henderson goldcore 7/5 vs pinnacle polar

[micquinn]

i want to buy a new semi-dry suit for so. cal diving and have the choice narrowed to either the henderson goldcore 7/5 or the pinnacle polar. warmth is my first priority, then comfort and durability. any insights?

thx,
micquinn

 

[ScubaSarus]

My buddies love the cold core but it is a bit fragile and needs good care.

 

[Rastaman]

I have used Gold Core suits for about 3 years. They are very easy to slide into and do a good job of retaining your body heat. At first I thought the gold thing was nothing more than corporate BS, but I have yet to find a better wetsuit for me. If you towel dry the suit it will dry in minutes giving you a dry suit for the next dive. I do not take any special care of my suits and have not had a problem. I am very hard on equipment so if it works for me my LDS know they have a winner.
Also use Gold Core hoods and they too are warm. However I have just started to use Seasoft boots and they are a cut above my other boots for both comfort and warmth. The down side to using them is they required a larger than normal (for wetsuits) fin size. This afternoon I tried a Seasoft glove and I think it is much better than my Gold Core gloves. There was very little transitioning of water between my skin and the glove. The trapped water remained warm so my hands did not get cold. I think this has more to do with the glove's design than the materials it was made from.
Go to a LDS that knows what they are doing as the most important part of any wetsuit is the fit. The best material in the world becomes useless if the wet suit it is made into fits badly. A badly fitting wetsuit will make you uncomfortable and cold. Just my 2 cents

 

[michaelp68]

I wear the Henderson semi-dry goldcore.

I have not tried the Pinnacle, although I remember reading that it's a great wetsuit.

The Henderson keeps me warm enough so I like it. Perhaps the gold core helps keep me warmer, but I'm not convinced of that.

What I do know about the gold core, though, is that it dries very quickly. If you remove the suit after a dive and turn it inside out, it'll be dry for when you put it back on for your next dive.

The suit is also pretty easy to put on since it has some hyperstretch in it and because the gold core slides smoothely.

Good luck.

Michael

 

[ScubaSarus]

If it was in my budget Ide go for the gold core. I'm jealous of my buddy and joke around to him that his skin is turning gold from the suit and that he should give it away to me

 

[MookieMoose]

i want to buy a new semi-dry suit for so. cal diving and have the choice narrowed to either the henderson goldcore 7/5 or the pinnacle polar. warmth is my first priority, then comfort and durability. any insights?

thx,
micquinn

If you look around a little you might be able to find a dealer for Bare wetsuits - their 7 mm SGS suit has a slick lining like the Gold Core that makes it easy to get in and out of, but is less fragile, the neoprene is less compressible so it will keep you warmer, and the suit is less expensive - MSPR $350 US

Check it out at http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/bareshop/diveproduct.asp?dept_id=23010&pf_id=61425

 

[Corigan]

I thought I would chime in on this thread as it all seems to be going to one side.

I have never worn a goldcore suit. I use a goldcore hood and boots, and love them. They dry quick like stated above, and I haven't had to pamper them in any way. I'm rather rough on suits. I'm sure the goldcore suit is as fantastic as their hoods/boots. I know I wouldn't have an issue owning one.

Now on the other hand, I dive in a pinnacle polar. I got this suit used (only twice) and got an awesome deal on it from an LDS owner. I have about 20-30 dives on it and can tell it's a quality suit. It looks just like it does when I got it. Great heavy duty stiching and flexible as can be. I'm 5'11 250lb's and can bend my knee to my chest and hold it, reach my valves, and have no problems with restriction. I have dove the suit down in 43F water and been ok for an hr or so in it. In 50-60F water it is cozy as can be. There has been great debates over the benefits on the merino wool. I'm not going to get into that, since it has been discussed at great lengths on other threads. One thing I do know, the wool is comfy. It slips on easy, and isn't scratchy and quite soft. It also dries extremely quick. The seals do a great job of keeping the water transfer down. Putting on this suit by yourself is impossible though, so it wouldn't be good if you plan on solo diving in it. You can see me in my suit (scary thought) in my profile after a 45F/hr long dive. Pinnacle is definately a new guy on the block, but I have noticed they are catching on. I've seen quite a few people in Northern florida in pinnacle suits lately and have all asked them what they thought of there suits. I have not heard one complaint from anyone that uses the suits. Many people have been coming up to me lately and asking me about the polar and what I think of it. They are definately gaining some interest in the industry. I say as well as they should, great suits.

On a side note, I believe pinnacle has released/is releasing a new model that looks even better than the polar.

Matt

 

[StSomewhere]

If you look around a little you might be able to find a dealer for Bare wetsuits - their 7 mm SGS suit has a slick lining like the Gold Core that makes it easy to get in and out of, but is less fragile, the neoprene is less compressible so it will keep you warmer, and the suit is less expensive - MSPR $350 US

Check it out at http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/bareshop/diveproduct.asp?dept_id=23010&pf_id=61425

US$249 from DiveTank.com (Canada) last time I checked.

 

[micquinn]

If you look around a little you might be able to find a dealer for Bare wetsuits - their 7 mm SGS suit has a slick lining like the Gold Core that makes it easy to get in and out of, but is less fragile, the neoprene is less compressible so it will keep you warmer, and the suit is less expensive - MSPR $350 US

Check it out at http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/bareshop/diveproduct.asp?dept_id=23010&pf_id=61425

checked out the Bare but the one with the lininig did not offer an attachd hood that i could see. looked like nice suits though. thanks for the input

 

[MookieMoose]

checked out the Bare but the one with the lininig did not offer an attachd hood that i could see. looked like nice suits though. thanks for the input

No, this one doesn't have an integrated hood, but there is a 7 mm hooded vest designed to mate with the fullsuit, and the combination of these two will certainly keep you warm enough (just for comparison, I wear the Bare hood-integrated full suit and have been quite toasty diving in Tobermory in water as cold as 4 C (about 40 F).

Good luck

Cam