Have you tried a custom wetsuit for her? They're not nearly as expensive as they sound, and they address the main problem most people have with their wetsuits: poor fit.
How many wetsuits are too many wetsuits?
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OP
That may be the next step.
The real issue is she hates having anything around her neck. Any suit with a good seal around the neck bugs her. This wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the fact that she gets cold in 84F water, otherwise I'd just get her a front zip and she'd be good to go.
She's been using a 2mm Scubapro Everflex Yulex swimsuit (sleeveless and legless) in the quarry all summer, which has worked well in the TN summer heat, but quarry dives are shallow and brief. I've been using this time to try and find a full that she likes... I have not succeeded yet, but will have a bunch of wetsuits to sell at the rate this is going.
Tassi Devil Diver
Contributor
I have three dry suits (O'Three, DUI, Seaskin)
Two wet suits (Cressi ice 7mm semidry and O'Three 3mm)
O'Three dry suit (compressed neo) is my main drysuit for long deep deco dives.
DUI drysuit (TLS350) lighter for travel, back up, shorter deco dives and no deco (got very cheap off mate)
Seaskin backup (got given to me)
Cressi Ice semi-dry I use for no deco dives when water temps are 16C plus.
3mm for occasional tropical trips abroad.
Two wet suits (Cressi ice 7mm semidry and O'Three 3mm)
O'Three dry suit (compressed neo) is my main drysuit for long deep deco dives.
DUI drysuit (TLS350) lighter for travel, back up, shorter deco dives and no deco (got very cheap off mate)
Seaskin backup (got given to me)
Cressi Ice semi-dry I use for no deco dives when water temps are 16C plus.
3mm for occasional tropical trips abroad.
I see. Yeah, I hate having crap wrapped around my neck too, sounds like she might hate it even more than me
.One advantage of drysuits is that a lot of them have user-replaceable neck seals. They come in neoprene, silicone, or latex. And the silicone ones and latex are slightly cone-shaped, so they will come out of the box a little too tight. You can use a pair of scissors to trim them down to size, a little tiny bit at a time, maybe a quarter inch at a time. Most of them will have evenly spaced rings you can use as a guideline. For example, here's a video of a diver near Charlotte adjusting his silicone neck seal. By doing this, you can avoid a tighter neck seal than necessary, and you'll have a few different materials to choose from.
Now, if you're just trying to dive warm water all the time, a drysuit might be overkill. But, If she does get cold enough to need a suit in 84F water, and you do dive in colder water as well, then a drysuit might be the best option. Because the same suit can be used in warm water or cold water. Downside is that they cost, I dunno, call it 3-4 times as much as a cold water wetsuit.
If a drysuit isn't in the picture, then I think a custom wetsuit is in your best bet. They only cost a couple hundred dollars more than an off-the-shelf one, and it will fit perfectly. The improved fit will mean that for the same thickness of neoprene, the suit will be warmer, and you can ask for things like a little extra room around the neck.
Still Kicking
Contributor
Warm water: 3mm
Cold water (winter): newer 7mm
Cold water (summer): older 7mm
Cold water (solo): semi dry 7mm (easier to self-don)
Cold water (freediving): 5mm skin-in
Work: really old 7mm
Really cold water (PNW, Vancouver Island, Alaska etc): crushed neoprene drysuit
(I buy a new 7mm every other year or so and rotate the suits from winter to summer to work).
That should do it .....
Cold water (winter): newer 7mm
Cold water (summer): older 7mm
Cold water (solo): semi dry 7mm (easier to self-don)
Cold water (freediving): 5mm skin-in
Work: really old 7mm
Really cold water (PNW, Vancouver Island, Alaska etc): crushed neoprene drysuit
(I buy a new 7mm every other year or so and rotate the suits from winter to summer to work).
That should do it .....
Cthippo
Contributor
I think yje real answer is when you have suits you haven't used in over a year, you havw too many.
I have a 3/2mm and a 7mm, but the latter is such a PITA to put on, I mever use it. With the weather getting colder, maybe I need to try it again.
I have a 3/2mm and a 7mm, but the latter is such a PITA to put on, I mever use it. With the weather getting colder, maybe I need to try it again.
I have a 7mm and a 3mm, they mostly collect dust, I've got 2 drysuits.
Bazzathemammoth
Contributor
I’ve got the following:
3/2 surf wetsuit (mainly used for surfing but it’s here with me in Hawaii for scuba)
Old 5mm open cell 2 piece for summer free diving
New 5mm open cell 2 piece for winter free diving
7/8 semi dry for scuba year round in NZ
Eventually I’ll have a dry suit for winter scuba
It might be too much but I don’t care
3/2 surf wetsuit (mainly used for surfing but it’s here with me in Hawaii for scuba)
Old 5mm open cell 2 piece for summer free diving
New 5mm open cell 2 piece for winter free diving
7/8 semi dry for scuba year round in NZ
Eventually I’ll have a dry suit for winter scuba
It might be too much but I don’t care
I have 3 drysuits and at least half a dozen wetsuits, in 1.5mm, 3/2, 3, 5/4, 5, and 7mm varieties, plus at least one 5/7 hooded vest.
If I had to pare down to my minimum, I would have:
1.5mm Neoskin
5mm Waterproof W7
Seaskin Ultra (compressed neoprene) drysuit
Dive Rite or Seaskin trilam drysuit (have both, not sure which I'd choose)
If I had to cut it to 3, I could lose the neoprene drysuit.
Those cover pretty much all temps, from 30-something to 80-something, for me, with or without a drysuit hood and either wet or dry gloves. I have a hooded vest which I never use. If the Neoskin is not warm enough, I just go to the 5mm wetsuit. If it's not warm enough, with a hood and gloves, then I'll go to a drysuit.
That said, if I were going to somewhere like the Galapagos, I would probably take the 5mm wetsuit and also take the hooded vest. On a liveboard like that, I might actually use the hooded vest with it, at least one some dives. I don't know. Maybe I would just go with the neoprene drysuit. It's just so heavy and bulky to fly with.
If I had to pare down to my minimum, I would have:
1.5mm Neoskin
5mm Waterproof W7
Seaskin Ultra (compressed neoprene) drysuit
Dive Rite or Seaskin trilam drysuit (have both, not sure which I'd choose)
If I had to cut it to 3, I could lose the neoprene drysuit.
Those cover pretty much all temps, from 30-something to 80-something, for me, with or without a drysuit hood and either wet or dry gloves. I have a hooded vest which I never use. If the Neoskin is not warm enough, I just go to the 5mm wetsuit. If it's not warm enough, with a hood and gloves, then I'll go to a drysuit.
That said, if I were going to somewhere like the Galapagos, I would probably take the 5mm wetsuit and also take the hooded vest. On a liveboard like that, I might actually use the hooded vest with it, at least one some dives. I don't know. Maybe I would just go with the neoprene drysuit. It's just so heavy and bulky to fly with.
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I have a 3mm, a 5mm, and a 7mm full suit and a 3/5mm hooded vest. I'm good down to the low to mid 50s but haven't dived in water quite that cold for a while. Galapagos was as low as 62 or 63. I dive all of these wetsuits every year in SE Florida with or without the hooded vest, water temp mid to high 60s on up. I am frequently the only warm diver on the boat. Of course, I have a very good boat coat also.
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