Wetsuit for stocky people?

[tridacna]

I have a similar situation. I found a used 3mm ScubaPro wetsuit on Ebay. I'm a Great Lakes diver and spend my money on brand new suits for the colder water up here. I have a dive trip to Playa Del Carmen / Cozumel next month and am looking for a 3mm. All my suits are "Large Shorts" The suit on Ebay is a Large. (ScubaPro size charts list Large/Shorts to fit between 5' 9"-5' 11" with the Large being 5' 11" - 6' 1") All size dimensions fit me except the height. I'm about 5' 7", 175 lbs 42 inch chest, 34 inch waist. Will the extra length cause a problem or should I keep shopping? I really like the suit I found and the price is right.

I'm a LS and the Scubapro Large does not fit me. I've tried their 3mm and 5mm and neither fits. (In fact their LS does not work for me either. It's tight in the chest and back). now use only Henderson LS suits. I have the same sizing as you and the additional length in a Large in both legs AND sleeves is the issue. I'm a 32-33 sleeve.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I have a similar situation. I found a used 3mm ScubaPro wetsuit on Ebay. I'm a Great Lakes diver and spend my money on brand new suits for the colder water up here. I have a dive trip to Playa Del Carmen / Cozumel next month and am looking for a 3mm. All my suits are "Large Shorts" The suit on Ebay is a Large. (ScubaPro size charts list Large/Shorts to fit between 5' 9"-5' 11" with the Large being 5' 11" - 6' 1") All size dimensions fit me except the height. I'm about 5' 7", 175 lbs 42 inch chest, 34 inch waist. Will the extra length cause a problem or should I keep shopping? I really like the suit I found and the price is right.

We always tell our customers to pay more attention to the weight ranges, rather than height. Being a little shorter than the recommended guideline is less of a problem than being very "tall and skinny". Those people may end up with a suit that is too loose and baggy everywhere.

Having a suit that is a little long in the sleeves and legs is a very minor inconvenience. In addition, when talking about relatively warm water, slight imperfections in sizing are less critical than a 7 mm suit designed for very cold water.

We offer a 2 mm one-piece wetsuit with a back zip for warm water that is popular with scuba divers. May I also suggest that you consider a thin hood of 2-3 mm, to help insure your comfort during the winter.

 

[tridacna]

Strongly disagree regarding “minor inconvenience” about length of sleeves and legs. After 40 years of struggling with wetsuits that were too long, LS suits made diving fun again. Why would I ever buy a wetsuit that did not fit me? Why do you think that makes sense?

 

[outofofficebrb]

I know a few stockier people who fit well in the Aqua Lung Aqua Flex styles. Some are tall and some are not. It’s a mixed bag. It’s pretty amazing because our dive group has a wide variety of shapes and sizes and everyone loves how it fits. It just molds around each of us really well.

 

[Diverdonb6784]

Henderson has great size variations and contorts to users that are close to the suggested height and weight. What is your height and weight?

 

[Marie13]

I have a similar situation. I found a used 3mm ScubaPro wetsuit on Ebay. I'm a Great Lakes diver and spend my money on brand new suits for the colder water up here. I have a dive trip to Playa Del Carmen / Cozumel next month and am looking for a 3mm. All my suits are "Large Shorts" The suit on Ebay is a Large. (ScubaPro size charts list Large/Shorts to fit between 5' 9"-5' 11" with the Large being 5' 11" - 6' 1") All size dimensions fit me except the height. I'm about 5' 7", 175 lbs 42 inch chest, 34 inch waist. Will the extra length cause a problem or should I keep shopping? I really like the suit I found and the price is right.

My experience with legs being too long (about 1") - it's less of a problem if there are no ankle zips. The ankle zips on my 5mm and 7mm Bare suits usually end up not being done up all the way. I just have to make sure the extra length doesn't get caught/folded up in my spring straps. It's easier with the 3mm that doesn't have ankle zips. Just roll up the extra from the bottom.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Strongly disagree regarding “minor inconvenience” about length of sleeves and legs. After 40 years of struggling with wetsuits that were too long, LS suits made diving fun again. Why would I ever buy a wetsuit that did not fit me? Why do you think that makes sense?

Thanks for the input. With your extensive time in the water, I am sure your opinions are based on a tremendous amount of experience - so I respect that and appreciate your comments.

When we are talking about matters of "Fit", "Comfort" and "Convenience", I think we can all agree that there is a good degree of subjectivity inherent in those terms.

Along those lines, we use the best neoprene material available - Yamamoto. It has excellent elasticity and strength. The elasticity of this material allows us to accommodate a pretty diverse range of body shapes and still deliver a "good and comfortable" fit. Obviously this necessitates several different sizes and a men's and woman's wetsuit.

If someone falls outside of our size guidelines (which specifies a height and weight range), we recommend that they place more importance on their weight than their height. I stand by those recommendations. It has served us well for many hundreds of customers. We know this works, because if it doesn't, then the customer has to return the wetsuit - and this is not a desirable outcome for either myself or the consumer. Put simply, the suit "fits" if the customer says so. My objective is to put them into a suit that fits.

Of course some people who fall too far outside of the height and weight ranges will be be better served (or may actually require) a custom suit, but it is not that unusual that we will have a customer who is a "little short for their weight" and they end up being very happy with the fit of their suit based on weight.

It is not that unusual for us to turn a customer away when they make an inquiry and are hopeful a particular suit will fit. Some people will require a custom suit. And as mentioned, there is a bit more "play" in a 3 mm suit which is more elastic than a 7 mm suit that is intended for very cool water.

I hope that my suggestion to consider body mass more than height - will not be interpreted to suggest that anyone should settle for an uncomfortable suit.

Thanks!

Dano

 

[tridacna]

Dano - If you made a LS, I’d be all over it.

 

[Dan V]

Thanks for the feedback. I had to shop around to a bit to find my 7mm Bare Velocity L/S and it's perfect for me. I have an 3mm Excel L/S that is very tight in the armpits. It usually loosens up slightly in the water, but it does feel tight . I also have a Bare Shorty that will most likely work for me in the warm waters of PDC and Cozumel. If the Scuba Pro is too long in torso and the inseam I think it might be a problem. It might be worth a $115 to find out though.