Waterproof W7 5mm wetsuit - First impressions

[Searcaigh]

The Persian Gulf has more temperature extremes between the seasons compared to the Gulf of Oman where I normally dive.

The bottom temp last Friday off Fujairah (south near Kalba) was 24C, as we have the effect of cooler water coming in from the Indian Ocean, but it rarely goes below 22C.

Now if Waterproof made a similar suit in 3mm I would also buy it for trips to North Sulawesi because you can have a 3C difference between Manado and Lembeh straits. e.g. 29C => 26C and while that may not sound a lot, it does get colder with multiple dives especially if you're not moving too much while taking photographs.

 

[-JD-]

Now if Waterproof made a similar suit in 3mm I would also buy it for trips to North Sulawesi

W3 if you can still find one (I have one,, but they have been discontinued somewhat recently). Oherwise, check out the W5: https://waterproof-usa.com/products/wetsuits/w5

 

[hedonist222]

Incidentally I picked one up today

Incidental because I thought you got the semi dry sd (4?)

I tried the SD 4. Could barely move. If anyone ever buys one, don and doff five times a day and you won't need a treadmill.

I then tried the w7. Loved it.
Then I remembered you and asked Chaz , and she said you got the w7 .

Love Chaz. Hilarious lass.

Apparently it's made from this material that will not compress, at depth, like traditional neoprene does.

 

[stuartv]

Cool to find this review. The W7 is finally available in the US. I have been eyeing it on the Waterproof EU site. I really want a 5mm suit with pockets. I just ordered a W7 for myself. Really looking forward to getting it. Fingers crossed that it fits me better than the Bare suits I've been using.

I am not so pleased to hear that the SD4 is so stiff. I was thinking that if the W7 fits well, I might then also order an SD Combat, to use when it gets too cold here for the W7. Perhaps I will stick to diving one of my drysuits when that happens.

I was thinking of the SD just to be in something my shop sells when I'm in front of students and customers. As well, it is possible I could use the SD Combat all year round at Lake Jocassee. It never drops below 50F, even at the bottom. But, if the SD is that horrible, well, nobody is actually going to have an issue with it if I'm in my Seaskin... Or maybe I should consider a W7 in 7mm, instead of the SD - if the W7 seals are that good.

 

[stuartv]

I got my W7 (5mm) today. I've only tried it on, so far. But this is a "first impressions" thread...

This suit is awesome! I also have an older ScubaPro EverFlex 5/4 and a Bare Reactive 5mm. The Bare has been my only 5mm suit I have used over the last 2+ years.

This suit fits me better than the Bare by a long shot. It feels more stretchy than the Reactive or the SP suit. It definitely goes on easier than the Bare. Partly because it just fits me better. I think also partly because the Bare's rubber tape over their seams makes those seams not as stretchy as the rest of the suit. The W7 doesn't have that. It's equally stretchy everywhere.

The seal arrangement on the W7 looks like it's going to result in this suit being MUCH closer to a "semi-dry" than the Bare. The wrists and ankles have smoothskin-out sleeves under a zippered outer sleeve. The smootherskin inner sleeves are long enough to fold them in at the ends, so the smoothskin is against my skin, creating a neoprene seal just like a neoprene neckseal on a drysuit.

I think folding those neoprene seals in and then zipping a boot over the ankles and zipping the WP gloves that have smoothskin on the insides of the wrists, then zippering the outer arm or leg zipper over all of that is going to result in very little water being able to come in at the wrists and ankles.

The neck has a smoothskin seal all the way around on the inside. And WP has a neoprene neck seal that you can add. I don't have that (yet).

And the back zipper has a double seal arrangement. Basically, flaps of smoothskin on both sides of the zipper that overlap each other when the suit is zipped shut.

I want to get the optional neoprene neck seal. I think this suit is going to be as close to a semi-dry suit as you can get without having an actual drysuit zipper.

I'm trying it out tomorrow morning in a cold(-ish) lake. Can't wait!

 

[Searcaigh]

I want to get the optional neoprene neck seal. I think this suit is going to be as close to a semi-dry suit as you can get without having an actual drysuit zipper.

You won't regret it.

I'm still plan to use mine for as long as I can without going dry this winter and so far two 25C dives back to back all is still going well.

 

[stuartv]

You won't regret it.

I'm still plan to use mine for as long as I can without going dry this winter and so far two 25C dives back to back all is still going well.

I did 2 dives in my W7 today. Computer says water was 69 to 70. I was wearing the W7 with a Waterproof W1 7mm (no bib) hood, ScubaPro 6.5mm boots, and Bare 3mm gloves. The suit seemed to seal well. But, in spite of that, I felt colder than I expected. 69 - 70 is borderline 3mm territory for me in my Bare Reactive 3mm or ScubaPro EverFlex 3/2.

Late in both dives today, I felt cool. Not cold, but cool. I think if I had been wearing my Bare Reactive 5mm, I would not have felt cool ever. My suspicion is that the W7 seals well, but the suit itself doesn't retain heat as well as the Bare does.

I consider the jury to be still out, though. I need to dive this suit more and in some colder water. I have dived the Reactive 5mm down into the low 50s and only been cold (but not freezing). We'll see if the W7 proves to be as warm.

Also, the pockets are nice to have, but don't hold as much as I was hoping. I put my wet notes in one pocket and the pocket seemed unlikely to hold anything more along with it. I had hoped I could fit a backup mask AND wet notes in one pocket.

 

[AustinV]

Also, the pockets are nice to have, but don't hold as much as I was hoping. I put my wet notes in one pocket and the pocket seemed unlikely to hold anything more along with it. I had hoped I could fit a backup mask AND wet notes in one pocket.

Was keeping an eye on this thread for this reason. I really miss having pockets when diving wet, and I wish more wetsuit manufacturers carried at least one line of suits with (decent sized) pockets from the factory.

 

[Searcaigh]

I did 2 dives in my W7 today. Computer says water was 69 to 70.

I'd normally be diving dry at these temps as anything below 23C for multiple one hour long dives chills me when taking photographs.

 

[stuartv]

I'd normally be diving dry at these temps as anything below 23C for multiple one hour long dives chills me when taking photographs.

One of the reasons my jury is still out is that both my dives yesterday were teaching a DPV class, so I was scootering the whole time. No swimming. No work to help me keep warm.