Nex-Gen seems HUGE.. need advise

[Norda]

Bare will talk to you. I ordered a Nex-Gen through LP and they sent me a note saying it had been back ordered. After a couple of weeks I called LP to ask on status and they recommended I just call Bare directly. I did and they new my name and scheduled ship date. They sent it directly to me.

As for size, I know one of the critical checks for fit is to don the suit, sit on about the second step of a staircase, then bend over as far as you can and check to see if there is any tension on the neck seal around the back of your neck. Any tension on the seal is a potential leak and a good indication of vertical fit for your torso.

Bill.

 

[Genesis]

Put on the suit.

Bend over as far as you can towards touching your toes. If the suit binds, its too small.

Reach back with each hand towards your spine, then down. If the suit binds before you run out of range of motion, its too small.

Crouch down with your knees fully bent. You should be able to do this to the range of your motion (not the suit's); ditto if it binds.

The ends of the sleeves should reach all the way to your wrist bone BUT NOT MUCH beyond at your full range of motion. NOT THE SEALS - the fabric. If they do not then you may get leaks underwater from the wrist seals. As noted, if the neck seal pulls during any of these tests, its likely to leak underwater.

You have to do all of the above with the underwear on that you intend to use, with the dump full open (so any extra air can escape.) If you do get some air escaping (you will!) then its ok if things bind until that releases, but once the extra air is out, the suit should not bind.

The suit has to be "large" on you in street clothes (or less!) to fit properly with dive underwear. However, if its TOO big then it gets really uncomfortable underwater and potentially dangerous.

A backplate with crotch strap will help control extra torso material, but it won't completely eliminate the problem, and extra material in the legs is REALLY uncomfortable and potentially dangerous if you get too much air in the suit.

BARE's suits are a bit larger than I'd like for their given sizes. Their stock "L" was listed as "ok" for my body measurements (before I lost a fair bit of weight) but the suit was JUST BARELY ok in terms of size - it was big on me, but still usable - any larger and I would have said that it was TOO large.

If you're at the bottom end of BARE's range and don't dive in stupid-cold water (e.g. you don't need 400gm thinsulate insulation or similar) then you're probably running into what I dealt with last year - it was ok, but I would have likely been better off with one size smaller.

 

[Wristshot]

Occasionally things get mismarked as to the size. When I was looking for a thin wetsuit at one of the relatively local dive shops, I tried on several suits by a particular manufacturer. (I won't say the name so that I don't have to retract later, but it rhymes with Darkday)

I looked at the sizing charts, I picked the suggested size based on my height & weight. It said ML which was what I had bought before for a 3mm suit. I tried on a blue ML and it was WAY too big. I tried the next smaller size, and it was WAY too small. I was left scratching my head. I tried on a L and it was not as big as the blue ML. Then I tried a gray ML, and guess what, it fit just fine.

It was a simple matter that the blue ML was really an XL that had been mismarked. Stuff happens.

I had the LDS get me another blue ML from the manufacturer, and I tried it before I left the shop. I did 8 dives with it in Cozumel and it was great.

Just my .5 millimeters, for what it is worth.


Wristshot

 

[toddbr]

I just got back from Edmonds in Washington and it went great! The suit fit great as well! It is going to take some prcatice but it was still very fun diving the suit. I need to put more air in the suit when diving. I keep barely any in and I go t a little cold. I think usiung the suit for buoyancy is the way to go. THe more air, the more warmth Thanks for all your advise.

 

[Genesis]

The only way to dive a drysuit with more air than necessary to keep the squeeze manageable is to crank down the exhaust valve. Otherwise, the extra air will immediately escape.

Now, consider what happens if you end up feet-up and ascending. You have a lot of air in the suit. It expands as you ascend. You right yourself (you need to know how to do this and quick!) but the cranked down valve prevents the air from getting out.

Your next option is to intentionally break the neck seal, but you have very little time to do it. Of course doing that floods the suit.....

The more air you start with, the more air there is to expand on ascent. It is VERY POSSIBLE to get beyond the exhaust's ability to get rid of the air on ascent with a drysuit, and if you do, that's quite dangerous.

If you are cold, you need better (or thicker) underwear. The 2-piece fleece underwear that Bare sells with the Nex-Gen is ok down to the low 60s, but below that you need to augment it.

Try one or two layers of polypro thermals under the fleece, or get the Bare T-100 light thinsulate underwear and put that OVER the fleece. With a layering approach you can easily adjust warmth for the conditions you intend to dive in.

 

[toddbr]

I was talking to a dive master and was suggesting this route but, he is a lot more advanced then I. I was wearing the Bare CT200 extreme under garment. Maybe I should get long underwear to wear under that!

 

[Genesis]

The Ct200 should be pretty warm....

If you put underwear under this, make sure its polypro - DO NOT wear cotton anything, as it will retain perspiration and then you get COLD!

There are instructors (and agencies!) who think you should use your suit as a BC. I disagree - you have a BC that is designed to exhaust and take in air efficiently.

Your suit allows air to shift around a LOT, which can be dangerous. I don't like the way it feels when a big "bubble" shifts around on me, and I don't like the implications for a potential runaway ascent either.

Diving with minimal air in the suit addresses both concerns.

The "task loading" argument most instructors will make is a BS argument. The same argument was made years ago when the BC was introduced - scuba was dove without one!

Today, use of a BC is required by all agencies.

The disinformation campaign continues....