Need Advice On Important Matter

[8buck]

tilos makes a 7mil for 179 good rubber and will work. it beats 300 to 400 hundered for a gold core. Granted i am not in the ice and i really do not think it gets cold in florida oh wait we hit low 40's until like 0700 then we were sweating. but look around the thicker the rubber the less movement you will feel like you have but then again your not swimming your finning just slow and easy of course to save gas..

 

[Genesis]

I am just getting into diving, and I am going on a trip that has been organized through my school and they tell me that I need to get a wetsuit.

So, after doing some research I found that everyone's opinion in the matter is different. I am not a person that gets cold easy and I would rather be cold then hot, idk if that is the case with water or not though. I was looking at getting a Henderson Gold Core 3MM Full Jumpsuit or the 5MM. However, most people are trying to sell me on getting a 5MM Farmer John/Jane style suit. Personally, I think that is to much neoprene and I will not be able to move. The diving that I am going to be doing for the next year or so will be at school and that is in central Pennsylvania and the trip to Florida in the summer. I guess that the main problem that I have is that I don't know how warm a 3MM vs. a 5MM keeps you.

I have no idea what kind of a wetsuit that I should get and I need all the help that I can get. Please help.

You need TWO forms of exposure protection. There is no way around this.

Here in Florida in the summer water temps get into the low 80s. I wear a 3mil full suit for abrasion protection and am toasty-comfortable. That's the way I like it.

As the water cools down into the upper 70s I add a 3mil hooded vest under the suit. That does a LOT to keep you warm, but its only good down to 70F or so - below that its not enough.

Once the water temps get below the 70F mark I want to be diving dry. I HATE the thick wetsuits, and they're useless as you decend anyway, because they compress and lose their warmth. A 7mil is a 3mil in thickness at 90'!

A cheap 3 mil and hooded vest can be had for $150 or so; that takes care of the Florida diving in the summer.

For the PA diving, I'd bite the bullet and get a cheap dry suit. The Bare NEX-GEN is a fabulous suit for what it costs. You can save SOME money by buying your undergarmets from Cabelas (the outdoor store!) rather than the dive store - get 200 or 300wt polartec, and make sure you have enough overlap to keep them from exposing skin - you'll be fine. The Bare NEX-GEN is available often on eBAY - there is a dive shop in Canada that frequently runs amazing deals on brand new suits - I dove one last winter spearfishing for about 30 dives and had ZERO trouble with it. Spearfishing is NOT kind to suits - fish have this nasty way of not wanting to quietly give up and die when shot, you see....

Exposure protection should be your FIRST purchase. If it doesn't fit right you will be MISERABLE. You can rent regs and all the rest, but renting suits bites as you'll never get a proper fit. Spend your money THERE before anywhere else.

You are close enough to NYC in Pennsylvania that a drive up to Leisurepro might be worthwhile. Yeah, its a long haul. But, you can try on everything there (they are a REAL dive shop, contrary to what people who malign them say) and walk out with EXACTLY what you need, and what fits you, for HALF of what a shop around there will charge you for the same thing.

 

[sinja]

front zips are great for instant cooling! being 6'3" - 280, i can sympathise with overheating concerns! what did you end up getting, and how did it work out for you? i'm a few months behind you in the purchasing dept.!

 

[firediver293]

If you feel constricted trying on the suit in the store, I wouldn't make it an issue. As you descend the neoprene will compress and your suit will not be constrictive at all.

How tight is too tight?

Does a wetsuit stretch with use/wear/age? If I break a sweat putting it on is it too tight?

I was just given (aren't buddies great?) a wetsuit (7mm Oneil Jumpsuit) that is brand new and according to the size charts is my size. It is quite a chore to put on. Other than feeling tight and my arms popping out a bit from the tightness, feels pretty good. Will this suit stretch as I wear it? Should I prestretch it a bit?

I have an identical suit that is size a size larger. It goes on easier but the neck seal rides high on the back of my neck.

Everyone says fit is important. But the million dollar question is....

What is a good fit?

 

[Genesis]

Does it constrict your breathing in any way? That's one danger sign.

 

[firediver293]

No. Not tight on the neck. Just constricting on the body and a pain in the butt to put on.

Hate to have other divers see me trying to put it on. lol

 

[hantzu701]

See if you can get some pool time.

Generally most people find their first suit to feel tight which should be fine. As the neoprene breaks in, it should stretch. If you're having problems getting in or you feel the suit bunching up at the arms and legs, you can cheat by using a little soapy water on the arms and legs. Once you're in the water, water will get into the suit and help equalize the tension. Try a few dives and keep notes. At the extreme, you can get the suit custom fitted. Realistically, some people may need this, but give your equipment a few dives to break in. You'll quickly find out what works and what doesn't.

I think I'm with Genesis about the exposure protection. For the Philly area, you'll probably want to go with a drysuit at some point. Florida/Tropical destinations are entirely different, and you'll want a 3mm or 3/5mm. Think of it as getting a heavy jacket for winter weather and a lighter jacket for spring weather. I have a drysuit, a 3mm and a 7mm wetsuit. I didn't set out to have so many wetsuits, but you'll learn that the right suit makes a huge difference.

You'll see some people dive in a shorty, but I think that's pretty short-sighted.

1) In general, you are always losing heat in water. Even if the water seems warm, you're burning a lot of calories to keep warm. You'll see some people shivering when they get out because their core temp has been lowered.
2) Abrasion protection. There are coral, jellyfish, etc. that are in the ocean. You'll want to have some sort of barrier to protect from stings and cuts.

 

[firediver293]

Is it acceptable or adviseable to pre-stretch a wetsuit? Will it even work?

I have read that neoprene neck seals can be stretched on a tank bottle to loosen them up a bit. Will the same theory hold true on neoprene arms and legs of a wetsuit?

 

[Genesis]

Yeah, to a point. Neoprene can be stretched, but when you do so, you destroy some of the gas bubble chambers, and thus its permanently altered.

You might try that, but be aware that the reason the suit keeps you warm is that it traps a thin layer of water inside, which you then warm. If you stretch the arms and legs, you make it possible for it to "pump" water when you move, which partially defeats the warmth of the suit.

 

[Scuby Dooby]

If I were you I'd take the good advice on buying a suit appropriate for home. When you get to Florida this summer, or any other warm water destinations for that matter, just rent a shorty or full length 3 mil suit. Even if it doesn't fit all that well you shouldn't have many problems with heat loss in water temps in the upper 70's / 80's. The only problem you'll have to face is the psychological barrier of wondering exactly how many people have peed in that suit before you . . . the price you pay for saving a buck i guess!

I have a friend that lives in Shanghai and usually borrows my shorty when we meet up to dive here in SE Asia. On the first dive he invariably taps me on the shoulder and gives me that smug look to let me know he has 'christened' it as his for that particular trip - I tried limiting his fluid intake (i.e. the cheap ******* has to buy the beers) but it just doesn't seem to work