Scottri]

OSSystems makes good suits as does USIA. I have a custom fit USIA suit and it fits very well. They don't charge much for the custom charges and they get the suit to you pretty quickly.