Wetsuit for short guy

[mklau]

I am new to diving. 5'3", 130 lb, 38" chest, 30" waist. I've been digging around the Web and don't seem to find any suit that will fit me. I wore a medium wetsuit during my class since small was too narrow. But the medium was long. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[scubamax]

Mklau:

I am just an inch taller and a tad bit heavier than you, and am finding the same problem. I am probably going to have to get a custom suit fitted to my own dimensions which actually does not cost a lot more and is worth the effort and extra cost for the comfort and fit.

There are a lot of good places on the web to look for custom wetsuits, including Aquaflight, Wetwear and Liquidfit. Just do a search in this forum with these words and you should find a few comments from folks who have ordered from them, mostly positive! Their web sites have detailed measurement instructions for you to do at home so that you can get a great fit.

If you have a LDS nearby, chances are one of the lines of wetsuits they carry will be able to be custom ordered as well.

IF you do find something "off the rack" that fits you, let me know!

Remember, the best things come in small packages

Scubamax

 

[dgangi]

I was having the same problem as you guys. I'm not as short but I am a big heavier: 5' 7" and 150 lbs. My chest is a 39 and my waist is a 30, but my arms are quite large (work out a lot) and so are my thighs.

If I tried on a medium in most brands, the girth would fit but the arms and lets would be too long. If I would try on a small, the length of the arms and legs would be OK but the girth would be wayyy too small -- almost to the point of suffocation.

I found an on-line wetsuit maker named "Boz" (www.bozwetsuits.com). They make 10 different sizes of wetsuit, so there's bound to be a size that fits you. I ended up buying the "SM" (small-medium) and it fits pretty good.

Best of all, you can find their suits new on eBay for a great price (look for the Boz Maxum).

I also had better luck with Body Glove and O'Neill than with Henderson, Scubapro, or Parkway.

Good luck.

Thx...Doug

 

[scubamax]

Doug,

Thanks for the information on Boz. Looks like they are primariliy a surfer wetsuit market from the looks of their website. This would suggest that the suits might not be designed for being subjected to compression and stress of underwater enviornment.

Diverlink.com discussion on this topic can be found at:

http://www.diverlink.com/gear/wetsuits-materials.htm#other watersports


Also a search on this forum suggests some of the same arguements, but they are general in nature, and not specific to Boz.

Not to say that Boz is not good for scuba, but what has been your experience? Have you been using them long?


And you are right, some good deals on ebay!...worth a try at that price!

Scubamax

 

[dcostanza]

Wetsuits...
mklau
I am similar in size as you are and ended up with an Akona SM from Dive US. Got a good price on a two-piece 6.5m and it fits well.

Very quick response and smooth transaction. Here is their contact info:

Site URL: http://www.diveus.com
Address: 1800 Logan Avenue
City: San Diego
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 92113
Country: United States

Best Regards

Don Costanza

 

[dgangi]

Hi Scubamax -

My current Boz wetsuit has been on about 20 dives. It's holding up fine so far. And I'll be taking it on another 20+ dive trip in a few weeks, so I can post more results after that trip.

I understand the neoprene on the Boz wetsuit may not be as good as other wetsuits...or is it? This suit is made in Thailand of Asian neoprene, and I'm not sure that the materials in this suit are worse than the materials in many other suits.

But on a 3mm wetsuit, does it really matter? I'm not necessarily using this wetsuit for extreme warmth, so a small degradation in the ability for the neoprene to retain its bubbles (and insulation ability) is no great concern. I mainly dive in 80 degree water, so I am using this wetsuit more for protection against the elements than for warmth.

Now if I was buying a 7mm wetsuit for cold water conditions, then I'm going to be getting the best damn neoprene there is. My life may depend on it

In terms of a "surfer" wetsuit vs a "diving" wetsuit, what's the real difference? I'd have to argue that the intended function of a wetsuit makes no difference -- it's the fit that matters. All wetsuits now come with knee abrasion pads. And all snug around the wrists, neck, and ankles to keep as much water out as possible.

Some of the best wetsuits I tried on were the "surfer" brands -- Body Glove and O'Neill. And both were sold at my LDS. So they also must also be confused between "surfer" and "diving" wetsuits. And the tags on these wetsuits had a photo of a surfer in a rip-curl...not a diver.

Maybe I have more of a "surfer" physique than a "diver" physique. Maybe that's why the "surfer" wetsuits fit me better.

Anyway, even if I had to buy a new Boz wetsuit every year, it would be more economically advantageous than a $200 3mm Henderson (which may last me 1 1/2 years). I'll bet that the cost difference is more due to overhead than the quality of materials. Running full page ads in all of the dive magazines isn't cheap. Nor is supporting a dealership network. Good luck finding a Boz ad or dealer anywhere.

Thx...Doug

 

[scubamax]

Doug,

Thanks for the post. After the next 20 dives let us know how that suit works out. If it treats you well for that duration then it will be hard to dispute that suit (especially for the price) as anything but a solid choice.


Yup, I agree that the fit comes first over the intended "purpose" of the suit.

And the tags on these wetsuits had a photo of a surfer in a rip-curl...not a diver.

Interesting observation!! I never have noticed this, but have not looked that carefully.

I mainly dive in 80 degree water, so I am using this wetsuit more for protection against the elements than for warmth.

I will try not to feel toooo jealous!!

Thanks and keep us posted.

 

[dgangi]

scubamax once bubbled...
Doug,

Thanks for the post. After the next 20 dives let us know how that suit works out. If it treats you well for that duration then it will be hard to dispute that suit (especially for the price) as anything but a solid choice.

Thanks and keep us posted.

I just got back from a week long dive trip in Cozumel -- another 13 dives with the Boz. Of course it stank to high heaven when I got back but a good dunking in the bathtub with some "Sink the Stink" cleaned up that mess. The dunk tank at the condo we rented in Coz was clogged so I couldn't use it -- a little rinsing with a garden hose was the best I could do.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that the wetsuit is still holding up admirably. No rips, tears, destroyed seams, or any other problems. The only noticeable damage is the grey portions of the sleeves are fading a little bit -- they used to be a close match to the "sharkskin" center (also charcoal gray), but after this trip the gray neoprene on the lower sleeve and leg is a tad lighter. That's probably from the salt and sun combined with the lack of a dunk tank.

Just thought I would let you all know my eBay purchase has been great thus far...

Thx...Doug

 

[scubamax]

Doug,

Looks like the suit does pretty well. Given the cost on eBay these things look to be a pretty good value for a tropical-weight suit. Glad to hear things are still holding up well...although I think we can all relate to that smell ut:

Sounds like you had a good trip.

scubamax