Looking for a new wetsuit

[cavemn]

and I thought this would be easy....

I am prepping for cave training and looking at new wet suits. So, I set out looking for a new 5 or 7 mm wet suit. I looked over my 3mm Henderson off the rack suit that's about 10 yrs old now and parts of it are a little crunchy. So, now I'm really looking for 2 suits and I have a list of 9 possible custom options or something off the rack again. This is just too many options for me to evaluate. So, looking for a little help from the audience.

I am looking into full suits for both. I do not need boots, gloves or hood at this time, just the full suit. I use the 3mm for springs (70-72F) and blue water around the same temp. I need a 5 or 7 mm for the deeper technical diving involving lots of deco or repetitive dives and Caves. The Henderson was a good value for a recreational suit. I need something that will handle more diving and specifically more tech diving. I do not need a drysuit.

Here's a list of customs I found(not necessarily a complete list);
Wet Wear
Waterproof
Liquid Fit
WetsuitWarehouse
Nemo Wetsuit
Aquaflite
Horizon
Eagle Reef
Deep Thought

So, what are the more tech type diving durable options in wetsuits? I'm willing to spend some money for a good suit.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[thatguyoverthere]

If you are looking for a suit for tech diving than you need to worry about compression factors. Wetwear uses nitrogen composed neoprene, which helps the suit keep its thickness. You should read their website, it has a lot of good information on it about materials.

 

[Fish&beer]

I have been diving for more years than I can count and discovered Aquaflite a few years ago. I got a 7mm custom semi-dry (total smooth skin in) and it has been one of the most comfortable and warmest suits I have ever dove with. They did a nice job building my suit. In fact I bought a dry suit a few years ago and haven't even used it as the Aquaflite is so nice. But this is just my 2 cents worth. Everyone has their favorites.

 

[rcoreytaylor]

Oops - I misread and thought you asked re: Drysuit - comments removed - cheers!

 

[PfcAJ]

Cavemn, if you're headed toward cave/ deco diving (esp in Florida springs), I really suggest a drysuit. There are a lot of factors at play here besides warmth. Bouyancy is a huge one, as well as a redundant form of lift in the even of a bc failure.

Thermally, cave dives (in general) tend to be a bit longer, and while 70 degrees might sound warm, it will suck the heat right out of you on deco stops.

Just some things to consider

 

[Sas]

Why are you considering a wetsuit in particular?

I really think it would be better to get a drysuit if your goals are: "deeper technical diving involving lots of deco or repetitive dives and Caves". For redundant lift and warmth reasons in particular.

 

[cavemn]

I have a Hollis Dry Suit for Florida. The wetsuit is for Cozumel cave diving.

I might add that the Hollis is OK, but I will be looking at other dry suits before going to Florida. I'm not totally thrilled about the buoyancy characteristics in the Hollis.

Cavemn, if you're headed toward cave/ deco diving (esp in Florida springs), I really suggest a drysuit. There are a lot of factors at play here besides warmth. Bouyancy is a huge one, as well as a redundant form of lift in the even of a bc failure.

Thermally, cave dives (in general) tend to be a bit longer, and while 70 degrees might sound warm, it will suck the heat right out of you on deco stops.

Just some things to consider

 

[cavemn]

I agree with all those recommending a dry suit for the longer deeper cave dives. I have the Hollis already. The 5mil is for the Cenotes. I have hoods, a hooded vest and various boots to mix and match for warmth. I also have a dual bladder wing in the Nomad when diving wet for my redundant lift.

Why are you considering a wetsuit in particular?

I really think it would be better to get a drysuit if your goals are: "deeper technical diving involving lots of deco or repetitive dives and Caves". For redundant lift and warmth reasons in particular.

 

[cavemn]

Lot's of great comments here. I have added some additional info to a couple of posts.

I ended up with the Waterproof W1 5mil and would make the same purchase again.

Why W1 instead of W2? I can get in and out of the front zip by myself. I like my drysuit front zip for the same reason. This also means I have padding along the spine and no zipper. This suit fits so snuggly that it takes some wiggling to get out of it when wet.

Why wet? not dry? I have a Hollis drysuit and consider it overkill for 77 degree water. I am comfortable in this 5 mil with hooded vest in 56 degree temps.

Why Waterproof? The pre-bent arms and legs in a thicker wetsuit allow more flex. The interior material is very nice and padded along the spines. Wear points like elbows, knees and seat are all reinforced. Zippers a heavy duty. It wears like a semi-dry(don't pee in this wetsuit) and does a fabulous job of retaining water. I like all the other goodies as well like zippers on the arms and legs making it easier to get into and out of. They also protect the seals like on a drysuit. Neck warmer, wrist computer keeper strap and compass are a big plus(ok, well the compass is a neat to have and I question the functionality a little).

Why not just a custom? I looked at some of the customs with the same features and the Waterproof was a better value for the price.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I dive caves both wet and dry. For Florida caves, you need 7mm. In fact, I have a custom fit farmer john with a hooded vest, so I have 21mm on the torso. I can get away with that in a cave, but I would wear that much neoprene in the open ocean. So it depends on what kind of tech diving you're doing.