Wetsuit shrinkage??

[nuts4diving]

I've lost 50 lbs in the past year, and just tried on my 3 mil wetsuit to see if I needed to buy a smaller one. I was shocked when it was too tight! I haven't worn this wetsuit in about 4 years (usually my diving calls for a drysuit or a shorty--not much in between). I was about 40 lbs heavier (and several sizes larger) when I last wore this wetsuit--do wetsuits really shrink that much??? Out of curiosity, a tried on another 3 mil that was originally slightly larger than the first, and it was too tight as well. It's an older one (8 years old, maybe?), and has been used alot more.

Mary Helen

 

[Web Monkey]

The rubber loses it's elasticity after a while.

Not sure if it actually shrinks, but it definitely stops stretching as much.

Terry

I've lost 50 lbs in the past year, and just tried on my 3 mil wetsuit to see if I needed to buy a smaller one. I was shocked when it was too tight! I haven't worn this wetsuit in about 4 years (usually my diving calls for a drysuit or a shorty--not much in between). I was about 40 lbs heavier (and several sizes larger) when I last wore this wetsuit--do wetsuits really shrink that much??? Out of curiosity, a tried on another 3 mil that was originally slightly larger than the first, and it was too tight as well. It's an older one (8 years old, maybe?), and has been used alot more.

Mary Helen

 

[Paco]

Also, since you usually don't wear a full suit, perhaps you've forgotten how tight they feel? Just a thought.

 

[drbill]

Although this is not true in your case, I find there is an direct correlation between weight gain and wetsuit shrinkage... the more weight I gain the more my wetsuit shrinks!

 

[nuts4diving]

Also, since you usually don't wear a full suit, perhaps you've forgotten how tight they feel? Just a thought.

I just bought a new one--same brand, but two sizes smaller by the tag. I know how they fit! I could not dive in my old one now--it was hurting my shoulders it was so tight--and definitely would not even be able to have gotten it on at my old weight had it been this size. It definitely shrank.

The guy at the store told me wetsuits can shrink 5-10% in 5 years!

 

[ItsBruce]

I've had the same experience as the good doctor. Its quite odd.

 

[Iruka]

Although this is not true in your case, I find there is an direct correlation between weight gain and wetsuit shrinkage... the more weight I gain the more my wetsuit shrinks!

I've noticed the same problem with weight belts....most of our customers are (smallish) Japanese, so most of our weight belts are sized accordingly. I had one belt just for me, which I labelled "Chris"....that's my name, so that seemed like a good label for it. However, that belt seemed to have shrunk quite a bit last year, so I had to "upgrade" to one of my few belts labelled "long," which are usually for visiting Americans/Europeans/Sumo wrestlers, etc. I'm hoping after the New Year, when I get back into running & such, my old belt might "unshrink" & I'll be able to use it again, ha ha.

 

[GDCB]

I had shrinkage in my boots. 15 years of no diving. I tried them on and no way. New Deep Sea Safe Soles for me

Carl

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

maybe your scale is off?