Opinions on Lavacore Vs. 5mm?

[ladyfishdvr]

I wear lavacore socks and a long sleeve lava core shirt under my 5 mil wetsuit and 7 mil hooded vest in 55-70 degree quarry diving and am quite comfortable.
Never tried any of the others. I like the lavacore.

 

[j2s]

I got hold of a LC short sleeve pullover recently....Pay attention to the comments on Leisurepro.com about sizing....They run tight......I usually wear an XXL or 3XL....The one I was given was a 4XL and it's snug and longer than the other brands which for me (6'4") was a nice surprise........It added warmth under a 7mm wet suit w/o effecting buoyancy.......

 

[tracydr]

Tracy, he's saying that paying the $220 for LavaCore is worth it as it's "significantly better" than the cheaper ($100) variants.

I never used LavaCore, but have heard it compared to a 3mm suit. I would recommend booties with it for sure, and possibly even reef gloves. That would help a lot. One thing about Lavacore is that it's not as tight as a wetsuit (normally) and doesn't stretch as much....so you may have a little more water and water flowing through the suit (hence the booties and gloves, closing up the seams a little bit). The biggest thing about Lavacore (to me) is the wind-resistance. I'm cold-tolerant, but on several dives I was freezing my ***** off in my wetsuit when others were SUPER comfy wearing their Lavacore suits. The next morning, their LC was dry as a bone and I had the wonderful experience of suiting up into an ice-cold wetsuit.

Thanks. I had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 06:47 PM ----------

The competing brands of LC have suits for $100, not lavacore

What are the competing brands? Are they as good? I've heard of sharkskin but I was under the impression that it is only sold in Australia.
Sounds like lavacore would be perfect for swimming but $220 is an awfully expensive swimsuit!

 

[Marybeth42]

---------- Post added October 25th, 2013 at 01:27 AM ----------

Thanks. I had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 06:47 PM ----------


What are the competing brands? Are they as good? I've heard of sharkskin but I was under the impression that it is only sold in Australia.
Sounds like lavacore would be perfect for swimming but $220 is an awfully expensive swimsuit!

Akona Skin Suit (AKSS156) | LeisurePro
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-hndpj/h...h-spine-pad-unisex?Page=1&Term=poliofin&Hit=1
There are a lot more two-piece options for skins by Cressi, Henderson, Mares, National Geographic etc. I have never used any of these so I honestly have no idea about their qualities. It does seem though by the descriptions and reviews that none of the other options claim the same amount of warmth that the LC offers (or claims to offer).

 

[buddhasummer]

Thanks. I had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 06:47 PM ----------


What are the competing brands? Are they as good? I've heard of sharkskin but I was under the impression that it is only sold in Australia.
Sounds like lavacore would be perfect for swimming but $220 is an awfully expensive swimsuit!

And New Zealand.