Hi,
My Henderson Hyperstretch 5mm suit is getting pretty old and losing some warmth, etc... looking to replace it. Most of my shore diving is in New Jersey. I dive dry when it's pretty cold, but I really prefer to dive wet as soon as I can, since even with a steel single tank, I end up needing a lot of weight to dive dry (harness, extra backplate, weighted STA). This makes it hard to climb up the rocks by the inlet, etc...
I went out yesterday (57 degrees F), and I was a bit chilly after about 20 minutes. Certainly doable in my old wetsuit, but I figure that an upgrade might help, with whatever advances have been made in wetsuit technology over the years.
My recollection of 7 mm suits is that they are pretty uncomfortable and tight, and even if the new ones are better, I want to use this in the summer and early fall when the temperature is in the mid-70s.
I looked at a few reviews; the Scuba Diving magazine tester's choice in 5 mm was the Pinnacle Tempo XT. But I heard that this one is tough to don and doff, and that it is a particularly floaty suit (maybe due to the air trapping of the marino wool liner?). I understand that in general the warmer the suit, the more buoyant it might be, but looking for a reasonable compromise which will be warmer than my current suit, and comfortable / flexible.
Any suggestions?
My Henderson Hyperstretch 5mm suit is getting pretty old and losing some warmth, etc... looking to replace it. Most of my shore diving is in New Jersey. I dive dry when it's pretty cold, but I really prefer to dive wet as soon as I can, since even with a steel single tank, I end up needing a lot of weight to dive dry (harness, extra backplate, weighted STA). This makes it hard to climb up the rocks by the inlet, etc...
I went out yesterday (57 degrees F), and I was a bit chilly after about 20 minutes. Certainly doable in my old wetsuit, but I figure that an upgrade might help, with whatever advances have been made in wetsuit technology over the years.
My recollection of 7 mm suits is that they are pretty uncomfortable and tight, and even if the new ones are better, I want to use this in the summer and early fall when the temperature is in the mid-70s.
I looked at a few reviews; the Scuba Diving magazine tester's choice in 5 mm was the Pinnacle Tempo XT. But I heard that this one is tough to don and doff, and that it is a particularly floaty suit (maybe due to the air trapping of the marino wool liner?). I understand that in general the warmer the suit, the more buoyant it might be, but looking for a reasonable compromise which will be warmer than my current suit, and comfortable / flexible.
Any suggestions?
