- Messages
- 22,171
- Reaction score
- 2,790
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
What we're talking about is material, there's not much to show.
Neoprene is made in sheets and then various materials are bonded to one or both sides. Stretchy material such as Lycra all the way to heavy material like Kevlar. Nylon is most common and the most common wetsuit material has nylon bonded to both sides.
All neoprene is not created equal, there are two processes, gas blown (nitrogen) and chemical blown. The gas blown material is warmer, less compressible, and lasts longer; but it tend to be more expensive. The very best neoprene is made by an American company Rubatex and has the designation GN-231 or GN-231N. Most any material can be used to make most any suit.
If no material is bonded to the neoprene you wind up with very elastic suit that can be tightly fitted and that does not let much water in at all. If you add Lycra to the outside you compromise the fit just a little, but then the material may be glued and sewn and does not require as much care or routine repair. Another advantage of no bonded material is that then the outside of the suit dries almost instantly, and you don't get cold on the deck. Lycra does not hold much water and also dries quickly lessening evaporative cooling ... nylon sucks ... it holds a lot of water and you can get quite chilled after a dive, even on a fairly warm day.
If I were you I get a custom suit from a local supplier that can measure you up. Second best would be a custom house that you'd send your measurements to. In etiher case I'd only get a suit made from GN-231 and I'd try real hard to get skin in, Lycra out.
Wetwear has a good repuation, but there are many others.
Neoprene is made in sheets and then various materials are bonded to one or both sides. Stretchy material such as Lycra all the way to heavy material like Kevlar. Nylon is most common and the most common wetsuit material has nylon bonded to both sides.
All neoprene is not created equal, there are two processes, gas blown (nitrogen) and chemical blown. The gas blown material is warmer, less compressible, and lasts longer; but it tend to be more expensive. The very best neoprene is made by an American company Rubatex and has the designation GN-231 or GN-231N. Most any material can be used to make most any suit.
If no material is bonded to the neoprene you wind up with very elastic suit that can be tightly fitted and that does not let much water in at all. If you add Lycra to the outside you compromise the fit just a little, but then the material may be glued and sewn and does not require as much care or routine repair. Another advantage of no bonded material is that then the outside of the suit dries almost instantly, and you don't get cold on the deck. Lycra does not hold much water and also dries quickly lessening evaporative cooling ... nylon sucks ... it holds a lot of water and you can get quite chilled after a dive, even on a fairly warm day.
If I were you I get a custom suit from a local supplier that can measure you up. Second best would be a custom house that you'd send your measurements to. In etiher case I'd only get a suit made from GN-231 and I'd try real hard to get skin in, Lycra out.
Wetwear has a good repuation, but there are many others.
