Sharskin VS Wetsuit

[joshchin1989]

Hi all, would like to seek your advice and suggestions on this. I am in the midst of choosing either a Sharskin (top+bottom/ full suit) or a conventional 3mm wetsuit. I usually dive in tropical waters and already hit 30 plus dives up until now.

I've tried on the Sharskin twice in the shop. First impressions were they were easy to put on. Lightweight and I really like how you can put it in the washer to clean it. And I also know that it wicks moisture, blocks wind, UV rays, controls temperature etc.

However, I'd like to know if it offers the same protection like the neoprene wetsuit which is thicker. Some wet suits has an extra guard on the knee and elbow too. I'd like to know if the Sharkskin is okay protect myself from scratches or stings from marine life as compared to neoprene suits.

Hope to hear from you all soon. Thanks!

 

[thanksforallthefish]

I have been diving a sharkskin for many years, it will certainly protect you against scratches and stings as well as a 3mm, the only thing you need to work out is if it will have sufficient thermal protection for you.

 

[joshchin1989]

I have been diving a sharkskin for many years, it will certainly protect you against scratches and stings as well as a 3mm, the only thing you need to work out is if it will have sufficient thermal protection for you.

hi thanksforallthefish,

thanks for more information. I guess thr sharkskin provides sufficient thermal protection and can also be used together with a neoprene suit too.

 

[Erik 1]

I am bumping this to the top. I am in the market for a 3mm or 3/2 full wetsuit to use in Grand Cayman at the end of the month (April into May) and generally to use in warmer waters. The sharkskin chillproof full suit has been suggested as a better alternative. I have not had much luck finding reviews and would like to see if anybody here has any thoughts. Thanks.

---------- Post added April 2nd, 2015 at 09:39 AM ----------

I'll give this one more bump. I'm hoping to get some input from those using the sharkskin full suit, or a lavacore or thermocline equivalent. Thanks.

 

[Polpessa]

Sharkskin is great! I wear a hooded vest under mine as I get chilled easily. It is by far my favourite "wetsuit" and I wish I had gone with this setup years ago. It's super easy to get on and off, really comfortable, almost neutrally buoyant so you don't need to carry much weight, and the abrasion resistance is excellent. I've done 300+ dives in it and the only sign of wear is the logo printing has come off a bit which doesn't bother me at all. If you want it to dry quickly, you need to squeeze it out, but once dry, it's very lightweight and compact to travel with too.

 

[danvolker]

I think it is much smarter to go with an alternative to a buoyant wetsuit or drysuit....a neutral suit with insulation such as sharkskin suit is a great way to go...For Cayman, I doubt you would need any more warmth....

To DRASTICALLY extend the temperature range you could enjoy using this Sharkskin suit in....also consider the Thermolution electric heated undershirt for an additional future purchase...you wear it under the sharkskin, and turn it on if you get cold...low, medium or high.Thermalution Heated Undersuit -70M (Shortsleeve)

With a non-buoyant suit like the sharkskin and Thermolution combo, you can dive fairly cool water without having to wear stupid amounts of lead...a convolution in itself, and then be forced to deal with the convolution of all the lead, by being forced to wear a huge floppy BC to deal with the wetsuit losing lift at the deeper points of your dive. This stupidity, common in the dive industry, also includes the diver wearing all the lead, and the huge high drag BC, expending enormous effort to push themselves along with all the added drag....and to counter their high drag and high exertion condition, they are sold into deciding they need a 100 or 120 or 130 cu ft tank....which may also need an even larger, more high drag BC. Now they can exert hard, to counter the work of pushing all the bulk through the water--using massive amounts of air in the huge tanks....The next step beyond this, is the $20,000 rebreather, which is very effective at dealing with the increased air consumption from thick wetsuit and lots of lead and monster BC....

Technically, you should not even need a BC, using a sharkskin suit and Thermolution, if you are using a tank like a steel 72 or even an Al 80.

 

[PatW]

My skin's zipper died. My wife, who dives a sharkskin, managed to coerce me into getting a sharkskin.

i much prefer it to a wet suit. During diving and on the boat, it feels like a skin. Unlike a wet suit, it does not affect your weighting. It is easy to get on and out of. On the boat, I get over heated in a wet suit. That does not happen in the sharkskin .

My wife is far more cold intolerant than I am. She is fine in the sharkskin.

Sharkskins do tend to work by just adding a layer or so which I have not needed.

 

[Erik 1]

I did end up buying the sharkskin; zip-neck, long-sleeve top and pants. I liked it a lot and was very comfortable diving with it in Grand Cayman in mid-April. My only observation is that the suit gets extremely baggy once it gets wet. What went on as a very snug top and bottom ballooned up in the water. I was comfortable, but would have been warmer I think if it didn't balloon up as that lets more water in.

 

[danvolker]

I did end up buying the sharkskin; zip-neck, long-sleeve top and pants. I liked it a lot and was very comfortable diving with it in Grand Cayman in mid-April. My only observation is that the suit gets extremely baggy once it gets wet. What went on as a very snug top and bottom ballooned up in the water. I was comfortable, but would have been warmer I think if it didn't balloon up as that lets more water in.

The baggy when wet would add huge drag, so that would be a horrific FAIL for what you are going for...you need to be able to GLIDE EFFORTLESSLY through the water...There are many high tech fabric suits on the market that are slick....if this is an issue with Sharkskin suits, it needs to be established, and then if they are high drag like this, everyone needs to know. I have seen divers using these without baggyness or drag...the fit may be the major problem.

 

[Erik 1]

I can't speak to others' experience, but it did get baggy on me. The fit when dry is very snug. The next size down would be way too tight, as in almost too tight to get on and definitely too tight to wear for any length of time.