Wetsuits and body fat/weight fluctuations

[Altamira]

Thanks! I did find a place near me that does this, but they don't have a flat rate for this. They have to quote me for it, which makes sense. Then I would have to compare the cost of that vs a new off-the-shelf suit vs a new custom.

Understand completely. I also did a cost comparison, and Chris at Terrapin Custom Wetsuits, tailored my two older Bare wetsuits for a whole lot less than the cost of buying one new wetsuit, much less two. After four years of wearing the modified wetsuits, I lost all the additional weight I was carrying, and my 3mm was compressed to slightly less than 2mm so I bought a new 3mm and 5mm Bare Reactive that fit perfectly off the shelf, rather than re-tailor the two older wetsuits.

 

[johndiver999]

My suggestion is you get one of these in your current size for $99.

Neosport by Henderson waterman

Waterman" A name given to a person who works or spend his life on, in or around the water, NeoSport couldn't think of a better name for their new 7mm Jacket. With its Trident Waterman Logo, this suit...

www.scuba.com

They also come in 5mm and 3mm.

You can pair it with their Farmer John for another $99 if your Akona won't work

Neosport by Henderson waterman

Waterman: A name given to a person who works or spend his life on, in or around the water, NeoSport couldn't think of a better name for their new 7mm John. With its thermal bonded diamond plate knee...

www.scuba.com

Neosport is Henderson's budget line. Once you get to your desired weight/size, you can splurge on the Henderson Thermoprene version of the jacket.

Henderson Thermoprene Jacket

Divers seeking a great value will appreciate Thermoprene's balance of performance and price. The material combination delivers greater flexibility and improved features not found in standard neoprene...

www.scuba.com

I have one of these in 3mm and I love it. it's so easy to get into, comfortable, and warm enough for the dives I do.

yeah way better than altering an old stiff suit. Diving in a thick suit that restricts your motion and inhibits your breathing is really not smart or safe. Sell the old suit for cheap and buy a new suit that fits, it will be more comfortable and stretchy.

 

[lizardland]

I would not recommend trying to buy a used drysuit. Maybe just my situation, but there’s no definitive test you can do out of the water to make sure it’s not gonna leaks or screw you. I bought a suit and it felt good, fit good. Was only like 3-4 years old, first time I dove it, zipper was leaking, also found a few holes. Ended up at DUI and they basically said it would be $1,000 to get it dive-able, and they said I’d probably have it back in the shop every 6 months with new holes from material wear. Just a warning.

I haven't bought a new suit since 2001. I always buy used and very cheap suits. Drysuits aren't that hard to fix at home. I bought a 10 year old DUI 10 years ago from ebay (I think I paid under $250) and it is still going strong at 20+ years old. Unless you're doing major repairs/alterations then most jobs are a Saturday afternoon. It would have to be a major tear or physical damage to really need to go to a workshop.

Wrist seals are very easy. Neck seals are slightly harder but still not hard. Even changing a zip is something that can be done at home in a few hours. You have to screw things up really badly to be at a point where you can't remove it with a heatgun and start again if things go wrong. Leaks can be a bit harder to track down but leak testing isn't complicated and neither is fixing them.

The key is patience. Dry fit everything before you do it for real so you understand the steps. Learn how to do a leak test and do it after every repair or whenever you get a leak.

It really isn't complicated. Dive shops like to act like it's the inner workings of a nuclear power plant but fixing drysuits is no harder than changing brake pads on a car. It is all right tools, right parts, patience and preparation.

Youtube is full of instructional videos. There's a channel called Dry Suit Projects which has a ton of good repair videos.

 

[bradlw]

I hadn't really considered the idea of altering a wetsuit
and yeah if you could find a place that specializes in it that would probably be a great idea.
But if there's nothing convenient, I'll bet any handy seamstress/tailor could do it.... a little cutting, a little bit of seam seal and stiching. Seems like a great idea...and if it's a DIY hack that doesn't look great, who cares? or look at it as a temporary thing untill you settle in at your new weight

and on that note I'd suggest giving that time... after you lose weight, it's a long process to figure out how to level off and maintain, rather than rebounding. In my experience you'll almost certianly gain a little in the process before it stabilizes

My suggestion is you get one of these in your current size for $99.

Neosport by Henderson waterman

Waterman" A name given to a person who works or spend his life on, in or around the water, NeoSport couldn't think of a better name for their new 7mm Jacket. With its Trident Waterman Logo, this suit...

www.scuba.com

They also come in 5mm and 3mm.

You can pair it with their Farmer John for another $99 if your Akona won't work

Neosport by Henderson waterman

Waterman: A name given to a person who works or spend his life on, in or around the water, NeoSport couldn't think of a better name for their new 7mm John. With its thermal bonded diamond plate knee...

www.scuba.com

Neosport is Henderson's budget line. Once you get to your desired weight/size, you can splurge on the Henderson Thermoprene version of the jacket.

Henderson Thermoprene Jacket

Divers seeking a great value will appreciate Thermoprene's balance of performance and price. The material combination delivers greater flexibility and improved features not found in standard neoprene...

www.scuba.com

I have one of these in 3mm and I love it. it's so easy to get into, comfortable, and warm enough for the dives I do.

I ended up with a Henderson farmer john and jacket in 3mm too... like your last link, not the neosport version. I've only dove it a couple of times but so far like it well enough.

I'm a big fan of the farmer john style of suit. Seems to have gone out of style but It's a versitile suite that has served me well. I like the double layer over the torso when it's cold, the jacket alone is great when it's warmer, and the front zip allows for easy venting if it's too warm. I don't recall ever diving with the farmer john alone without the jacket, but I suppose there could be a place for that too.

 

[grantmac]

Rent drysuits, Wilson's (my preference) or White's have them to fit any body.
Also the local used drysuit market is very good with repairs available locally.