Recommendations Wanted: Freediving Suit

[ScottB]

(also posted in Freediving, but noone is looking at it *sobs* )

I am a scuba diver.. moving to do some free diving as well..

I am looking for a thin (2mm or less) free diving suit that will have a lot of range of motion and be sturdy... I would also like something reasonably affordable.. but I know for the most part, you get what you pay for. I dive in mostly 70degree F or warmer waters.. using a 3/2mm shorty.. and a 5/4 w/ 7/3 hooded vest if it gets much colder..

So far I have looked online at the Beuchat Mondial Reversible 1.5mm or Riffe 1.5 mm hooded long sleeve top and pants.. From what I can find online, the first would set me back about 170 shipped.. the second... a bit over 200..

Thank you for your time and opinions,

 

[ATXdiver98]

What were you wanting to do in your freediving suit? I guess what I am really asking is, "What kind of freediving are you interested in doing?"

Strangely enough, I just got back from Tanya Streeter's talk tonight... we asked her questions about her gear. She uses a 9mm wetsuit so she has maximum buoyancy when surfacing. But if you don't want to be positively buoyant at 160 feet, then 9mm and no weight probably isn't a good idea. (It's not for warmth because her dives are in the Caribbean)

I haven't ever done freediving myself, but I figured I would bite since I actually heard firsthand from the world record holder herself.

 

[Kevrumbo]

The very best custom wetsuit tailor in So. Calif:
http://home.san.rr.com/russg/mb/don.html
http://home.san.rr.com/russg/mb/
(Not much of a website yet so give 'em a call). . .

 

[ScottB]

um.. casual shallow reef free diving.. and casual shallow reef scuba =) I want minimum buoyancy change.. I am going to *try* to do scuba the old way.. without a BCD =)... Goooooo lungs..

I had been looking to get a dive skin to use for warm water.. instead of my 3/2 shorty... so I can avoid floaty nematocyte stings on my arms/legs.. and to help prevent sunburn.. but from what I understand freediving suits are built to be more.. efficient then it's wetsuit counterpart..

Checking out that custom suit designer now =) Thanks,

 

[Kevrumbo]

Here's another good source for custom suits from the So. Calif./South Santa Monica Bay Region: http://www.jmjwetsuits.com/

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Picasso Aponos 3mm suit from scubastore.com at around $150 plus shipping. The other 1.5 mm are too thin for 70 degrees, plus you must absolutely wear a decent hood if you want to minimize the amount of bouyant neoprene and maximize warmth. The hood is the most efficient (from a bouyancy perspective) way to stay warm.

The Apnos suit is however fragile, but is super comfortable (I love mine). For Scuba diving you might consider additional knee pads, but if you are not crawling in holes to catch game, the Apnos suit should be fine. I'm not thin and wear 8 lbs when freediving with it.