First wetsuits advice

[formernuke]

4 criteria for wetsuits once you decide thickness..... fit, fit, fit and did I mention fit

 

[inquis]

Bare has a bunch of sizes. The MLTall spans 6' to 6'2", 175-200 lb. You're also on the upper end of the MTall, 6'1"/180 lb. Might be worth trying one on. FWIW, I've found the chart to work well (sample of 1, of course).

A 5mm Reactive would be great for Hawaii.

 

[L13]

4 criteria for wetsuits once you decide thickness..... fit, fit, fit and did I mention fit

You forgot to mention fit

 

[Eric802]

I had the same kind of questions and based on the research I did, I felt a 5mm was a good "all around" alternative. 3mm might be better for the Caribbean diving, but wouldn't be sufficient for Spring/Fall here in Texas. I ended up purchasing a Neosport 5mm package from Scuba.com. Came with a full 5mm suit, and 3mm boots, hood, and gloves. I wore the suit (no hood or gloves) in 80 degree water in September and while it was completely unnecessary (I just wanted to play with weighting), it wasn't uncomfortably warm. I also wore it in my pool for a while last week (60 degrees) and it was good enough for that for the 20 minutes or so I was in the water. I'm happy with it.

 

[SlugLife]

I had the same kind of questions and based on the research I did, I felt a 5mm was a good "all around" alternative. 3mm might be better for the Caribbean diving, but wouldn't be sufficient for Spring/Fall here in Texas. I ended up purchasing a Neosport 5mm package from Scuba.com. Came with a full 5mm suit, and 3mm boots, hood, and gloves. I wore the suit (no hood or gloves) in 80 degree water in September and while it was completely unnecessary (I just wanted to play with weighting), it wasn't uncomfortably warm. I also wore it in my pool for a while last week (60 degrees) and it was good enough for that for the 20 minutes or so I was in the water. I'm happy with it.

In my experience for Texas, mid-November you have cool/cold air, but warm-ish water, but around mid-May or even June you have warm-air, but cold water. Early-fall, you can typically do no-wetsuit, assuming you're not going deep.

I find the thicker wetsuits are most useful for starting the season earlier, perhaps by 1-2 months.

 

[TheWacoKid]

Not sure where you are in VA but Wetsuit Warehouse in MD has a big selection if you prefer to try a bunch. Custom made is not all that much more and the fit is much better. JMJ has a good reputation and I used Wetware in Ft. Lauderdale. I got measured while visiting and they shipped it home. I tried and returned like 5-6 mail order before I gave up.

 

[mcohen1021]

Unless you're diving Caribbean in Dec jan Feb I doubt you'd need 5 mil

 

[Tracerbullet]

I tried a bunch of different ones and Henderson fit me the best. All my clothing gear is now Henderson, except my drysuit.

 

[Khoujo1]

@Khoujo1 If you are looking at stock sized suits you'll want to measure yourself and make sure you're within about 1" of the measurements shown on the manufacturer's measurement chart. Given your height and weight, I would think most large sizes will be baggy on you and a bit short in the length. Here are some measuring instructions, and this article might be a good read for you as well

The advantages of a custom fit wetsuit: warmth and comfort - JMJ Wetsuits

Benefits of a custom fit wetsuit: warmer and more comfortable

www.jmjwetsuits.com

Just let me know if you have any questions - I'm happy to help.

Derek

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Khoujo1]

I tried a bunch of different ones and Henderson fit me the best. All my clothing gear is now Henderson, except my drysuit.

I tried a bunch of different ones and Henderson fit me the best. All my clothing gear is now Henderson, except my drysuit.

Henderson Greenprene are appealing due to the more eco-freindly approach, but I read they’re much more buoyant. Any experience with them?