Henderson 7/5 mm Hyperstretch breaking down

[Sirius Diver]

Just as the subject says, I have a 7/5mm Hyperstretch and I'm wondering if I have to replace it already. I've been using in for about 3 years and it's has about 90 dives on it. My problem with it is that the kneepads are pulling the suit away from itself. There is a 4 inch tear immediately above both kneepad and I can actually see my knees thru the suit. I love my Henderson since it fits perfectly and keeps me warm in almost all conditions. I'm just very disappointed with this fault. I have considered using my Mastice Neoprene which I have used to fix small holes in my gloves but this tear is just too large. Does anyone know of a fix or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new one, which I can't really afford right now...?? Thanks!

Rod

 

[DiveMaven]

I'd consider returning it to Henderson. IMO it shouldn't be showing that kind of wear after only 90 dives. I have that many on my 5mm Henderson Hyperstretch and it still looks new (no pilling since my BC doesn't have velcro).

 

[Squid]

My Henderson 7/5 has grown some fuzz from velcro contact over the years, but I haven't had a catastrophic failure like you're describing. Something's not right with that.

 

[parrottheaddiver]

aside from what Sirius is describing, how happy are you with the overall way the suit had held up to your type of diving? my wife and I are looking at the full 7mm version of these suits for some local diving. Our diving conditions would be temps in a range between 60-70 degrees and probably no deeper that 50 fsw. We are looking at maybe 10-15 dives a year on it. (The rest of our dives are done in Florida/Texas in warmer water ) Does anyone dive a similar profile to this with this suit and if so, what have you seen as far as wear and tear on it?

 

[Banaticus]

From their website, Henderson suits are apparently only warranted for poor sewing/sealing for one year. Is this warranty period of one year typical of wetsuit manufacturerers?

90 in 3 years sounds like a lot of dives, though, but I'm new to diving.

 

[Hoosier]

Yes.... Yours is our of warranty period, but there is nothing to lose after trying to contact Henderson. They are pretty much flexible if you bought it from an authorized dealer as the first hand.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

If henderson wont help than contact Mark at lake superior drysuit repair (http://www.drysuitrepair.com/) he is a god among suit repair techs and can fix just about anything and his prices are very fair. Good luck

 

[SteveAD]

Hyperstretch is among the LEAST durable wetsuits on the market. The stretch comes at the cost of durability and warmth.

 

[Hoosier]

Hyperstretch is among the LEAST durable wetsuits on the market. The stretch comes at the cost of durability and warmth.

That is absolutely true.... If Henderson isn't willing to repair it, it isn't worth to use a repair shop for a wetsuit. I had better get a cheap stretch suit from other brands.

Just my 2 bar.