Wetsuit advice: Freediving vs. scuba suits, thickness, temperatures

[fjpatrum]

If you're relatively cold tolerant, get a hooded vest and the Neosport 7mm. (I have the neosport in 5mm and the 7mm step in jacket (a good option) and both are fine suits for the price.) I might recommend just getting a hood and the 7mm step in to wear over your 3/2 if you feel your legs will be okay with just the 2mm.

I'm not saying do it but my trilam drysuit accommodates easily a 40 pound swing in body weights as an off-the-rack suit. It's not a perfect fit but I bought it used for an insane price and it fits more than well enough for my needs.

 

[tbone1004]

Eric, I'm 6'3 270 and had to go with a Euro cut drysuit because I don't have a beer gut. Same with wetsuits, thankfully Scubapro cuts their wetsuits pretty straight

 

[2airishuman]

If you're relatively cold tolerant, get a hooded vest and the Neosport 7mm. (I have the neosport in 5mm and the 7mm step in jacket (a good option) and both are fine suits for the price.) I might recommend just getting a hood and the 7mm step in to wear over your 3/2 if you feel your legs will be okay with just the 2mm.

Advice noted. A number of people have suggested various layering options, which I hadn't really considered.

I'm not saying do it but my trilam drysuit accommodates easily a 40 pound swing in body weights as an off-the-rack suit. It's not a perfect fit but I bought it used for an insane price and it fits more than well enough for my needs.

The problem that I have is that I have exceptionally long arms, to the point where I have to buy custom dress shirts to get them to fit. Therefore, as a practical matter, any used, rental, or stock sized drysuit I come across isn't going to fit. I'm going to end up with the wrist seals almost halfway up my forearm, and that's a problem because that part of the arm is more prone to loss of circulation from a tight cuff than is the wrist. Or, alternatively, with one that fits in the arms but is way too long in the body. So the only two ways I'm going to wear a drysuit that fits are to buy one and have it modified or have one custom made. Either will take time, and either will pose the chicken-and-egg problem that I'm going to be making a blind purchase because I will not have had the experience of doing any drysuit diving in a drysuit that fits properly when I do it. And no way will all that happen between now and May.

 

[2airishuman]

Eric, I'm 6'3 270 and had to go with a Euro cut drysuit because I don't have a beer gut. Same with wetsuits, thankfully Scubapro cuts their wetsuits pretty straight

One of the reasons I like the freediver/spearfisher suits is that they have a somewhat more athletic cut.

 

[tbone1004]

USIA does custom cut suits for negligibly more than their stock suits. Many other manufacturers will take the top from one size and bottom from another to put together at little to no cost. Talk to Mike at Dive Right in Scuba, he really is the best resource for this as he dives in similar conditions and has more experience with different drysuits than most anyone on here

 

[fjpatrum]

Advice noted. A number of people have suggested various layering options, which I hadn't really considered.

When I was diving wet in cold water, I was wearing a 5/3 hooded vest, a 4/3 full suit and a 7mm step in jacket. I don't recommend it. Wearing 2 layers of moderate thickness is feasible. Much more than about 8 or 9mm (especially on arms or legs) and your mobility is incredibly hampered. It looks and feels like you're the Michelin Man. I found the 5/3 and 7mm relatively comfortable though, which is why I recommended the 7mm over your full suit with a separate hood as a feasible option. I really like my 5/3 vest under my 4/3 full suit(s). Comfortable down to mid-high 50s Fahrenheit temps but still quite mobile. I prefer the hooded vest over a detached hood but any hood will help.

The problem that I have is that I have exceptionally long arms, to the point where I have to buy custom dress shirts to get them to fit. Therefore, as a practical matter, any used, rental, or stock sized drysuit I come across isn't going to fit. I'm going to end up with the wrist seals almost halfway up my forearm, and that's a problem because that part of the arm is more prone to loss of circulation from a tight cuff than is the wrist. Or, alternatively, with one that fits in the arms but is way too long in the body. So the only two ways I'm going to wear a drysuit that fits are to buy one and have it modified or have one custom made. Either will take time, and either will pose the chicken-and-egg problem that I'm going to be making a blind purchase because I will not have had the experience of doing any drysuit diving in a drysuit that fits properly when I do it. And no way will all that happen between now and May.

For what it's worth, if it's just the arm length issue, it's not a major concern. I'm 6'1 and have a 34/35 inch arm length in my shirts. I also have skinny wrists and, when I make a fist, the tendons in my wrist are highly pronounced. As such, dry suits tend to leak a lot at my wrists (with latex seals--less so with silicone) and the advice I got was "push the sleeve farther up your arm" so sleeve length isn't a major concern if that's the only fit concern. The warmth of the dry suit is in the undergarment (often times a 3/4 sleeve, from what I've seen) and in the core warmth more than at the extremities. I recognize your other concerns with dry suits though so I'm just throwing that out there. If you watch the classifieds here, Craigslist, and deco stop, you may come across a deal that is good enough to suffer the short arms. (I got my DUI TLS350 suit for $200 with new seals and all the extras so it was a steal.)

 

[archer1960]

It isn't so much that I want to go below the thermocline -- there usually isn't much to see except in the Great Lakes -- it's that surface temperatures are low here part of the year. The graph above shows surface temperatures for Mille Lacs, which is on the large size for area lakes but not unusual for temperature. So in May temperatures might be anywhere between 45-60 degrees at the surface, and that's when the viz is best.

I sent a note to Elios. They don't have any prices on their web site, so I'll wait to hear.

DD I guess the question I still have is whether a 7mm alone will suffice or if I will also need an intermediate weight suit.

I think a 7mm would suffice if you have a hood that you can take or leave as needed, and maybe a couple different booties. I have used my 7mm from ~45F to 78F, and was comfortable by switching hoods, gloves and booties.

 

[TMHeimer]

I find that my 7mm farmer john works in a larger range if tempatures because I can run the zipper down on the jacket to cool down in warmer water, likes trips to SoCal. I always thought I would buy a 5 or 3mm farmer john to mix and match tops or bottoms for warmer temps.


Bob

I'm pretty similar. Full farmer john 7 mil with hood for anything from freezing (30s) upward. At 60F & over, depending on air temp., I consider using the top only and adjusting my weights/trim. 64/65+ I will usually go to the shorty. But I have used the shorty for 2 dives in a day as cold as 56F and air temp. of 90. For tropics the body suit (was good at 76 with that with multiple dives daily). But I agree the 7 mil farmer john does a lot of situations. If you want to spend the money, of course a 5 mil or something in between would be a good idea. I do use the hood in anything other than the tropics (where I wore a swimmer's cap), but not always for warmth--but for keeping water from sloshing further than acceptable into my ears.
One thing I've gotten more into lately in water say below 45 is using the 3 fingered "lobster claw" mitts. I could still do those temp. with the more flexible 5 finger ones, but the mitts really keep my hands perfectly warm (or maybe I'm just getting less cold tolerant over the 10 years I've been in Southern Canada).

 

[boat sju]

7 mm farmer john/jacket. Isn't that what most people in your area use?

 

[pinshootr]

7 mm farmer john/jacket. Isn't that what most people in your area use?

sure is great lakes diving is 14mm total, hood and gloves or a dry suit!