Looking for 5mm warmth in a 3mm suit

[Gradual Ascent]

J

I dive Pinnacle Seal 3mm Merino Lined Full wetsuit. So far in the dives I have done in th 70's it actually get very warm. It is a lot warmer than my 3mm O'neil that I used to dive in (it shrunk ; I would recommend it ...

"The Seal is the warmest 3mm wetsuit ever made. In addition to incorporating all of the features that normally are used to make a 7mmsuit warm and durable, the Seal has Pinnacle's exclusive patented Merino lining system in the torso. The Seal is warmer than many 5mm suits, yet much less buoyant and more flexible. The Seal is equally at home in temperate and warm water applications."​

 

[JTemple]

Hmmm, the Pinnacle does look interesting! Especially given its price. Thanks.

 

[Agent 47]

I used to wear a 5 mil goldcore. It was a real PITA to take on and off, but it was the warmest suit I've owned by a wide margin. Before it shrank that is. Now's its the smallest suit I've ever owned. I have a Bare 5/4 now. I like the suit a lot, and the construction details seem nicer, but I'm not nearly as warm in it.

And actually...at the turkey fry Netdoc was diving a 3 mil goldcore in 61 degree water...

 

[JessH]

I second Waterproof brand wetsuits. My waterproof 7mm is by far the warmest 7mm suit that I have ever worn. I hear that the 3mm suits are just as good. I can't really tell you about the 3mm but I will tell you about the 5mm and 7mm to give you an idea. Quite simply they use great materials and cut them using more pieces than most wetsuits so that they fit most people extremely well. It is a very high quality suit with wrist and ankle seals, a skin in neck seal and a spine pad that seals against the suit to prevent water from coming in the zipper.

There is something about the material and construction on the waterproof wetsuits that I just like so much better than the henderson. My 7mm drys faster and doesn't seem to absorb nearly as much water as the henderson hyperstretch. The Henderson gold core material definitely works well and I love my gold core hooded vest, but the material doesn't seem all that durable. People that I know who have the gold core wetsuits that are a few years old say that they are not nearly as warm as they were when they bought them.

A Henderson instadry is probably an extremely warm suit, but they are extremely expensive and I don't have enough info to judge the durability. If I wanted the warmest 3mm suit possible I would want to try both the instadry and the waterproof brand wetsuit.

~Jess

 

[Agent 47]

The Pinnacle suits are sure looking interesting too. Do any of you have any cold water experience with the merino lining? Would love to hear more about it from people who've worn it.