Shopping for a wetsuit on Coz

[crabbyfiddler]

I've got a trip to Cozumel coming up in about 10 days, and I may need to pick up a new wetsuit when I get there. I'm looking for suggestions for someplace on the island that might have a decent selection and not terrible prices.

And yes, I do know that there are better places to buy dive gear, especially if you care about price and selection - buying at a resort destination one pays more and has limited options. In my case, the usual options I would choose - local dive shops, buying online, a dive show, etc. - are not practical: I don't have time to shop for one before we leave, and I had a pretty serious knee injury a few days ago (serious enough to cause my knee doc, who is also a diver, to initially tell me just not to go...after some back-and-forth he grudgingly gave me something like an OK to go and even to try diving, but I need to be reeeeealy careful not to do anything to further damage myself).

One of the challenges I'm going to have, given my injury, is to pull my wetsuit on and off (twisting and tugging motions are dangerous, and I definitely do a bit of that with my old, full wetsuit).

So besides other modifications to normal dive activities (no giant-stride entries for me, no shuffling on the boat with heavy gear on, I'll need to don and remove my BCD/tank when I'm in the water, etc.), I'm looking for either a two-piece wetsuit (really I'd just wear the top) or maybe a shortie, if I can keep the tugging and twisting away from that knee. Or if the water is warm enough I could just wear my dive skin and skip the neoprene entirely, but I don't expect the water to be THAT warm.

Basically, I'll figure out how to get some dives in without further damaging my knee, but I'd like to shop for a new (knee-injury-appropriate) wetsuit once I get to Cozumel.

So...what are the shops on Coz that have the better selection for neoprene outfits?

Thanks.

You can order online the Xspan pant, which is super stretchy and easy to don if you want some leg protection, and then do a thicker jacket.

 

[Superglyde]

Thanks, all - very helpful info.

An update: we've tweaked our plans a bit - originally, we were going to fly to Mexico tomorrow (Thursday 2/2 - going to Mexico City for several days, before heading to Cozumel and arriving there on Wed. 2/8) -- which is why I indicated I wouldn't have time before leaving. I was able to change our outbound flight this morning - we will delay our departure, skip the Mexico City part of our trip (we'll go there another time) and fly straight to Cancun. So now I've got a few more days to play with before we launch - enough to order online as long as I get my tail in gear. To that end...



This looks like just what I need. I usually wear 3 mm in tropical water (and that's an old, long-since-compressed 3 mm) so I'm thinking a new 3 mm, even as a shorty, should keep me warm enough there in Coz (I generally don't get cold very quickly - too much built-in insulation...) so I'm thinking this will be about right. Superglide, how did you find the fit on the Henderson? In your experience, are their sizing charts on the tight side or loose or pretty accurate? They're quite stretchy, right?

I'm inclined to order one tomorrow morning - it needs to get here Monday or Tuesday, so I need to commit.

How's the weather forecast for next week? I'm hoping the Nortes have finished for a while...

Thanks again for all the input, guys.

I was in between sizes and they said take the slightly smaller one and it was perfect because it stretched very comfortably

 

[extremetito]

I'll second the suggestion for the Neosport Xspan pants.
I use the Neosport Xspan 3-mm front zip jacket with it. Works well for me. If you purchase the Xspan jacket buy a size smaller than your usual size-they run large.

 

[nwflyboy]

Thanks, all. I ordered a Henderson Thermoprene 3 mm front zip step in shorty/jacket last night from LeisurePro. Should get here about a day before I head to Coz. I think that's going to work well for me. Appreciate the tips. Thanks again!

 

[mstevens]

what are the shops on Coz that have the better selection for neoprene outfits?

Others have given you the main places you should check. ProDive will probably have a bigger selection, especially of cheaper (though not necessarily less expensive) suits. Cozumel Scuba Repair will likely have better products. It's possible that if you contact Cozumel Scuba Repair they might be able to put you in touch with someone who could add a full-leg zipper to a suit. The owner is a long-time American resident who has a lot of gear manufactured for them, so might be a good resource.

Buying a wetsuit on-line without having ever tried it on seems risky to me.

We do it all the time.

Do you not have a local dive shop?

Our nearest shop is 25 miles away and has very little in the way of tropical gear. I think it's great to support local businesses, but it is the case that many people don't actually have a local shop.

 

[Divegoose]

I have a 3 mm Aqualung full wetsuit. It is always a pain getting my foot through the legs, and pulling the wetsuit legs up. A tip I picked up from a divemaster was to put a plastic bag on my foot, and then my foot slides right through the leg without all the pulling and tugging. Works very slick, and saves a ton of aggravation With your leg issues, it may make it much easier to don the wetsuit.

Divegoose

 

[JohnN]

I've got a trip to Cozumel coming up in about 10 days, and I may need to pick up a new wetsuit when I get there. I'm looking for suggestions for someplace on the island that might have a decent selection and not terrible prices.

And yes, I do know that there are better places to buy dive gear, especially if you care about price and selection - buying at a resort destination one pays more and has limited options. In my case, the usual options I would choose - local dive shops, buying online, a dive show, etc. - are not practical: I don't have time to shop for one before we leave, and I had a pretty serious knee injury a few days ago (serious enough to cause my knee doc, who is also a diver, to initially tell me just not to go...after some back-and-forth he grudgingly gave me something like an OK to go and even to try diving, but I need to be reeeeealy careful not to do anything to further damage myself).

One of the challenges I'm going to have, given my injury, is to pull my wetsuit on and off (twisting and tugging motions are dangerous, and I definitely do a bit of that with my old, full wetsuit).

So besides other modifications to normal dive activities (no giant-stride entries for me, no shuffling on the boat with heavy gear on, I'll need to don and remove my BCD/tank when I'm in the water, etc.), I'm looking for either a two-piece wetsuit (really I'd just wear the top) or maybe a shortie, if I can keep the tugging and twisting away from that knee. Or if the water is warm enough I could just wear my dive skin and skip the neoprene entirely, but I don't expect the water to be THAT warm.

Basically, I'll figure out how to get some dives in without further damaging my knee, but I'd like to shop for a new (knee-injury-appropriate) wetsuit once I get to Cozumel.

So...what are the shops on Coz that have the better selection for neoprene outfits?

Thanks.

One of these. . .
Thermoprene® Men’s Front Zip Shorty • Henderson Aquatics

Its hard to beat a front-zip shorty for ease of entry/exit. . .

 

[sefuchs]

I wear Lycra dive socks with my booties which are extremely comfortable and keep me from getting blisters. They also work fantastic for getting into wetsuit (like the plastic bag tip from Givegoose). I keep an extra pair with me and use them on my hands to slip my arms into the wetsuit. Arms and legs just slide right in, easy peesy!

Ocean Quest 6oz Premium Lycra Fin Dive Socks