I have not found a stock suit in a "jumbo shrimp size". I'm 5'1, size 10-12 and everything "off- the-rack" is not only too long in the limbs, but the zippers bunch up in the torso leaving huge pockets of cold water. My last Henderson, rather than purchase a larger size (like my clothing size), in addition to shortening the arms and legs, I had it let out on each side along the outside of the legs & torso & inside of the arms because every size bigger was just that much longer in the torso which can NOT be altered. What I discovered is that I would have spent the same for a custom cut suit as a highend brand name suit and ended up with a better fit from the get go.
I now have 2 customs suits.
My 7mm was made by New Wave Wetsuits in Fullerton, CA. It is a toasty warm suit for cold water. Reasonably priced, and really fast turnaround too. Tell Theresa I said hello.
My 3mm was made by Wetwear
www.wetwear.com. Tell Connie & Gene I said hi. This suit is amazingly warm for a 3m, ultra flexible but best of all it has long arm and leg zippers on the sides that make it a breeze to don & doff, wet or dry. They can make this suit in thicker rubatex as well for colder climates like MD. Rubatex is the most durable wetsuit material. I have a friend with 800+ dives on his 3mm Wetwear suit and still going strong. (Which is probably what I'll do when it's time to replace the 7mm).
I do recommend she try on some name brand suits that make "tween" sizes such as Henderson (two womens' petite sizes WP1 and WP2) or Pinnacle (ladies large short size 10-14) for comparison. Different brands are cut differently. Remember that the more "Stretch" a neoprene has in order to accomodate fit (say in comparison to rubatex), the more it will compress at depth thus reducing it's warmth factor.
Comfort in a wetsuit is all about the fit. If it gaps, you are cold. If it's too tight anywhere, you can't move easily. I do recommend she try on some name brand suits that make "tween" sizes such as Henderson (two womens' petite sizes WP1 and WP2) or Pinnacle (ladies large short size 10-14)
Good luck in your search.
