Wetsuit for a 10 Year Old: Having a very difficult time finding a 7mm wetsuit...

[lasherdc]

My son is about to start his open water certification course.

He is 10 and 4'5"/60 pounds. We are having a tough time finding a 7mm full wetsuit (size 6 I believe) for use in SoCal (Catalina, Channel Islands) diving.

Any suggestions? Ebay has LOTS of 2mm suits for kids, but no 5-7mm suits.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[g1138]

I've got nothing for stock suits. I myself rarely see suits that small.

Only thing I can think of is a custom 6mm suit that's fitted a tad loose on the torso. You could buy used/new 2-3mm vests or shorties to help him fill into it until he starts to grow. When he grows too tall for the arms and legs just have the custom shop rip the arms and legs off and redo them.

It'll be expensive but if you can't find a stock suit, this is the only alternative I can think of. Better to pay the lower alterating costs for a custom suit rather than the costs for a whole new custom suit several times over.
This method is dependent on the custom suit shop of course. I'm not sure how effective it'll be for thermal protection either. Better to ask the shop if you pursue this route.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I had my kid scuba diving at 9 yrs old to 60 feet depth, so I am not over protective.... I know you did not ask this question, but a child of that size is going to have a very, very tough time managing a scuba class in warm water with thin wetsuits.

In cold water, I personally don't think that a 60 lb child is going to be able to funtion adequately to swim and work the gear etc. The loss of strength from the cold and the constraint of the suit will be an incredible handicap. I know they moved the age down to 10 yrs old, but there can be a huge variation in the size and strength of 10 yr old kids, so I have no problem with 10 yr olds scuba diving.

I think the fact that you can not find a manufacturer of such a suit may be an indication that 60 lb kids aren't wearing 7 mm suits....if you are still not deterred, a custom suit would probably work. Another option (if the water is not too cold) is to have the child wear a few layers of thinner 2-3 mm suits, that are available.

One last comment, a 60 lb child has such a low body mass will have a very tough time retaining heat, in cool water.

Good luck!

 

[davetowz]

Scubatoys had some clearance old model pinnacles in pretty small sizes.

 

[ccx2]

Did you try Surf shops, they may have some to fit .

 

[Hallmac]

He is 10 and 4'5"/60 pounds. We are having a tough time finding a 7mm full wetsuit (size 6 I believe) for use in SoCal (Catalina, Channel Islands) diving.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Go to your closest Aqualung dealer and order part# 1000829 for blue or part# 1000822 for yellow. These are Deep Sea product numbers for the kid's 7mm high Stretch Tsunami jumpsuit. According to the deep sea size chart he is a childrens medium

 

[--tom--]

Bare also makes suits that would fit your child

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Go to your closest Aqualung dealer and order part# 1000829 for blue or part# 1000822 for yellow. These are Deep Sea product numbers for the kid's 7mm high Stretch Tsunami jumpsuit. According to the deep sea size chart he is a childrens medium

Yeah, look in to a Deep See especially for the price since he will grow out of it quickl.

 

[mselenaous]

Go to your closest Aqualung dealer and order part# 1000829 for blue or part# 1000822 for yellow. These are Deep Sea product numbers for the kid's 7mm high Stretch Tsunami jumpsuit. According to the deep sea size chart he is a childrens medium

Kids 7mm High Stretch Tsunami Fullsuiti
I didn't see it in the latest 2011 Deep See catalog, but it is listed in the Aqualung Catalog.
Great suit for kids. I recommended it to all parents of my Jr. Dive students when I taught in SoCal. Don't forget a hood, booties, and gloves. Little divers tend to get cold faster than adults do.
PS I recommend "yellow". It makes it easier for parents to see the kids (and keep track of them) underwater.
With Aqualung's main US warehouse in Vista, your local dealer should be able to get it for you quickly.

 

[elmer fudd]

I had my kid scuba diving at 9 yrs old to 60 feet depth, so I am not over protective.... I know you did not ask this question, but a child of that size is going to have a very, very tough time managing a scuba class in warm water with thin wetsuits.

In cold water, I personally don't think that a 60 lb child is going to be able to funtion adequately to swim and work the gear etc. The loss of strength from the cold and the constraint of the suit will be an incredible handicap. I know they moved the age down to 10 yrs old, but there can be a huge variation in the size and strength of 10 yr old kids, so I have no problem with 10 yr olds scuba diving.

I think the fact that you can not find a manufacturer of such a suit may be an indication that 60 lb kids aren't wearing 7 mm suits....if you are still not deterred, a custom suit would probably work. Another option (if the water is not too cold) is to have the child wear a few layers of thinner 2-3 mm suits, that are available.

One last comment, a 60 lb child has such a low body mass will have a very tough time retaining heat, in cool water.

Good luck!

There is a lot of truth to this. My own daughter, (9), swims like a fish in a warm lake and just a bathing suit, She dives down to 10' swims around, comes back up for a quick breath and does it again, but in Puget Sound and her 6/5/4 wetsuit her water skills disappear. She can endure the cold for about 45 minutes before it becomes too much for her. That's on the surface though. At depth, I'm sure that would drop off considerably. Fit is very important for that. When we first got her wetsuit 2 years ago it was too loose and she was mostly confined to shallow inlets where the water gets warmer. Now it fits her pretty snugly, still belts and straps help to retain heat. She likes to wear a weight belt even if it has no weight on it, because it keeps the neoprene close to her skin. You can also get velcro cord wraps and put those around any loose areas like wrist cuffs to help keep water out.

When she's a safe and capable swimmer on her own and comfortable with her gear then I'll see about her getting certified, but at this point I'm not comfortable with the idea of her being on scuba yet.