Importance of good fitting gear?

[Bearkeley]

Hi all -

Approaching 20 dives and will soon go for my AOW, so now considering buying my own gear. Problem is that I'm 'vertically' challenged --- 5ft tall (but only when I'm wearing my 2 inch heels) / 96 lbs.

* Women's dive suits start at 5ft-5'2 (and they won't let me dive with my heels!) ;-), and junior suits just don't fit.....should I continue to rent or does it make a difference to have a good fitting suit?

* Tanks --- luckily, I don't suck up a lot of air, so definitely try for the smaller tanks when diving. However, most dive ops dont seem to carry it......I'm a newbie still struggling with bouyancy and everything else -- how much does a huge tank impact my ability to dive well? Any pointers to compensate for this?

* Fins -- got fins....I wear size 4 ft so that was a challenge, but found good booties and fins that fit. However, the fin length, relative to the length of my legs / body, is certainly not in proportion to the 'norm'......how bad is this? Am I working harder than I should because of this, or is this actually good because it gives me more power?

* BCD -- no question that this rides up. I'm sure they make junior size BCDs (prob get a good deal) but how important is this to fit? We travel for all our dives, so would it make sense to bring my own gear?

 

[Kryssa]

I would get your own wetsuit for sure. I am on the other end of the spectrum (lager than the average woman diver) and have owned my own wetsuit from the beginning. Try on as many as you can and if you still can't find one that fits, you can have one altered or a completely custom suit if you can afford it.

Tanks- Maybe I'm just lucky, but my LDS rents AL50s, 63s, and 80s. I dive with a 63 while my husband dives with an 80.

Fins- Not sure on this one

BCD- If you are looking for a back inflate, check out the Zeagle Ranger Junior. I remember being soooo jealous of the price while I was shopping for a BD. Eventually I got a Dive Rite Transpac, but for the cost I would have gone with the Ranger Jr if it would have fit me! Ranger Junior - Recreational BCs - BCs - Zeagle Dive Systems

 

[fstbttms]

Try on as many as you can and if you still can't find one that fits, you can have one altered or a completely custom suit if you can afford it.

+1

I have never found an off-the-shelf wetsuit that fits as well, or keeps me as comfortable in the water, as the custom suits I use in my business. Yes, you will pay a couple of bucks for a custom suit, but it's worth every penny, IMHO.

 

[TSandM]

Somebody is going to roll their eyes when they read this, but I'm going to make a recommendation for you for a BC: Buy a Deep Sea Supply small plate and wing, and continuous harness. The advantage of that kind of setup is that it is infinitely adjustable, so you can get it to fit YOU. When your BC fits properly and the tank is stable on your back, it makes life SO much easier. The disadvantage is that it helps a ton to have some assistance in getting it set up correctly in the first place, but depending on where you are in Virginia, we may be able to give you some contacts to do that.

My feet are not quite as small as yours, but when I dive wet, I use a set of medium Jet fins. The blades ARE small, and it does put me at some disadvantage when compared with guys who have much larger fin surfaces. But reef diving shouldn't be a race, and you shouldn't try to swim AGAINST current for very long, if at all, AND your buddies should wait for you. So if you found fins that work, I wouldn't worry about them.

I can't advise about wetsuits for someone your size, but if you were to consider going dry, this is again where something that fits everybody is useful -- the Whites Fusion. The design of the suit allows someone to dive one that is too big quite successfully. (My backup suit is my husband's Fusion, which is a size larger than mine.)

Good luck with this. Having gear that really fits you properly makes such a HUGE difference in comfort in the water. Please at least look into the backplate option -- I believe there are other brands that have small backplates (I think Halcyon does) that you might be able to find in shops near you.

 

[kevindwhite]

Hi all -

Approaching 20 dives and will soon go for my AOW, so now considering buying my own gear. Problem is that I'm 'vertically' challenged --- 5ft tall (but only when I'm wearing my 2 inch heels) / 96 lbs

I am 5'3" 120lbs. I feel your pain. The good news is, as a girl you will have an easier time than I did.The best advice I can give you is to try on *everything* first.

- Always ask if you can try out the gear first in the pool and make sure you understand the return policy. Being both tiny and new makes buying the right gear a real challenge.

- Buy your gear from the inside out. Wetsuit, boots, gloves, and hood first. Only then should you buy fins, mask,…etc

- Consider a backplate and wing as an alternative to a bcd. BP/W is easier to customize to fit your body and style of diving than a bcd. A good bp/w will grow with you and is easier to resell if you make a mistake. There are several good BP/W manufactures (Deep Sea Supply is my favorite) that make gear for smaller divers like you and I.

- Good luck and don't forget to save some money for diving.

 

[Crowley]

Good fitting gear is essential. A loose fitting wetsuit will keep you cold, and if it's too tight it will be uncomfortable and restrictive. Both men and women have body parts that don't need to be squeezed too tightly!! A properly fitted wetsuit should be like a second skin. There are a vast range of shapes and sizes and most many companies make fitted wetsuits for women - scubapro and waterproof spring to mind. Try them on in the shop; it's unlikely they will let you dive in one, but seize the opportunity if you can. Bear in mind a dry wetsuit will be more restrictive when dry and will loosen up once it's had a few dives.

You might ask around in the area and see if there is anybody who will make custom wetsuits to fit - I know a shop in thailand but that's not much use if you're in the States, I know - but have a look online or maybe somebody here can help with that.

TSandM's advice about the wing is sound but also there are some some great BCs out there which will suit you well. the Seaquest Diva is popular amongst several of my female colleagues and when it comes to fitting, look for adjustment in the shoulder straps so it doesn't leave you hanging in the BC rather than wearing it. You should be able to adjust the shoulder straps so that you are neither at the maximum or minimum range of adjustment. Sizes can be deceptive, because a size "small" can mean "small if you are wearing a drysuit" which means XS might be the correct fit if you are wearing a 3mm wetsuit. For example, I wear a SeacSub Pro 2000 size small, and I am 5'10 with a 42 inch chest! If you are travelling regularly there are lightweight BCs available from most manufacturers.

Try before you buy is essential. You don't necessarily have to dive in it but for sure you need to try it on in the shop with some expert advice. Don't get caught up in a sales pitch - at the end of the day most stuff will do the same sort of job, and yes, there is a big difference between brand name and price - don't go for trick stuff just cos it looks good or it has a brand name, find what suits you best.

For fins, fin length is not so much of an issue - and you can't go far wrong with something like a Mares Avantix XS as a good starting point, Cressi make a similar style paddle fin and these are always worth a look at. I differ from TSandM in that I do not recommend Jetfins for a first fin, if they interest you then for sure try before you buy, by which I mean dive in them - they are not for everybody and they do not suit my diving style at all - but then, my fins (Mares Volo Power) are sniffed at by others.

Tank wise - actually if you're correctly weighted then it shouldn't matter so much unless you have difficulty with physically carrying the thing. I don't generally recommend that people buy their own tanks unless they are diving regularly and are prepared to pay maintenance costs which, whilst not excessive, get in the way. If you do 20 dives a year on holiday, rental tanks are the way to go.

Good luck - hope that helps a little,

C.

 

[Scuba.com]

The suit might be a challenge, but not so much as you fear. In height, an inch or two high or low on the manufacturer's sizing chart often doesn't mean a whole lot. More important will be your waist and bust measurements. You have to fill a suit out properly getting that snug fit in order for it to do it's job. With most suit manufacturers the height is a "secondary" measurement. They use a general chart and basically assume if you are "so big around, you should be about yay tall". No real science to it.

Your bcd shouldn't be as much of an issue as you fear either. I have purchased bcds for my daughter over the years and she's about the same height. A ladies bcd is manufactured with a shorter torso than a generic or a man's bcd. It will offer you the correct fit at the waist and upper body without being so long that it hangs over your backside. There are many really good models out there from various manufacturers that should do the trick for you.

In a tank, it gets equally as easy. Especially with your buoyancy concerns, you can go with the XS Scuba HP80. It's amazingly short and compact. Services to 3442psi, so you can use your normal yoke regulator but pull the insert and use DIN if you so choose. And is negatively buoyant both full and empty so it'll help with the amount of lead you have to use in your weightbelt or pockets.

 

[fnfalman]

Dive Rite XS/SM Transpac SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - TransPac Harness

Or Dive Rite short aluminum backplate & wing. SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - Short Aluminum Backplate

 

[knowone]

Being horizontally challenged all my suits are tailored.
The most important gear you own is your mask and your suit.
Get fitted with a Zeagle BCD.

Only some of knowone's personalities rolled their eyes.

 

[iHeartScuba.com]

A good fitting BC is really imporant, you will enjoy your dives so much more and it will help with your buoancy. Depending where you dive, the wetsuit may not be a huge deal. If you're in really cold water then it's more important oviously. If your local shop ever sponsors a demo day it's a great chance to try out a bunch of different BC's to see what really works for you in the water.