What are Cold Blooded Divers wearing in April?

[scubawife]

Oh one important note--my torso is too long for a 1 piece suit so I have to wear a 2-piece. Layering generally isn't as effective as a 1-piece suit--just something to keep in mind.

Have you tried O'Neill suits? I am tall and they are the only ones that fit me. I would have liked to get a 5/4 Bare suit, but they aren't cut right for me. O'Neill has regular and tall women's sizes.

 

[cxg31s]

Have you tried O'Neill suits? I am tall and they are the only ones that fit me. I would have liked to get a 5/4 Bare suit, but they aren't cut right for me. O'Neill has regular and tall women's sizes.

Yes, I LOVE O'Neill--it's the only suit I've found that fits me like a glove and their sizing is PERFECT for me. But I can't find any dive shops in DFW that carry them,
nor can I find anyone who sells them online. My main gripe is that they're gearing their suits for "juniors" now, so they've stopped making talls in the thicker suits.
The only thing they still have in a Tall is the 3 mil, which doesn't do me any good. All of my suits have been O'Neill, so they've lost a good customer now.

I have tried on the Bare tall suits--they are way too short in the torso, way too long in the legs. They are cut too small for my size, but too large in the next size up, and the neck seal is so tight it
chokes me. They are very well made suits, so the sizing was disappointing.

I actually just bought a Pinnacle 2-pc. suit from my LDS--I guess they're new, and I know nothing about them. Luckily I got a great deal so I won't feel too bad if it's awful. But it fits great--they have
talls, and the neoprene is stretchy, the zippers start lower down than most suits so the suit is very easy to get into and take off (I've only tried it dry though). Their 1-piece suits were too short in the
torso, but the 2-piece fits like it was made for me. I'll be trying it out this Sat, so I hope it works out!

On a rant note, why is it SO hard for wetsuit manufacturers to realize that we're not all 5'5" with big boobs?! Okay sorry, rant off.

 

[ggunn]

On a rant note, why is it SO hard for wetsuit manufacturers to realize that we're not all 5'5" with big boobs?!

<politically incorrect comment suppressed> ;^)

 

[scubawife]

My LDS is an O'Neill dealer and ordered me a 5mm in a tall size. I picked it up on Saturday. Anything over 3mm they have to order. I had no choice of colors, which I didn't really care about. If I wanted a specific color combo I could custom order any thickness but it was about $125 more. The O'Neill website lists all their dealers and many do have websites.

Bare's tall sizes are too short in the body for me too. Body Glove isn't a bad fit. I have a 2/1 shorty. I was in Australia in 2000 and they had a much better selection of woman's suits. I'm going back next year and will be looking. They had all sorts of sizes and styles and brands we don't get here.

Pinnacles advertise that they have wool lining and that turned me off. I haven't seen one though in a store.

 

[H20Bubbles]

On a rant note, why is it SO hard for wetsuit manufacturers to realize that we're not all 5'5" with big boobs?!

Hey, you just perfectly described my wife. Maybe the manufacturers are not that far off.

 

[opalobsidian]

Glad to hear there's so many long torso-ed, cold blooded diver gals out there! Guess we'll all have to follow the lead of Scubawife and charter us a flight to Australia to go group shopping for properly sized scuba wear! And check us out some of them cute Aussie boys who will properly appreciate us taller women.

cxg31s, I'm leaving on Tues April 25th and will be down there a week diving with Christi. Maybe I'll see ya there!

Thanks again for ya'lls input!
Pamela

 

[cyclical]

A few weeks ago, another couple, my girlfriend and I went diving in ~50 degree weather. We donned 7mil suits, 3mil gloves, 5mil hoods, 3mil boots. We walked around like we were in a full body cast, but the cold didn't seep in much.

If you want to make lots of money, invent something that will keep your lips warm where the hood comes up short.

ha ha ha... that water felt good considering how much I was sweating topside in upper 80's weather wearing all that stuff.

 

[cyclical]

<politically incorrect comment suppressed> ;^)

Ha ha ha....

Because all women are supposed to be 5'5" with big boobs.

 

[94GTStang]

ha ha ha... that water felt good considering how much I was sweating topside in upper 80's weather wearing all that stuff.

no joke... I bout died everytime we had to suit up... man that sucked

 

[cyclical]

Kept us warm in the water though...

You are going to be hot wearing that 3mm in Cozumel man.... I was burning up wearing a warm water suit, and it's only like .5mm~1mm.