Wet Suit layers for handling 70 to 85 degree span

[aquacat8]

@JamesBon92007 I bet your wetsuit was rubatex. About Us – Wetwear Custom Wetsuits

 

[JamesBon92007]

@JamesBon92007 I bet your wetsuit was rubatex. About Us – Wetwear Custom Wetsuits

That appears to be a correct conclusion. I'm fairly certain it was manufactured in Orange County, California (right about 1980). My ex-wife had one too plus she also had one custom made (definitely in Orange County). They bore an Orca insignia. The article explains why we didn't have buoyancy problems at depth which seems to be accepted as an undeniable scientific fact by many divers today. We felt quite warm and dived without any BC for many years, but at some point my ex decided to get a jacket BC when they became available. While it's true that we were somewhat negative at the beginning of the dives, it was never conceived as a problem that needed to be corrected. If I recall correctly it was right about the time we started diving with AL80s that she decided to get a BC. I simply added a few more pounds to my weight belt. She added both.

I also have an old Parkway Farmer John with a step-in jacket that is a bit too tight also that I just might add some panels to from my old Orca wetsuit. But no matter how well they are fitted they are still more stiff and uncomfortable than modern wetsuits, so it looks like a trade-off. Amazingly enough, the zipper and twistlocks from my old beavertail suit are still perfectly fine. My newer 2.5mm jumpsuit has a zipper that broke after only about 50 dives. I guess I could be considered lucky in that I had a very typical, athletic, standard swimmer's body so I could buy a rack suit and have it fit me with very little modification. Unfortunately, my waist is no longer 10 inches smaller than my chest so things have changed

 

[ScubaJCBS]

One if my daughters is about your size she normally wears a shark skin or lava core on warmer days and then when it goes into the lower 70's she uses a mares 5-4-3
Which normally holds her pretty good