Wool-lined Pinnacle wetsuits??

[billygene]

I forgot I had started this thread! I bought an Elite model myself last month and it should get lots of use next week in the northern Channel Islands. I hope to stay warm!

Hi, I'm in the market for a cold water wetsuit (55-65 degree water) and have dove a rented Pinnacle recently though want to get input from others who dive cold water what's the general opinion regarding the best semi dry suit on the market. How do you like your Pinnacle?

thanks, Bill

 

[Caje]

I'm not sure about the majority, but pinnacle is the only suit I use and is the only suits I would endorse. The merino wool alows you to slip in and out and not take any hair off in the process. not to mention It is almost to comfortable

 

[tangfish]

Just to follow up on this, I just finished a dive trip to Costa Rica using my new Fusion suit, the suit worked great, I dove in temps ranging from 72-85 degrees and was comfortable all along. I highly recommend it. The only thing I don´t like about it is the the velcro on the back of the neck kept rubbing until my neck was raw, it could have been designed better, I´ve never had that problem with my scubapro suit. Minor detail though in an otherwise fine suit.

 

[Squalus]

Our Instructor Trainer just got back from a trip from Cozumel, took the Pinnacle suit there and did 5 dives a day with no complaints of getting cold.

 

[jjohn918]

I just want to know if Johnnythan or Jimc have ever worn a pinnacle suit???? I've owned a number of 7mm suits (5) over the past 6 years and I have to say that the Pinnacle Elite that I just bought is far superior in warmth and comfort than anything else I've ever owned. I do a lot of altitude deep water lake diving and know about "Cold" water. Don't knock it until you try it guys. These suits are exactly what they claim to be. And by the way, wool is actually an excellent insulator for warmth and and water. If you don't think so, ask any farmer who raises sheep and He/She will gladly tell you from experience how wool works.

 

[gomi_otaku]

I liked this line in the review-
"On top of that, the wool is exothermic, in that it produces heat as it gets wet."
So, wool is like one of those heat packs, endless energy and all we have to do is keep it wet? Amazing. It must be that all the energy those sheep used up eating is stored in the wool.
and how about this one-
"It's claimed that the uneven surface structure helps prevent the build-up of odour-causing bacteria"
anaoerobic bacteria (not needing oxygen) are the stinkies bacteria out there, and I don't see how a rough surface gives them less to hold onto than a slick surface. Maybe they are confusing the slimy feeling of a bacteria-covered surface with the substrate rather than the culture.
"it needs some water within it to be fully thermally efficient, as with any wetsuit."
with that argument, all drysuit divers should try allowing more water in.

gomi_

 

[Kupu]

Does wool compress under pressure in a underwater enviroment? It would seem to add somewhat to the overall thickness of a wetsuit and add a additional layer to the barrier between your skin and the cooler water outside a wetsuit. Wouldn't the wool itself also absorb some heat and if the wool displaces some of the water that otherwise would be trapped next to your skin in a wetsuit perhaps it is a more effecient insulator than water alone? Curious if this line of reasoning has merit?

I do think the articles mentioned earlier have some flawed reasoning to explain how the wool keeps you warm and I get irritated when advertisments use uneducated claims or borderline lies to sell product. I'm glad to have these user reviews to get a breakdown of the claims made. But if its a good wetsuit then hey, who cares how it works :cwmddd:
I'm looking for a wetsuit for 70-80 F temps right now and appreciate all the good info to be found here.

 

[tangfish]

Kupu, I don't really buy all that stuff about wool being exothermic, titanium reflecting heat, blah blah blah. The primary reason one suit is warmer than another is the thickness and seals. That being said, I just bought a Pinnacle Fusion suit, its a 5/4mm suit, it worked great in Costa Rica where water temps ranged from 72 to 83. It is high quality construction and my only complaint is that the velcor on the back of the neck is abrasive, but that can probably be fixed with a little MacGuyver work.

 

[Reeveseye]

Could someone please post some online links to sites that sell the Pinnacle suits? I'm considering buying one of them as well, and I'd like to buy one for less than the $450 a local overpriced dive shop is charging.

 

[Corigan]

Could someone please post some online links to sites that sell the Pinnacle suits? I'm considering buying one of them as well, and I'd like to buy one for less than the $450 a local overpriced dive shop is charging.

I don't believe pinnacle dealers are allowed to sell online. Give paul at PGdive (PGdive here on the forum) a call. He is a bigtime pinnacle dealer and would have better knowledge to answer your question.

I have about 25-30 dives on a polar and am very pleased with it.

Matt