Henderson Hyperstrech--how stretchy?

[Nalu]

I am a curvy gal looking to get a wetsuit that won't torture me...ut: I was wondering how closely you (those of you that have hyperstrech wetsuits) match up with the measurements reccomended for size.... I am 5'5" but weigh 175 so if I get a suit for my height it seems small or if I follow my wt..it'll be too long... so my longwinded question here is...do I have to go custom to sqish into one of these things? I can't try them on here so I have to order by internet ...Thanks!!

 

[sxyscubagal]

Nalu..
I'm 5'4'' and weigh 120lb.... i normally wear a size 2 but i wear a 6 in the suit.... it's the most comfortable suit. I normally only dive warm water and it's a 3mm.
Good luck!!

 

[mer]

BODY TYPE - Nalu, I think I'm probably very close to your size. I'm just over 5'4" and 165 +/- 10ish lbs, and the curvy thing (narrowish waist, with a more *generous* butt and chest). I also have the challenge of having rather large athletic legs.

HYPERSTRECTCH vs. THE WORLD - I have a henderson hyperstretch 7/5 suit and it fits me wonderfully. I got it because I couldn't make any of the "normal" neoprine suits fit over my hips... if they were big enough to get over the hips, there was gappage everywhere. You can find many a thread in the women's and wetsuit boards with debates over which type of suit is better.

WARMPTH - I find that the hyperstretch material is slightly colder than regular neoprene of the same thickness. BUT, I don't have any gaps anywhere in my suit, so it ends up being warmer than a not-so-good fitting normal neoprene suit. If you're diving warm water (over 65 or so) then this isn't a big concern; you might want to consider a slightly thicker hyperstrectch than a normal suit. My biggest warmpth problem is the arms (where there is only 5mm)... see below.

FIT - My suit fits me snuggly everywhere. The legs are the right length, the arms might be a tad long, but not enough to be a problem. I've found that the suit is stretchy enough that I can fit and .5mm and 2mm polypro shirt underneath the suit without being too tight, yet the suit fits snuggly without anything under it.

SIZING - I wear a size 14 jeans and usually a size 12 dress. My 7/5 hyperstretch (one piece) is size 8. I originally bought a 10, but found that it was slightly loose in the torso, especially when wet. I also lost 10 pounds the month after I bought the suit, so I returned it for a size 10 (fortunately this LDS has a good return policy). My dealer told me that the suit will fit you 20 lbs heavier or lighter than the weight that the suit perfectly fits for. Therefore, keep in mind if you are on the heavier or lighter side when you choose a size. (I hope that made sense.) Of course you don't want to go too small, as that will stretch a 5 mil suit to 3 mils, etc.
My suit set-up:
7/5 hyperstretch one piece: 8
5mm core warmer (regular neoprene): 10
If you got a core warmer in hyperstretch material you should get the same size as the suit.

TO CUSTOM OR NOT TO CUSTOM - My 2 cents: custom suits are necessary with the hyperstretch material. Either get a custom regular neoprene or try the hyperstretch.

Finally, I love my hyperstretch. I only have about 15 dives on it, but that includes repetitive diving in 50 deg water (7/5 + 5mm core + 2mm polypro shirt) and I was toasty warm. The material does snag, so it might look ugly after a while, but I've heard that does effect the thermal qualities. And the ease of getting it on and off only makes it better.

Let me know if I left anything out.
(see what happens when they give me a day off... I babble on Scubaboard)

Mer

 

[Nalu]

Thanks that really helps a lot!! On their website it says a size 8 is for someone weighing 120lbs so between the two of your answers it seems like they run bigger than they list them which is great. What do you think about your core warmer? Does it feel very bulky? Also, was the 10 much longer than the 8? Thanks

 

[Nalu]

Also, does anyone know where I can get a good deal online? The cheapest I have found so far is $389 on leisure pro....eek expensive sport :bonk:

 

[mer]

Nalu once bubbled...
Thanks that really helps a lot!! On their website it says a size 8 is for someone weighing 120lbs so between the two of your answers it seems like they run bigger than they list them which is great. What do you think about your core warmer? Does it feel very bulky? Also, was the 10 much longer than the 8? Thanks

No problemo - anyway I can help someone avoid the wetsuit plight I had!

SIZE - I was on the fence between the 8 and the 10. Once I finish losing my college weight I will probably get it back down to about 150 lbs... that's why I leaned towards the smaller size. I also have the build of an out-of-season athlete (unfortuately I have that build while in-season :-( ) so I might be a bit denser than what they have the sizing charts caculated for. I also choose to run the risk of stretching the suit a little thinner to keep from getting gaps... it's a personal choice.

If you can't try one on at an LDS, I would suggest trying to order from a place that has a non-used return policy. It might be worth paying a few more bucks to be able to exchange it if you get it in the mail and it's just not the right size.

LENGTH - I didn't notice much of a length difference between the 8 and 10 full length suit... but check the specs from the manufacturer. I have a rather short torso, so length never seems to be a big problem for me.

FLEXIBILITY - I have more flexibility in my 7/5 one piece hyperstretch than I do in a 3/2 regular one-piece neoprene suit. I can reach my first stage, even with my hood on (hyperstretch also... and well worth it on the hood). After having this suit I will be hard pressed to go back to 2-piece neoprenes, or even one piece standard neoprene. The core warmer does reduce flexibility somewhat... but still rivals the flexibility of that 3/2 suit... only now it's 12 mm of neoprene in places. If you're really concerned about flexibility, get the hyperstretch core warmer... it might cost you an extra 30 bucks.

CORE WARMER - I don't find the core warmer bulky at all; it's a tank-top style top attached to "shorts"; entry is by velco on one shoulder. Once you have the one-piece suit on, the regular neoprene suit just slides right over (okay, with only a little coaxing). So I didn't feel the need to get the hyperstretch core warmer... especially since the regular neoprene might be a tad warmer for the thickness. Just remeber if you get a regular core warmer, go a size larger than the one-piece.

PRICE - I bought from a rather pricey LDS, b/c they were the only local henderson dealer and they had a great return policy (ie allow me to exchange sizes on an already-dived suit). I believe I paid about $345 for the 7/5 one-piece and just over $100 for the regular neo 5mm core warmer, 7mm hyperstretch hood was roughly $45... all this before tax. Part of your economic decision will need to be weither it is cheaper to get a hyperstretch or order a custom. I know very little about customs, so I can't help you there.

Good luck!

mer

 

[raviepoo]

Mine is actually too big for me. I wear size 14 jeans and my size 12 hyperstretch wetsuit is big in the legs. It has actually gotten to be enough of a problem that I am considering getting another wetsuit.

When I tried it on in the shop it hugged my body just fine. But it seems to be stretching out with use. If you are choosing between two sizes, definitly get the smaller one. It might even be a good idea to go 2 sizes smaller than you think you need.

 

[DiverBuoy]

It comes with Hyperstretch in several places I can get in and out of the front-entry chest zipper much better as a result of the stretch factor. The ads say it stretches 250% of original size. This is from their site:

HYPERSTRETCH - Possibly the most comfortable wetsuit in the world, and New for 2001, Henderson introduces TITANIUM HYPERSTRETCHtm to Sport Diving. This revolutionary new 4-way stretch neoprene can stretch up to 250% of its original size. This provides huge advantages over wetsuits made from standard neoprene.
BENEFITS OF HYPERSTRETCH: Hyperstretch will provide a “custom like” fit on multiple body types wearing the same size suit. Your suit will still fit well even if you’ve made a few too many trips to the buffet line. Hyperstretch suits are the ultimate for layering, their ability to be worn over other suits is unsurpassed. If you ever wished for a wetsuit that was as comfortable as a pair of well worn jeans... your wish has come true.

Henderson on-line

As far as female fit, they have all versions in a female configuration, and you should buy a little bit on the small side - don't worry it stretches wonderfully!

 

[Dawn]

I love my Henderson Hyperstretch! I tried on tons of suits and hated getting into them. I liked the feel of the Henderson Gold Core also but I wanted the comfort of stretch. Yes, I thinned it out a little but now I'm losing weight and exercising with great size change and I'm even happier that I bought my hyperstretch! I'm 5'3' and the size 8 was my choice. The body length fits great. Now that I'm losing inches I figure I'll be warmer in it. But, because it stretches so nicely, I've been able to wear my polartec underneath when needed. Mine was pricey almost 2 years ago but worth it! It pays for comfort. Find a store where you can try them on. I was ready for a custom fit, then I found my Henderson. Good Luck

 

[DeputyDan]

One of my daughers has a gold core and the other has a hyperstretch. Just gives them something else to fight about.




I got the gold core at closeout for the model year at less than $150.