Whiiiich wetsuit?

[oren413]

hey guys.
im obviously new on the site, but not that new to diving.
i've got about 40 dives under my belt and i recently moved to eilat israel from chicago.
anyway, i've been doing some diving out here and right now its the mittle of the winter and its PRETTTY cold. about 22 degrees celcius in the water. anyway, i've been diving with a 5mm Zeagle full wetsuit that i rented. i now am ready to purchase one as my 3mm from chicago is too small on me now. anyway, they sell zeagle wetsuits here but i've never heard of them and dont really like the fit. any suggestions of what is a good full wetsuit. i'm looking for an average wetsuit as it will only be used for the 4 months here that are cold. any help is appreciated. thanks

oren amzaleg

 

[DandyDon]

Probly better asked on the wetsuit forum. There are places that do custom fit suits, and a beanie or hood can help a lot, too - a lot more than most think...

 

[AbyssalPlains]

With wetsuits, in my own humble opinion, the fit is about 95% important, and the brand is about 5% important. Of course you don't want a bad quality suit that rips open after only a few dives, but keep in mind that they are all made of neoprene, that a mm is the same in each brand and that there is heavy competition, so no brand can survive by making REALLY bad wetsuits. You can have the best-made suit of all, but if it doesn't fit you right, it suddenly becomes the worst wetsuit you could possibly buy. These days, just like with all scuba equipment, the manufacturers are desperate to come up with just about anything to sell a piece of neoprene as something that is revolutionary different from what their competitors offer, while at the same time trying to make it look as if they increase the benefits at no disadvantage. This of course ignores common sense and physics. Just as an example, many manufacturers/dealers will try to tell you that the new hyperstretch suits are soo much easier to put on while at the same time they are just as warm as a regular neoprene suit of the same thickness. They're not, and they can't be. Just with about everything, there is no free lunch and you always have to compromise.

My 2-cents bottomline: Find a suit that is at least 5mm, (I would go for 7mm in 22 degree celsius water) and that fits you right. Not just ok, but perfectly. Stay away from the hyperstretch stuff as it wears out quickly and is less warm. On the other hand, a 7mm hyperstretch might actually be not bad given that the temp you're talking is on the upper end for 7mm diving, I would say. Zeagle makes excellent stuff. I don't know about their wetsuits but all their other gear is top-notch. Personally, I would stay away from Henderson suits as I find them way overpriced for what you get. ScubaPro are extremely well-made and last a long time. They just came out with a 6.5 mm semi dry, which looks like one of the best suits I see out there at this point. Pinnacle suits also are super quality and will last forever. I have been very happy with my 7mm Bare, which may not be quite the same sturdy quality as a Scubapro but offers features the Scubapro doesn't have (like ankle and wrist seals) and comes at about half the price.

Try on as many as you can, go with a tighter fit rather than a looser fit if in doubt and follow your instinct, not the marketing blah-blah.

Good luck!

 

[Druid]

The above advice is good, fit is more important than brand. However, if you can get one that fits you properly, I have met many people who reccomendWaterproof. They appear to be very well made, if a little "fussy" in the styling department.

I'm just down the coast from you in Dahab, and I've just started wearing my drysuit

 

[CODMAN]

You've received excellent advice here. Definetly go with something custom, or from a manufacturer that has a variety of different sizing options. Bare is one of them (they have a ton of sizes, one of them should fit) and make excellent quality suits (I have 2). There are certainly others. And obviously, try it on beforehand if possible! That's the best way to make sure fit is good!

Good luck!

 

[oren413]

hm i wonder how hard it will be to find a custom fitting wetsuit here in israel. thanks for the advice guys

 

[hammerhead man]

Fit is the most important aspect but I also like comfort and have used the Henderson Hyperstretch wetsuits. I have a 3mm for my warm water dives and a 7/5mm that I use for cold water dives. The suit is very comfortable and if I need extra warmth I use a 3/5mm hooded vest with it. My son has a 3mm Pinnacle Elastiprene wetsuit that also stretches alot and is very happy with it. Henderson USA - Henderson is the site where you can read about these wetsuits.

Regards,

Bill