Wetsuit dilema

[Sotong]

Hello everyone, i am new hire hope i picked the right category. Which one of the following wetsuits would you pick and why:
- cressi Castoro 5mm
-Henderson Thermaxx Titanium 7mm
- Mares tri lastic 7-5-3
- Bare Velocity 5mm

thank you!

 

[azstinger11]

Where are you diving (Florida/Caribbean = skin/3mm, Hawaii 3/5mm, CA/OR/WA = 7mm, at least that's my personal cold tolerance and wetsuit thickness preferences)? How frequently and to what depths are you diving (frequent diving even in temperate waters you may want a bit thicker of a suit, usually colder at deeper depths)? How cold do you get?

If you are diving in Southern Florida like your profile suggests then a 3mm I would think should be plenty warm. That's what I used when diving Key Largo and Jupiter. Not to say it's wrong but I would think you'd melt in a 7mm, that's what I use here in Southern California (low 50s water temperature).

 

[Sotong]

I am diving in Eastern Europe actually, Adriatic Sea to be more specific. Summer time water temp i believe its anywhere between 72-77F (20-25C). I know even 5mm should be plenty for this waters but last summer i was using Seac Aqua Lock 7mm and i felt just great! Adriatic sea can be cold in deeps but i dont really go anywhere over 10m deep. Again, 7mm was perfect for me(not saying 5mm would not work). Without paying too much attention to warmth and thickness in this case, which suit is simply the best out of 4 i mentioned. As far as i figured Cressi Castoro is entry level suit priced ~$140 new, while Thermaxx goes for $350-450, therefore, i am assuming Henderson should be a different beast in this case and so on.

 

[azstinger11]

If you liked how a 7mm felt I'd stick to it then. If the 20-25C is the bottom temp I would say a 5mm sound about right but hey do what works. I have used Henderson suits in the past and always thought they were well made and warm. I rented a Bare 7mm (so not the 5mm you listed) and it seemed generically acceptable, that is to say I don't have anything good or bad to say about it. To my knowledge haven't rented the other two.

Have you had the opportunity to try all these suits on? Do they all fit the same on you? For whatever reason Aqualung wetsuits and I don't get along, I can't find a good fit for them.

 

[Sotong]

“Have you had the opportunity to try all these suits on?”
I did not because in Europe we mostly use Cressi and Mares. In fact, i never heard of Henderson until i came to USA. I would go for Seac Aqua Lock no questions asked, but budget is tight at the moment and i am not a patient person, so i narrowed the list down to this 4. Prices are :
Cressi 5mm 2 dives $80
Henderson 7mm great condition about 20 dives $100
Mares 7/5/3 good condition $40
Bare 5mm new $100.
Everyone has a different experience and opinion but i am sure there is a winner here.
Excluding Mares and Cressi, which i consider the best scuba brands out there, heard Bare and Henderson are the most respected brands in US(and idk anything about them). Henderson thermaxx sounds and looks awesome, just not sure about that hyper-stretch tech they used. Every Bare i looked up kinda shines at first look its just i haven’t experienced it ever. Wish one of these has aqua lock i really enjoyed that one on Seac.

 

[Sotong]

Hello everyone, i am new hire hope i picked the right category. Which one of the following wetsuits would you pick and why:
- cressi Castoro 5mm
-Henderson Thermaxx Titanium 7mm
- Mares tri lastic 7-5-3
- Bare Velocity 5mm

thank you!

 

[Sotong]

Hello everyone, i am new hire hope i picked the right category. Which one of the following wetsuits would you pick and why:
- cressi Castoro 5mm
-Henderson Thermaxx Titanium 7mm
- Mares tri lastic 7-5-3
- Bare Velocity 5mm

thank you!

 

[rjack321]

What's the water temp?
What's the air temp?
What kind of dive profile and duration?

 

[Sotong]

What's the water temp?
What's the air temp?
What kind of dive profile and duration?

Adriatic Sea 20-26(70’s F)
Air temp like on East coast.
Amateur 2-4h
I know 5mm(even 3mm) should be good enough but i did use 7mm Seac aqua lock and i was supper happy with it. I would rather let some cold water into the suit if needed than be cold and distracted. Sizing is a problem here as well since i am buying online and cant really try them on. 6f tall and 225lbs so if anyone is similar body size it might help telling me a brand and wetsuit size you guys wear. Thank you

 

[Still Kicking]

I would pick whichever one fits me the best (snug but comfortable fit, good range of motion).

I suggest you do the same.