Wetsuit brands for skinny teenager

[divechik]

Hello! My son is 5'8"-5'9" tall and weighs 110lbs. Do you have any recommendations on wetsuit brands that will fit on thinner men? He was using Henderson kid sizes and has out grown (in length) their child sizes, but he's too thin in the body for the smallest adult sizes to fit. (looking for a 3mil)

Let me know if there is a brand that offers the length with a thin body. I know I could go custom, but not sure if it's worth the price since he's still growing.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[buddhasummer]

Hi there,

I have the same problem at 5'7" and around 116lbs, although Im not a teenager lol, I had to get one custom made as nothing off the shelf fitted me. The price I paid for my custom was only slightly more that an off the shelf model. Having said that I was in NZ where the selection is by no means large, pun unintended. have a look at BARE, they make nice suits, I know they have a junior/teenager range. Good luck.

 

[g1138]

I pretty much have the same problem, 5'6" 110lbs. I basically have to hunt down for XS, alter, or custom fit all my suits.
Luckily for me I'm right at the cusp of the standard sizing charts.

I think in the time being you'll have to look at altering or making a custom suit from scratch. Check your area for local custom wetsuit shops.
When looking at altering suits, it's easier and cheaper for the shop to take off neoprene and to not mess with zippers.
If you can find a suit that's the right length then they can take out material from the sides of the suit, avoiding the zippers.

 

[divechik]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was hoping to avoid custom, but that's probably my best bet. Waterproof has an XST that looks promising, but they aren't inexpensive either. Might be cheaper to buy off the rack and have it taken in.

 

[jbb]

Bare has good size selection but not that good. Their men's small is for 125-135lbs at that height. Maybe put a shorty on underneath? Poor kid has gotta get cold in any temp. I do think a custom wetsuit would be cheaper than trying to fatten him up;-)

 

[t-mac]

Look at Waterproof too. More than just standard sizes.

 

[diveprof]

Think custom suits for not much more and it will be a good fit:
Custom Wetsuits, Scuba Diving Skins, Parkas from AquaFlite
LiquidFit.Com ~ Wetsuits That Fit Like They Were Poured On You.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

If the child needs a 3 mm suit, maybe buy them a 5 mm suit with the understanding that it will be a little loose. Also, since you are going to be going in warm water, if the sleeves and legs are a little short, there should be no great harm. Try harder to match the weight rather than the height when looking at the various size charts...

Buying a custom suit for warm water for a kid that is growing like a weed is going to be expensive.

 

[diveprof]

If the child needs a 3 mm suit, maybe buy them a 5 mm suit with the understanding that it will be a little loose. Also, since you are going to be going in warm water, if the sleeves and legs are a little short, there should be no great harm. Try harder to match the weight rather than the height when looking at the various size charts...
Buying a custom suit for warm water for a kid that is growing like a weed is going to be expensive.

You are correct that custom may be more than an off the rack suit. However, buying a poor fitting or larger size suit that they will grow into may or may not be the best plan. It depends on the teenager and their commitment to diving. Being tall and very thin means they will chill easily. If they are fully commited to the dive experience and are willing to handle a bit of chilling, ok maybe a rack suit that doesn't fit best might work (they may still get cold). IF the teenager is commited to their Xbox more than scuba and you are trying to develop interest, being cold on a dive may weaken that interest. If you decide to go with a rack suit rather than getting one that they would "grow into", I'd look at one of the super strech neoprene closer to their size rather than getting a size to large. The super stretch will still last a bit as they grow and you can e-bay it anyway when they finally outgrow it. I think you would find other parents are looking for a less expensive suit for their children.

 

[divechik]

Dive Prof--yep you are on the money. He's a good diver, dives a lot (entire family dives since I'm an instructor). He gets cold easily, so a proper fitting suit is a must. I am going to try an akona suit. I've found someone who does wetsuit alterations so if it is too big, they will take it in for me. He's probably close to done with growing (up, but hopefully not out), but who knows. He likes to dive but if he gets cold, he's done.

PS--I did a bunch of training in Evans, GA and got my DM cert there. I bet we know some of the same folks!!!