Henderson Neoprene vs Goldcore

[mdr231]

I'm new to diving and about to buy first wetsuits for my son and myself. We plan to use them in New Jersey and vicinity. I've been advised to buy a 7mm 2-piece suit.

So far, I've tried on Henderson Neoprene, Henderson Goldcore, and a Dacor MetalCore. All 2-piece suits. They cost $200, $450 and $130, respectively. All seem to fit me OK. My son, however, couldn't find a Dacor that fit him. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out exactly what I get for the money.

The Hendersons fit me best (as well as my son) so I'm leaning towards them, but the GoldCore just doesn't seem worth the extra $250 to me. I can get both of our suits in Henderson Neoprene for less than the price of one Goldcore, and the Neoprene felt and fit great, at least in the store

So- does anyone have any bad things to say about the regular Henderson neoprene? Why would I want to spend more than twice as much on Goldcore? Also- why is the Dacor so much less money, though it seems to have features similar to Goldcore?
Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Michael

 

[Dectek]

The Gold Core lining has a couple of features that the other Henderson lining does not. The gold core is chemically treated to reduce the Funky smell neoprene gets from bacteria. It also is said to dry almost instantly. Nice getting into a dry wetsuit for the second dive. The Gold core is supposed to have a metallic material which is said to help reflect body heat. The Dacor MetalCore has the same type reflective material however it is only put in certain areas. Not on the Entire lining like Henderson's Gold Core. The Gold Core lining has a different feel to me and is easier to slide into. When dry it feels like a neoprene neck seal that is covered with corn starch. (Like a smooth silky feeling)
If you live in the southern part of Jersey You can check out the Henderson outlet store in Avalon

 

[mdr231]

Dectek: Can you please post contact contact information for the Henderson outlet??

Thank you.
Michael

 

[Dectek]

Wetsuit World
2743 Dune Drive
Avalon, NJ 08202
(609) 368-1500

The manager is a great guy. His name is Dow Stewart. If the store is empty Dow gives some great deals. He also HATES doing business over the phone. He seems to not like quoting prices over the phone either. He closely links doing any business over the phone with mail order and this is taboo in his eyes because of agreements with his dealers.

The shop was strictly Henderson products up until this season. Dow told me that he was going to be adding Fins, surfboards, boogie boards and spread out to make it more like a surf shop this year. I have not been there since December, so I could not tell you how it is now.

 

[mdr231]

Thanks!

 

[the sharkman]

I have the Gold-core and love it (though I am planning on a drysuit). It dries VERRY fast. Did I say very fast, I mean VERRRRY fast. Many I know love the Hyper stretch as well. I think if you are bigger boned, the Hyperstretch is probably best because it will form to your body very well. I like the gold core because of the fast drying and ease of donning (when it is dry).

:guitar:

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

the sharkman once bubbled...
I have the Gold-core and love it (though I am planning on a drysuit). It dries VERRY fast. Did I say very fast, I mean VERRRRY fast. Many I know love the Hyper stretch as well. I think if you are bigger boned, the Hyperstretch is probably best because it will form to your body very well. I like the gold core because of the fast drying and ease of donning (when it is dry).

:guitar:

What he said!!!

 

[shellbird]

Does the Gold Core really make a difference, I read a review (forget from where) that stated that the actual benefit from the titanium was extremely minute. Does the Hyperstretch material dry as fast as the Gold Core? Anyone have experience with both materials? I was looking at the Hyperstretch and not buying into the Gold Core hype, after reading the review, not sure it is worth spending the extra money either. If it is much more comfortable, well then that is another thing, but don't you lose some of the Body conformity of the Hyperstretch material with that GoldCore backing on it? I am somewhat shapely, the fit seems just as important. Argh... Buying a wetsuit is a tough thing, there is SO much out there.

 

[mdr231]

(postscript to first post in this thread)
Well, I ended up taking my son into New York today to visit LeisurePro and try on some other suits (besides the Hendersons we already tried and the Dacor that initially didn't fit him). I tried on a Harvey's Kobalt which fit like a glove and seemed to have all of the features of the Gold Core (smooth fast-dry lining, titanium layers, etc). The best part was that it only cost $265 compared to the Henderson costing almost $200 more at our local dive shop). So I bought it. I'll let ya'll know how it works out.

More surprisingly, my son tried on a Dacor suit again. When he tried on a medium at a local shop on Friday, he couldn't even get the zipper halves together to try to zip it, but the large was way too big. Today, the medium fit him perfectly. I think the one he tried at the local shop must have really been a mislabeled small. Anyway, the Dacor seemed like a great bargain since it has the metal lining where it touches your skin, and it fit him perfectly (at least until his next growth spurt). So we bought it, too.

So, all in all, I got the two suits for less than the price of a Gold Core. I'm sure the Gold Core is a great suit, judging from what everyone on this board says about it, but I'm happy with the value I think I got today. We'll see how it all works out and if I'm still happy after a few dives.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful comments!

Michael

 

[shellbird]

Let me know how you do, what water temps you are diving, did he get a 2 piece 7mm?