Henderson Insta Dry or H2?

[simmonsjr]

I was looking at either getting a Henderson Insta Dry or H2 wetsuit, and I was just wondering if if anyone has had any experience with these two suits. I really like the concept of a suit that is exceptionally quick drying (Insta Dry) but I have also heard a couple of concerns voiced about durability; on the other hand, I also really like the stretch of the H2. Either way that I end up going I'll be getting a 7mm suit as I live in Colorado and the water is on the chilly side up here. Thanks for the help.

Jason

 

[lpshanet]

I was looking at either getting a Henderson Insta Dry or H2 wetsuit, and I was just wondering if if anyone has had any experience with these two suits. I really like the concept of a suit that is exceptionally quick drying (Insta Dry) but I have also heard a couple of concerns voiced about durability; on the other hand, I also really like the stretch of the H2. Either way that I end up going I'll be getting a 7mm suit as I live in Colorado and the water is on the chilly side up here. Thanks for the help.

Jason

Both are good suits, but they are very different:

The Insta Dry really does do what it says it will (dry fast), and is very warm. But it can be (very) tough to get into. I've also heard reports of seam issues, which is probably what the durability thing you mentioned is. So the pros of the ID are that it's very warm for its thickness, dries very fast, looks cool and seals well. Cons are that it is very rigid and hard to put on, expensive and may have some seam/durability issues. I think that Henderson may be discontinuing it.

The H2 is really comfortable and fits great. It's easy to put on and gives lots of ease of movement. In a way, it's the opposite of the Insta Dry. The H2's pros are its comfort, ease of movement, ease of donning. However, like most high-stretch suits, it compresses much more than the Insta Dry. That means that it's not that warm for it's thickness. The 7mm H2 will be notably less warm than the ID, but much easier to use and more comfortable. You can also sometimes go a size down in the H2 because of the stretch, which makes it fit even more perfectly. It takes about the same time to dry as a standard wetsuit, and is pricey compared to some, but less than the ID (unless it's on sale...which it often is these days). The original Henderson Hyperstretch suits definitely had an issue with pilling...the velcro would eat the outer finish of the suit...but that supposedly didn't affect performance. Not sure if the new finish on the H2 is better or not in that regard...I've heard mixed reports.

Hope this helps.