Hyperstretch vs. Traditional Wetsuit

[david_nj]

Hi all,

I've been trying on wetsuits recently and the shop carries Henderson suits but doesn't have hyperstretch in stock. Before I go way out of my way to try one on I want to see if anybody has advice.

A henderson Large (gold core) suit fits rather well in length but is tight in the arms, shoulders and chest. I understand a suit is supposed to be snug but its almost restrictive to my arms and shoulders. Does anybody know if the henderson hyperstretch will 'fix' this issue? Or am I better off trying on the XL and having the arms and legs cut down. Im not married to the idea of it being a henderson, it just happens to be what the shop Im taking my lessons at carries, so I will listen to advice to look for other suits as well.

fwiw, this will be a 7mm jumpsuit style suit to be used in the NJ\PA\NY area. I'll buy another suit for warmer waters.

If I need to clarify anything so my question can be answered better, let me know.

 

[mike_s]

I've tried many other wetsuits and not gotten a good fit out of them... But the Hyperstretch fits great because of it's stretch qualities. I like it's fit quallties much better.

However, some folks will tell you that the gold core of the same thickness is warmer than the hyperstretch. Just FYI.

You have other options also as other brands now make stretch suits now also.

 

[spectrum]

First consider what good fit is. Here is a recent post:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1962380&postcount=4
You do not describe a good fit.

There is no free lunch. A hyper stretch or other such suit is a compromise in a number of ways. In making the suit compliant the neoprene is softer and more suceptible to compresion at depth. Since compression mean loss of gas volume you have a greater loss of insulation capability.There are many reports of cold water divers admiting they are not as warm as a "conventional" suit.

Second if you start with 7mm and stretch it (up to 250% !) it stands to reason that you no longer have a 7mm suit.

Bare has a broad line of suits including short and tall cuts. My 7mm Arctic is entirely comfortable. A nice compromise would be the 7mm velocity which has some stretch material in strategic locations.

The gold core suits are slick skin on skin suits. The bare rubber against you realy keeps the film of wetness from moving around and that retains great. Don't wear a dive skin with a gold core, you are defeating the design if you do so.

Pete

 

[david_nj]

Thanks for the great info. I'll try on some more suits at the shop. It's tough, being in the dive shop 2-3 nights a week is really getting me itchy to spend some money!

 

[CompuDude]

Considering you are diving in cold water, I'd avoid the Henderson Hyperstretch. By all reports, it's warmth characteristics tend to be one level lower than it's rated thickness: So if you usually buy a 5mm, buy a 7mm, and you'll be very happy. Since they don't make a 9mm, and for cold water, you really need that 7mm, I'd consider something else.

Henderson's Gold Core and InstaDry are great suits. Not as stretchy, but they mold to your body quite nicely. I have the InstaDry 7mm and like it a lot.

But if I had it all to do over, and I still couldn't afford a dry suit, I'd get an Xcel SCS Polar Tri-Density, which is pretty much the warmest suit out there. See: http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.asp?rid=789 I might get one when my current suit inevitably compresses and is no longer as warm.

Check to see if anyone near you can get them, because you'll definitely need to try on any suit first, for reasons you've already discovered. Xcel has quite a few sizes, though. Their website shows three shops in NJ that carry their line, although I don't know if any are near you.

 

[DiveMaven]

In my humble opinion, you can't beat the Hyperstretch for comfort while diving warm and I can't see myself owning any other suit (I have both a 5mm and 3mm full). But if I dove cold, I'd go dry.

 

[The Kraken]

Just my observation about "stretchy" suits, be it from Henderson or any other manufacturer.

You buy an "X"mm thickness suit for thermal protection for a given dive profile.

If the suit fits properly, the you get "X" amount of neoprene covering your body.

If it doesn't fit properly and has to stretch, then something has to give up somewhere.

So, it is only logical that if the suit has to stretch in order to cover more surface area, then the requiste material has to be lost in the thickness of the suit. This equates to lessened thermal protection.

But, to each his own.

the K

 

[scooby_diver]

I own a 3mm henderson Hyperstretch and love it. I tried the 7mm henderson Gold Core when I was looking for a thicker suit for colder water and I could hardly move in it. I went with a Pinnacle Polar 7/5 Semi-Dry with the merino wool lining. It is a very comfortable suit and I would highly recommend it.

 

[hank harris]

Kraken, the PITA for me is getting them on/off. The stretchy suit makes that much easier; when it is on it is no thinner than a nonstretchy suit.

I'm primarily talking about 7mm tho. I went with a regular 3mm recently because it is only when they hit 7mm that they force me to wrestle myself in/out.

 

[BigTuna]

Same as DiveMaven!