Pinnacle Merino-Elastiprene 10mm spine pad..

[compton384]

So I just got a brand new pinnacle merino-elastiprene 5/4 wetsuit and I had to say, I don't much like the 10mm spine pad which I guess is supposed to eliminate water seeping through the zipper. Does it really have to be that thick to accomplish that? I don't like the feel of it pressing into my back.

Also, there are a few places it did not seem to be sewn well- the velcro at the top is already coming off slightly after the first use, and there are a few places the gluing is coming up as well (noticed before even trying it on).

To top it off, I know it's a new suit, so it's more buoyant than a used one, but with that 10mm spine pad, I needed 17 pounds to sink me! I'm just a normal, average-sized woman!

What does everyone else think about pinnacle suits? I thought they were pretty highly regarded... Do others like the thick pad on their spine?

 

[redacted]

I have th 5mm full ME suit. At first I found the thick spine pad a bit uncomfortable but It feels fine now. I was unable to zip the suit myself as it kept getting stuck in the spine pad. I added a loop of line to the lanyard which I hook on a nail or something and a careful squat takes care of that problem. The only drawback I see is it takes days to dry so each subsequent dive is a wet/damp suit. It is the warmest 5mm I have ever used.

 

[rongoodman]

I like the suit, and found it plenty warm for my recent cave class in the cenotes. The pad is a pain in the neck, though, and useless when wearing either a backplate or in sidemount. It would be the most likely reason for me to not replace this suit with another one from Pinnacle, the other being the very narrow cut of the arms. The suits are very floaty, but that goes along with the warmth, I think.

 

[compton384]

I just wanted to say that otherwise, I do like the suit and it fit nicely, but I just wanted to hear what other people had to say..

 

[al248005]

I got the same ME suit. I like the spine pad. I really like the neck seal on the suit with the rolled collar. I wish they would put the glideskin on the wrist like they did with the ankles. I do have kind of the same problem with weighting like you. I have gotten my weight down to 16 but thats the farthest I was able to do so. I wore 14lbs once and starting floating to the surface during my safety stop. I figure I'll put up with the added weight when the suit keeps me nice and warm at 51 degrees.

I'm hoping they production back up shortly. I really would like to get a 3mm elastiprene suit for the summer.