Skinny women and wetsuits

[gardener]

I am a rather skinny woman with small...ahem...breasts.
I have had problems with the "small" wetsuits available for rent at most dive centers being too big on top thereby gapping and letting in cold water. Being skinny, I tend to get cold underwater easily. Being a gardener, I tend to have a rather small budget. But I do own a shorty that fits well, so here's what I have done in the past. I have work the shorty under the wetsuit. I know this is opposite of what is usually done. Even though the large suit still gaps, the shorty holds a layer of warm water to my body.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[canuckdiver]

keep your eyes on ebay for a cheap set of bottoms for a two-piece "farmer john" style wetsuit. they cover the torso to the, ahem "chest"
cut the legs off just below the hip, and you have a dirt cheap core-warmer, that is about 7mm thick and should take up a lot more slack than a thin shortie

 

[Walter]

If you dive in cold water very much, you'll want to get a custom suit. Many different shaped people cannot comfortably use a suit off the rack. One size doesn't fit all unless you just happen to be that one size.

 

[gardener]

Walter,
I couldn't agree more. I usually don't dive in cold water, but I have very little natural padding. Not that I'm complaining about this!
Unfortunately, I skrimp, save and eat beans and rice all year just to be able to get somewhere where I can dive, so buying a custom suit at this point is not a realistic option. However, someday when I can afford it, I will definitely look into getting one. Or I could just buy bigger...ahem...breasts. Thereby eliminating the problem another way. :lol:
Just kidding...

 

[Walter]

If you buy the bigger breasts, you'll probably still need a custom suit.

I had to get a custom suit because I could never find a suit on the rack that would fit. Of course, that's when I was your age. Now, I'm a tad older and a tad heavier, the custom suit no longer fits, but the ones off the rack do. If I ever drop 40 lbs, I have the perfect suit.

 

[The Chairman]

that really have that problem... skinny Minnies that they are! One has a boy's size wetsuit, and one dives in an XS guy's wet suit. They do not find the chest area too constricting at all.

 

[gardener]

That's a really good idea. I'll keep an eye out for a used suit.
Us skinny minnies have none of that "natural padding" to keep us warm...

 

[astrofunk]

As a cheaper alternative to a custom suit, you could buy a new or used suit off the rack and have it altered to fit you.

My girlfriend has short legs and arms compared to her torso. She took her off-the-rack Xcel 7mm to a custom shop, and for something like $100, they did a really fabulous tailoring job. I don't think you could ask for a better fit than she has now.

I'd call local custom shops first before committing to this option. If it all works out, though, you'll have suit which is very near to custom-made for less than half the price (espeically if you start with a used suit). Just remember that they can take a big suit and make it smaller, but NOT the other way around!

 

[JeffG]

Or if you are real cheap, you can do the alterations yourself. Its not hard, but You can render a wetsuit unusable.

(I bought a wetsuit on Ebay 5mm (I think). The ad said it was a Mens Medium, but it was a womens extra large. Needless to say, the hips were pretty wide, so being a bit cheap, I tried to do the alterations myself. It wasn't hard but I have no skill with measurements, ended up with a suit that was a little too tight. Ended up getting VERY LUCKY and found a 6.5 mm 2 piece for $140 CAN at a liquidation center

 

[gardener]

Jeff,
That was a bargain! I will keep an eye out on e-bay.
I went into a dive shop the other day to get earplugs and the guy asked me what else I needed. I told him I needed a 7mm suit that would pack into a 6"x6" space. He just laughed...
Guess I was asking a bit much.