Hyperstrech or regular?

[Sicel1304]

Hey guys, I need your opinions on this one.

At the closest dive shop to my house, they have Henderson hyperstrech and regular wetsuits, and I was just wondering which kind would be the best purchase.

Let's take into consideration these personal facts about me first: I'm not in the best physical shape I could be (My bodyweight is around 205 Lbs), I don't work out regularly, I do have a job, go to school, etc. I would like to lose around 20-30 pounds, then I'd probably be good.

Is the hyperstrech material geared more towards mildly overweight people? I don't plan on doing any cold-water diving, I don't know if that would impact my purchase choice any. Thanks for your input!

Les

EDIT: Right now, I'm on a budget...The absolute Max I would want to spend on a wetsuit would be around $250.

 

[tridacna]

Les - I have a Hyperstretch. (And three others). Very comfortable and easy to get into. It would be suitable for you if you told us that your wallet not your gut needed trimming. It is very good for the former. I have seen reductions of up to 20% in wallet thickness after buying one of these.

It is not a good idea to buy a tight wetsuit hoping that it will become more comnfortable as you lose weight. I recently lost a fair amount of weight and had to buy new wetsuits. Forget buying one a little too tight in the hope of losing weight and then fitting into it. Better to buy a cheapie now, lose the weight and then buy the Henderson.

 

[DiverBeth]

The Henderson Hyperstretch is made to get on easier. I'm a few pounds overweight too and I have 2 of the hyperstretch and I love it. I don't think it's aimed at those of us who need to lose some pounds. I have a friend who is very petite and she loves the hyperstretch. She's had a number of wetsuits and says this is the easiest to get on.

Now for what it's worth I would go to your local LDS and try on a couple of different brands and styles. See what you like best. Also I believe other manufacturers make a more stretchy material for their lines.

Just my 2¢

 

[mike_s]

You didn't say what thickness you're wanting for $250. You can pick up a hyperstretch 3mm for $265 (MAP), but a 5mm will run more like $322 or $325(MAP). Your LDS might sell it less than MAP though, but that's the least you'll see it advertised on the web at most reputable dealers.


My advice is simple. If you can get the cheaper wetsuit to fit, then get the cheaper suit. If you can't, spend the extra money and buy the hyperstretch. You'll be glad in the long run if that's what you need.

Why you ask? here is a perfect example. I have a 5mm Body Gove farmer john top/bottom that is 'not' stretchable. toe top fits 'ok', but not good. The bottom fits much worse. I bought it before the 'hyperstretch' craze came about and that was all we had to choose from. I have a terrible time getting the bottom on. Especially over my big feet. I really hate wearing the bottom unless it's freezing water.

I got a Hyperstrech 3mm about 2-3 years ago and it's SO MUCH EASIER to put on. This year I bought a Hyperstretch 5mm. I haven't used the older BARE non-stretch since.


Now with all that said, everyone is different in theie body makeup, so what works for one person might not work for another. Which is why I said if you can get the cheaper suit to fit, buy it. If you can't, go ahead and get the Hyperstretch.

 

[Bob3]

It all cooks down to the most critical item: FIT!
Ignore labels & find the one that fits you the best - right now. Then check the price tags. Keep in mind that [usually] the more stretchy the material the more it compresses with depth.
As already mentioned, there are other suit manufacturers out there that make use of the "super stretch" material, or whatever their specific description refers to it as.
Wetsuits always seem to "shrink" over time, or at least that's the excuse most often heard.

 

[Penopolypants]

Bob3 is right, fit is the most important part.

Bare makes a suit that is stretchy in all the right places for $200 for a 3mil at Scubatoys. They also give a 10% scubaboard discount.

http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?product_id=Bare3mProgressiveMens

I have the women's version. I'm ...overly curvey, not necessarily in the best of ways... and the stretchy bits definitely helped make it the most comfy suit I tried on. I admit I did not try the hyperstretch, since it was out of my price range at the time.

I do have a pair of hyperstretch gloves, and love them!

 

[mike_s]

I do have a pair of hyperstretch gloves, and love them!

Actually I've got a pair of Henderson Hyperstretch gloves also (3mm). They fit great, but they aren't all that warm. I don't think the warmth is all related to the thickness though.

If you don't move your hands, they'll stay a little warmer. If you move your hands much, you can feel water coming in around the seams. So I'm not all that impressed in these gloves from a "warmth" point of view, but they fit really good.

They work great for deep sea fishing (from boat) in the Atlantic during the winter time. You wan wear them and they have enough flexibility and grip that you can bait hooks with the gloves on... so I like them for that. But for diving.... if you get below about 65f, I'd like a better performing pair of gloves.

I think Henderson has found that solution with the "insta-dry" gloves. Folks I've talked to that have dove those have said the 3mm Insta-dry is twice as warm as the 3mm hyperstretch.

 

[REII]

I have a 3mm Henderson Hyperstretch and I love it. It is easier to get into than others I have used.

I am now looking to buy a 7mm for the icy cold winter diving here in So FL. A dive master I know is recomending Bare wetsuits. Has anyone any experience with Bare?

Thanks,

TOM

 

[bolantej]

I have a Bare 3mm progressive strecth suit and I like it. Very easy to get into in comparison to a standard suit. Used it on seven dives in Hawaii with no problems whatsoever. I think Bare products have decent quality. I also own a Bare drysuit. I also have an Aqualung 7mm stretch suit that I use when not diving dry, and I love it. I only got cold at about 100 feet in Lake Tahoe, a mountain lake.

 

[REII]

Thanks bolantej. I thought the Bare suits looked pretty good. I want to get one to use here maybe between December and March.

TOM