thinking about getting a new wetsuit

[jsyteng]

going to Palau in a few weeks. I have an old Scubapro 2.5mm shorty and very old Henderson 3mm. I'm sure both will do fine in Palau but I am thinking about upgrading to another suit. I think the shorty should do fine most of the time, but this will be my 1st LOB and I hear after a few days of repetitive diving I will probably get cold.

That's where the Henderson should come in, but it's really old at this point and an absolute nightmare to don on/off (the ankle cuffs in particular).

I'm thinking about getting a Scubapro 3mm or a Bare suit. Most of my gear is SP and I like to be matchy matchy, so I'm checking out the SP's Definition suit, mainly because it's their only 3mm offering that has zippered arm/ankle cuffs. Do zippered cuffs make a big difference? If I'm doing 4-5 dives a day I really don't feel like struggling with the wetsuit. I've also read that the zippered cuffs could actually be more of a hindrance. This model is $$$ so I want to make the right decision.

The other brand I've heard about with very positive reviews is BARE, but I'm not familiar with them. They look pretty $$$ as well.

Appreciate any opinions as I'm looking to pull the trigger soon, thank you.

 

[Marie13]

I had a Henderson Thermoprene Pro 5mm. Nice and stretchy. Have a look at that suit.

 

[Joneill]

going to Palau in a few weeks. I have an old Scubapro 2.5mm shorty and very old Henderson 3mm. I'm sure both will do fine in Palau but I am thinking about upgrading to another suit. I think the shorty should do fine most of the time, but this will be my 1st LOB and I hear after a few days of repetitive diving I will probably get cold.

That's where the Henderson should come in, but it's really old at this point and an absolute nightmare to don on/off (the ankle cuffs in particular).

I'm thinking about getting a Scubapro 3mm or a Bare suit. Most of my gear is SP and I like to be matchy matchy, so I'm checking out the SP's Definition suit, mainly because it's their only 3mm offering that has zippered arm/ankle cuffs. Do zippered cuffs make a big difference? If I'm doing 4-5 dives a day I really don't feel like struggling with the wetsuit. I've also read that the zippered cuffs could actually be more of a hindrance. This model is $$$ so I want to make the right decision.

The other brand I've heard about with very positive reviews is BARE, but I'm not familiar with them. They look pretty $$$ as well.

Appreciate any opinions as I'm looking to pull the trigger soon, thank you.

I picked up a Bare Reactive 3mm suit before I went to Fiji a few weeks ago. It’s a great suit and was pretty easy to don/doff even though it has no arm/leg zippers (only 5mm and thicker have those zippers).

The Reactive is quite warm for a 3mm suit, but Fiji water temps were as low as 76/77F a few days so I actually wish that I had gone with the 5mm suit. I’ll add a hooded vest instead.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

You might do well with one of our reversible, 2 mm lined suits. It has a special zipper that operates both sides making the suit reversible. So you get a suit with two different colors and for fun you can alternate. When you take it off, just leave it inside out and wear it. If you are worried about cool water, a matching hood will help a lot.

Free shipping in the US, this is a very flexible and comfortable suit.

1-piece Reversible 2mm Camo Spearfishing Wetsuit (Blue / Green)

This is the ultimate warm water spearfishing wetsuit for both blue water hunting and reef hunting. Includes comfortable chest loading pad on both sides.

makospearguns.com

Reversible Hood Blue Camo/Brown Reef Camo 2mm

The MAKO Spearguns 2mm Wetsuit Hood is great for colder days and the ergonomic fitting hood comfortably conforms to your head and securely tucks inside your suit.

makospearguns.com

 

[Robert H. Diver]

SP, Bare, and Henderson are all great suits. Might want to think about getting a hooded vest as well if you start getting cold after days of diving.

 

[ontdiver]

Given the outlay of hard earned $ for a LOB, it is really important that you have the best possible thermal gear for the anticipated temps, as well as your own tolerance. Getting cold after a couple of dives and not being able to finish the day is a real bummer. But the ultimate choice is really subjective, based on cost, availability, fit and features.

 

[jsyteng]

are zippered arms/legs overkill for a 3mm? I'm asking because it seems like very few have them (AFAIK just the Scubapro Definition that I mentioned earlier, which is list price $299 (ouch).

 

[Marie13]

are zippered arms/legs overkill for a 3mm? I'm asking because it seems like very few have them (AFAIK just the Scubapro Definition that I mentioned earlier, which is list price $299 (ouch).

Do you want a suit with the features you want or do you want to cheap out and regret it later? Your choice.

 

[Joneill]

Do you want a suit with the features you want or do you want to cheap out and regret it later? Your choice.

The Bare reactive 3 mm is not a cheap wet suit ($539) and does not have these “features”… and I did not miss them at all - so I’m not sure the extra zippers really add anything meaningful on a 3mm suit?

 

[MaxE]

Seems like maybe more suit than you are looking but not an option I see talked about

Hollis NeoTek 4/3 Review

This summer I received a new Hollis NeoTek 4/3 wetsuit. I have had the opportunity to put a few dives in on it. I dont see this suit talked about so wanted to give a little write up. It seems this suit is based on the 8/7/6 semi-dry suit they make but it's not called a semi-dry. It does seem to...

scubaboard.com