How long does a 7mm last?

[runway1]

I've heard 1.5-2 years or 80-100 dives. Which is more accurate?

I have a Hendersen Hyperstretch Ti 7mm. After 45 dives in 21 months, The knee pad ripped open. Another diver said the same happened to his HH-Ti after about 20 months.

Is this typical? A little disappointed that my $400 suit lasted <50 dives.

 

[limeyx]

I've heard 1.5-2 years or 80-100 dives. Which is more accurate?

I have a Hendersen Hyperstretch Ti 7mm. After 45 dives in 21 months, The knee pad ripped open. Another diver said the same happened to his HH-Ti after about 20 months.

Is this typical? A little disappointed that my $400 suit lasted <50 dives.

In SoCal ? mine lasted 30 dives -- until I saw the light and got a dryuit!

I think maybe the hyperstretch is a little less forgiving than regular wetsuit material it seems.

100+ dives sounds much more reasonable to me.
I would expect 2 years from a suit before it got too compressed to be warm.

Maybe look at a more durable kind or go custom.

 

[shoupart]

I think from 100-150 dives. I'm pretty rough on my wetsuits, with all the beach diving I do, and have gone through 3 wetsuits over a period of 5 years and 300 dives.

The problem seemed to be that they lost their insulation properties before they fell apart. My first suit got a big cut in the small of the back, and my second suit got a gash across the upper leg.

Since they had lots of dives on them by this point, I wasn't inclined to patch them up and keep using them.

If it helps, my first suit was an O'Neill (very good suit), the 2nd was Body Glove (pretty good), and my current is an H2Odyssey (not loving it- zippered cuffs do not create a good seal, and it's much too cold).

 

[spt29970]

Durability depends on a lot of things. I replaced my Henderson Hyperstretch after about 300 dives. It was definitely time. I do a lot of shore diving which is hard on suits. I had repaired it so many times that it was more patch than suit, but the real kicker was that the bubbles in the neoprene had broken down. It happened so gradually, that I didn't notice it until I put on a new Hyperstretch suit and realized how much insulation capacity the old suit had lost. The difference was amazing. I would say that 150-200 dives is probably a better planning number. I suspect that if you do a lot of deep dives, the neoprene will break down faster.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I read lots of reviews on the Henderson Hyperstretch when I was in the market for a wetsuit. One common theme was that it tore (especially in the knees and elbows) very early on...likely due to how much it stretches. I decided that with the cost and lack of durability it probably wasn't the best option so I went with the Henderson Thermoprene instead. It's still more stretchy than regular neoprene suits, but not stetchy to the point that it tears too easily.

 

[dannobee]

Don't forget about depth. Take a wetsuit to 100ft a few dozen times and it's compressed enough to lose a lot of its insulative value.

 

[SteveAD]

Number of dives is the only guage. Can't use time because some folks do 2 dives per day while others do 2 per year.

Anywhere between 100 and 300 dives depending on depth, duration and care you take of the suit is typical.

Hyperstretch is absolutely less durable than "standard" neoprene, as well as more compressible on each individual dive.

You should look into a drysuit for your next suit. They are inherrently warmer and much more durable.

 

[runway1]

Would love too except, $200-$400 for wet and $1000-$2500 for dry, well.....Actually, I rarely get cold. I dove the Yukon four times in 52°/54° - no problem. So the extra bucks for a drysuit doesn't justify. Also, I have a pea-sized bladder and wetsuits are more forgiving.

I dive socal shores mostly - Laguna Beach. Several times a year I splurge on a boat or a tropical vacation otherwise, I shore dive LB. Still think that a knee pad should not rip out at <50 dives. I expect more.

 

[mfalco]

I love my Hyperstretch, but they do only last about half as long as regular suits. You pay for the comfort.

Letting wetsuits dry in the sun is another this that reduces their lifespan.

 

[shoupart]

I hear ya- I think it's time for me to get a drysuit. I've had enough of being cold!