farmer john or full length?

[theslyfox01]

hi guys I'm off to thailand and im going to get a wetsuit made for myself over there through 'Hot Wave Wetsuits' who are based in Phuket. Does anyone know if there good wetsuits?

My main query is what would I be better off with - a full length suit or a farmer john suit, I thought the full length was a better choice because its less buoyant but if anyone has any good points for the farmer let me know.

Also I'll be diving in water temperatures ranging from 10-20 degrees celcius (50 - 65f)

Would I be best off getting a 7mm suit for this weather or would I be better off with a 5mm suit wearing a hood for extra protection.

Thanks guys. let me know if you have any ideas

PS the wetsuit companys website is at http://hotwavephuket.com/ if your interested

 

[deanmartin]

I don't know about Hot Wave Wetsuits.

The water temps here in California are about the same as you mentioned. I dive with a 7mm one piece with a hooded vest. The vest is 3mm in the body with a 5mm hood.

Have a safe trip. Good luck with your new suit

 

[cyklon_300]

used in the suit.

I recently dived with a friend who has a custom suit he bought in the Philipines. Altho it was a good fit, it was quite thick, did not provide much warmth, and was ungodly buoyant. He used a ton of weight and still struggled to get this balloon suit submerged.

Find out if the 'imported' material the manufacturer is using is a high-quality grade of neoprene.

Personally, I like two-piece suits. I've previously used a two-piece 6mm, hood and gloves for temps around 50F. For 65F, I'd use a two-piece 3mm w/ hood and gloves. You can also add a vest if needed.

Comfort depends on your personal thermal tolerances (percent body fat, etc.), tho..you might be fine in a 5mm or freezing in a 7mm...

 

[Scubaroo]

I used a 7mm semi-dry (one piece) in Melbourne and was toasty warm. Seeing as the water can get as warm as 20C, I wouldn't go for the two piece - you would probably overheat. A good 7mm one-piece wetsuit or semi-dry, with a decent hood, should be all you need.

 

[PnL]

We're from So. California as well and my wife and I dive in a full 7mm suit when the water is in the mid-60's and above. When it goes below that we use a 7mm vest on top of the full suit ... I hate the vest because I need so much extra weight, but it keeps me warm. We opted for the full suit + vest instead of a farmer john/vest two-piece because we can always just use the 7mm full suit when its not that cold. With the farmer john you almost always have to wear the vest unless its really warm, in which case you probably won't be using a 7mm anyway. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to get the hood integrated. I don't ever see a time when I will dive in SoCal w/o a hood. The separate hood can sometimes leak if not properly sealed during the dive which sends lots of cold water into the suit! Brrrrrr!!!!

As always, IMHO.

Paul

 

[PnL]

As far as the quality of neoprene I agree somewhat with cyklon_300, but my understanding was that low quality neoprene will compress so much that it squeezes out the insulating gas bubbles in the neoprene, thereby negating the insulating effects of neoprene. Additionally, this compression could result your 7mm becoming a 3 mil if it compresses too much. Also, the life cycle of low quality neoprene is very limited (because of the aforementioned reduction of insulating gas bubbles in the neoprene) so you'll end up buying another wetsuit shortly ... better to get high quality wetsuits from the get-go IMO.

 

[stiebs]

I do most of my diving in Melbourne and swear by my 7mm johns.

It keeps me warm all year around. Can be a bit warm during summer walking along the pier between car and boat, but its worth it.

My jacket has an 3/4 length zip, and integrated hood. I've tried jackets with full length zips, and a hood which velcros across the chin, but they never seem to seal as well as my sealed hood.

 

[taz22]

deanmartin once bubbled...
I dive with a 7mm one piece with a hooded vest. The vest is 3mm in the body with a 5mm hood.

I just stopped diving 2 weeks ago, 20 minute dive in water 38F. I was wearing my henderson hyper-strech 5/7mm wet suit with a 5 mm hooded vest.

Cheers.

 

[PnL]

taz22 once bubbled...


20 minute dive in water 38F.

BRRRRR!!!!

 

[AquaGuy]

I also dive in San Diego, CA and have had good luck with purchasing my Henderson Farmer John Gold Core two piece from LeisurePro. Sure, it takes a little extra weight to counter act all the neoprene, but it sure keeps me warm. I have been down to 47 degrees and still did not feel very cold!