Henderson Microprene?

[johnnyseko]

I'm looking to add a skin under my 7mil for cold water diving. Anyone have any experience with the henderson microprene? Wondering if its worth the $$ or should I just get the hot skin. Or any other suggestions for a .5mil would be appreciated.

I'm already throwing a hooded vest over my 7 mil wetsuit....

 

[cmm1970]

I have a Henderson Microprene suit, a gold core, and a strecth 3mm. All 3 suits have not held up well to "normal" wear and tear. I would advise that if others encourage you to add a layer that you should look to other company's skins...like XCEL. Henderson has enjoyed great reputation over the years. Is this from good marketing or a good product. I'll never know...I just know that my Henderson suits have not been a good investment as compared to my XCEL.

 

[NJScubaDoc]

I second the praise of XCEL. I have a 7/6/5 XCEL and am completely toasty even at Temps to 50F. If you are going to be doing a lot of cold water diving I would highly suggest saving your money and getting a dry suit. They are expensive, but completely worth the investment if you plan on doing a lot of cold water diving. I would also reccomend getting a sealed reg, or having your current reg sealed with what I believe is termed an environmental kit. Aside from preventing your reg from freezing up at lower temps it does numbers for the wear and tear on the reg as it completely seals the first stage.

 

[mike_s]

I'm looking to add a skin under my 7mil for cold water diving. Anyone have any experience with the henderson microprene? Wondering if its worth the $$ or should I just get the hot skin. Or any other suggestions for a .5mil would be appreciated.

I'm already throwing a hooded vest over my 7 mil wetsuit....

I had been thinking about the Henderson Microprene.... but I think I'm going
to try one of these instead. Check it out.

http://www.divesports.com/mall/tilos_ws_menJ1056velvet.asp

 

[dyarab]

I also just got an Excel Hydrospan 3.0 a couple weeks ago and dove it for the first time in a couple springs in Florida (Blue Grotto and Devil's Den). I really liked it. It fit me perfectly and water movement in the suit was at a minimum. It kept me plenty warm in the Grotto, although I started to feel chilled in the Den, I thumbed the dive even though I could have stayed down for another 15 minutes or so. There's only so many rocks I can look at. I was also wearing a Hyperstrech 3.0 hood.

The Excel replaced a Henderson Hyperstretch 3 mm which I liked, but like the above poster stated it did not hold up well. Velcro eats the hyperstretch. And I'll bet dollars to donuts it wouldnt have kept me as warm as the Excel in the springs.

YMMV

 

[johnnyseko]

Thanks for the replies! Any decent online stores that sell xcel suits?

 

[SadiesMom]

I have a Henderson Microprene suit, a gold core, and a strecth 3mm. All 3 suits have not held up well to "normal" wear and tear. I would advise that if others encourage you to add a layer that you should look to other company's skins...like XCEL. Henderson has enjoyed great reputation over the years. Is this from good marketing or a good product. I'll never know...I just know that my Henderson suits have not been a good investment as compared to my XCEL.

For the record, I agree with CMM1970 on the quality of Henderson products. I have a Henderson 3mm Hyperstretch full suit and Henderson Gold Core 5mm gloves. The 3mm full suit, although 2 years old has less than 50 dives on it and recently, the stitching on an entire seam gave way. The stitching on the fingers of the gloves also came loose, with holes in several fingers at under a year - and I don't lobster or use them particularly hard (I'm one of those look, don't touch divers).

My LDS is calling Henderson this week about the gloves, but since I got the suit elsewhere, I'm dealing with them myself on that - I'll be calling them today. Basically, considering the premium prices they charge, I expect MUCH higher quality and longer wear. If it had been *one* item, I might have cut them some slack...but with BOTH items plus all the other consistently bad comments I've heard regarding their quality, I won't buy their products again.

 

[Wayward Son]

FWIW, I have a microprene with a fair amount of dives (over a year old now) on it & it still looks new. I wear it by itself in warm water, under a 3/2 fullsuit in more moderate temps & under a 5mm Hyperstretch in colder water (mid to upper 50's).

 

[RocketMan]

I'm going to try the Tilos 1MM VelvetLight Jumpsuit under my 5mm Hyperstretch. Some folks at a local quarry use it alone, even in low 50F water. Myself, I prefer to a little bit warmer.

 

[mtsidford]

For diving in our neck of the woods deep into winter I suggest a thick core warmer over a thin full body microprene suit. If your core is warm your extremities will continue to have blood flow and stay warm. If your core isn't warm it will shut down the flow of blood to the rest and you will get colder, faster. Do you dive with a hooded wetsuit? If not I suggest your next one have an attached hood as they are warmer. A microprene hood under your regular hood is a way to go or try the cold water cap, both good ways of extending your dive season. Hope to see you out there. Sid