Should i buy custom size wetsuit

[DirtRider]

However I'm thinking that you may be longer than usual in the torso.
Pete

Exactly right. I bought a body glove suit for windsurfing and it is too tight in the torso...things get rather tight when I am not standing up straight :11doh:.

Maybe I'll have to check out some other wet suit brands that cater toward other sports.

Is there anything to look out for in a wetsuit for scuba? I figure reinforced knee panels are a must but besides that is there anything else scuba specific?

 

[DirtRider]

I started thinking about the windsurfing again and remembered neil pryde is on the of the popular brands. Turns out they have much better fit for those like me. Maybe I can try that out. Looks like the XLT for me.

http://www.neilprydewaterwear.com/en/2006/product/size_chart.php

Isthmus sailboards is the place I always ordered my equipment from as they were usually cheapest and had the best customer service (owner was a great hlep at demo days). What do you think about the prices?

http://www.isthmussailboards.com/store/products.asp?dept=25

 

[Hollywoodivers]

You shouldn't need a custom...Scubapro everflex or the henderson hyperstretch should work...got a shop to try em on in ? If not gimme a call ...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Harvey's can make you a full custom. We just sold one to a guy with wrist and ankle zips, front entry(he wanted it), and as I said full custom. 5 mil. Price 350 including shipping.

 

[spectrum]

Exactly right. I bought a body glove suit for windsurfing and it is too tight in the torso...things get rather tight when I am not standing up straight :11doh:.

Maybe I'll have to check out some other wet suit brands that cater toward other sports.

Is there anything to look out for in a wetsuit for scuba? I figure reinforced knee panels are a must but besides that is there anything else scuba specific?

Not really knowing what makes a surf or kayak suit special it's hard to say.

I'd suspect that a dive suit is cut for the best fit in a diving posture which is very different from the other sports. Remember that a skin tight fit with good freedome of movement and no hnderance to breathing is essential.

If not the same then the material used in a dive suit should be more resistent to compression from depth. This will translate into long term warmth.

Better dive suits will include some sort of sealing at the wrist, ankle and neck openings, the designs vary by brand. I don't know how common those featured are in the other suits.

Some suits will include spine pads and shoulder treatment to better handle dive gear.

More options of integrated hoods, vests and layering combinations are likely.

Pete

 

[reubencahn]

It seems all the mfg sizing I look at is within an inch of each other and are not my body type. I am not all that irregular though. 6'1" tall, 33" waist, 45" chest, 32" inseam. Will I fit in something like those hyperstretch henderson suits with the added stretching? Size recommendation? Is there a brand that makes suits to fit people who are a bit more fit than average? Or do I need to go custom?

I'm roughly the same size as you but an inch shorter. I have a 5 mm custom wetsuit from Aquatic Wetsuits. At first, it was very nice, but I found that every time I changed my workout and added bulk to one area or another, I had problems with the suit becoming too constricting. I've taken it in more than once to add panels to the back and the upper thighs. I switched to a 7mm Scubapro Everflex that I'm very happy with. It's stretchy enough that I can use a large rather than an xl and still breathe. The suit doesn't compress as much at depth as the Hendersons and seems quite a bit more durable as well. It's also considerably cheaper than my custom suit. For warmer water, I just use a regular Scubapro 3mm. The thin neoprene stretches enough to be useable. When I replace it, I'll get the Everflex.

Incidentally, I also have an O'Neil 4/3 surfing wetsuit. It's a great suit, very flexible and tough. But I don't dive in it because it's too easily compressed.