The Skinny on wetsuits

[scubagirltoo]

Hey,
I understand. I have big hips and had to fit into a 7mm wetsuit for a dive one time. It didn't look pretty. I am certainly not a "stick" either. I normaly just get one that's to long for me but fits me in the mid-section and then I have overlapping folds of wetsuit that I'm not tall enough for. But hey! It works. Haven't found a much better method yet. Ever think about semi-drys? They are much "stretchyer" and get on and off a lot quicker than wet suits.

Just some ideas.

 

[clementyn]

i have parced in parts of a previous post as it is relevant to how i deal with wetsuits for my shorter, "curvy" frame. no stick here . i am 5'1" and 145 lbs, and have what most would describe as curvy on the top and plump on the bottom "pear" shaped figure.

i know they don't have the same following on the board as the henderson's, but i love the BARE line of 'velocity' wetsuits. do yourself a favor and add this suit to your list of 'try-ons'

i have the 5 mil and the 3 mil version and can't say enough about the fit, durability, warmth and skin-in seals.

the bare's are definitely cut for the more "pear" figure (as opposed to sea-quests and body gloves, which, in my experience seem to be more ideal for the taller, straight and apple types respectively).

the bare line has what they call a "+" line starting at size 10 that is sized shorter and "rounder" if you will. just for reference, my size and wt. fit the 10+ perfectly and fit me well thru 16 lbs heavier and 4 lbs lighter than i am now (about 20 lbs from heaviest to lightest in the same suit).

to be fair, i have not tried the new 'much lauded' aquasuede hyperstretch hendersons, but these bare's stretch as much as my original 'first generation' hyperstretch and have been warmer and held up better.

i think leisurepro carries these suits mail-order, but i agree with previous posters. find a shop that carries the line you want to try on, call to see if they have a sample instock near your size.

hope this helps,
lorien

p.s. the easiest way to try on suits (especially thicker ones) is to turn them inside out and roll them on/up (think condom) back to right-side facing out. when i try to pull up thicker suits like i would a pair of nylon's, it never fits right - crotch hangs low, bags at the knees, etc.

 

[SubMariner]

Well, this is just a post to vent, becuase I don't know where else to do it! I am in a complete panic and totally depressed. Are all women divers sticks????? I am not even remotely a stick! We will be heading to Puerto Vallarta to dive and were told by the DM that we would probably need 5mm suits (which they can provide).

If you are going into colder water that requires that much exposure protection, why not consider a drysuit? Since they are not as form-hugging as a wetsuit, you would probably be able to get one to fit without too much trouble.

Not only will you be warmer/more comfortable, but with the right drysuit you can vary the undergarments to suit a wider variety of water temps than a wetsuit.

JMHO,

 

[swimswitheagles]

Frankly, I don't think wetsuit manufacturers are good at women's proportions in general. Guys are relatively uniform in shape, whereas women are not.

 

[truva]

My wife is one of the more "difficult" to fit types as well and we needed to find a suit for a trip that was very short notice. She found something that fit her really well from http://www.seadreamswetsuits.com/ that was off the self.

Truva

 

[cat]

Frankly, I don't think wetsuit manufacturers are good at women's proportions in general. Guys are relatively uniform in shape, whereas women are not.

Tell me about it. AmyJ - the manufacturers don't like tall, "rangy" women, either, for the most part (don't know if that's a comfort or not). I had a tough time finding a suit and finally went back and bought a 7mm 2-pc that I had rented. Also pounced on a lighter fullsuit that I happened to come across. The thing is - different manufacturers have different ideas of what shape and size a given "size" of suit is. Bare suits leave an unpleasantly cold gap above my booties - the same size in a Dacor fit fairly well. Oh yes - don't trust the sizing charts too much - for some styles of suit I have to wonder what they were drinking when they came up with those numbers

 

[DCDivenut]

I sent through a lot of the same stuff trying to find a wetsuit. I am 5'7" and at 175 lbs and I could NOT find a wetsuit that fit. If it was the right length it was too tight in the gut.. if it fit right at the waist it was 2-3" too long on the sleeves and legs. I finally bought a custom wetsuit from a company in South Florida. I can;t rememebr their name but they are right off of 95 in between Ft Lauderdale and Miami, I think in Hallandale. I was able to go in for initial measurements in person while I was visiting my folks but did the rest long distance since I live in DC. I love my wet suit, it has all the features I want, fits perfectly and works great.

BTW I am a guy so "we" do have the some of the same problems some of the time

 

[Ann Marie]

Hi AmyJ,
I am just completing my OWC (waiting for conditions to improve so that I can get my final 2 dives in). I have felt self-conscious about my body in a wetsuit. I have a couple of suggestions: you could go to you LDS and try on some wetsuits to see what size you are, then either rent one to take with you or email/call the dive shop at your vacation location to see if they have that size. I would think that most vacation spot dive shops would have plenty of suits available since I don't think they would want to turn away a paying customer.
Have a great time on your vacation!
Ann Marie

 

[mystery]

THE ANSWER IS........ henderson hyperstretch. i am 5'2" and i look like a beach ball with a head. so i got a henderson hyperstretch-- fits great and i can layer if necessay!

 

[jdf]

My friend is 5'2", not thin and large busted. We thought she would have to order a custom suit. We went to the LDS and she tried on a size 12 Henderson Hyperstretch and it fit her very well! We were shocked--she was very happy not to have to wait for a special order.