Is there an easy way to put on a 7mm wet suit?

[pauldw]

Long sleeve rash guard on top and some sort of lyrics socks on your feet.

Just last week I was thinking, Marie13 is never on Scubaboard anymore, I wonder what's up? And then, bam!

7mm wetsuits are really too thick for scuba diving

No. A Farmer John with a beavertail jacket over it is just about right. That much insulation isn't going to compress down to nothing!

I agree, a drysuit is more comfortable, but is not essential.

Yeah, it is. Drive to the dive site, put on the drysuit, and go. Notice I didn't say anything about changing out of your business clothes, or jeans and a t-shirt, or whatever. Because you don't have to. Then take it off, and go back to whatever you were doing. Fancy pile undergarment not required!

 

[IrishLoaf]

YMMV, but I prefer one piece w/ attached hood (mine is 8/7 mm), even though they are a pain to don/doff.

All that neoprene w/ the FJ + Jacket is going to need lead to sink it.

And the different layers often give an opportunity for cold water to seep in.

Maybe a hooded vest over a FS? Still alot of neoprene, but I feel it will have less seepage.

This was a manufacturer and custom suit maker's recommendation based on the cold response of going into 12 degrees with a 5mm.

Instead of selecting 7mm, they recommended doubling up on the 5mm to 10mm because you can always get standard pants in addition to the long johns and have a 5mm suit.

I need lead to sink me with a 2mm shorty anyway. Big lungs it seems.

If it leaks, it will go back for correction or a refund. I can deal with the sudden flooding of water down the zip area but after that, I don't want to feel cold patches of water flowing through any of it.

 

[Jonnyola87]

The plastic grocery/shopping bags is by far the best method. Just bring one and put it on each limb in succession. Shout out to Tristan from Jamaica for that one.

 

[berndo]

It's very easy with practice and when the suits fits. You don't need shampoo. Have someone show you how to put it correctly and you'll be fine.

I know this isn't what you were asking, but 7mm wetsuits are really too thick for scuba diving.

Complete and utter nonsense.

If the water is cold enough that a 5mm full wetsuit doesn't suffice, then instructors really ought to put their students in drysuits.

More nonsense.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

YMMV, but I prefer one piece w/ attached hood (mine is 8/7 mm), even though they are a pain to don/doff.

All that neoprene w/ the FJ + Jacket is going to need lead to sink it.

And the different layers often give an opportunity for cold water to seep in.

Maybe a hooded vest over a FS? Still alot of neoprene, but I feel it will have less seepage.

A hooded vest does work really well over a full suit.
I always put the hooded vest underneath and figured that was the way it was supposed to be. But then I got a Pinnacle one piece that’s actually a pretty nice suit for the money. It has a 9 mil flap for the spine pad and has a skin-in seal for the neck, I realized these features would not work if the vest was underneath, plus trying to zip up the full suit by the leash with all the extra bulk underneath was tough. I thought I was going to pull the leash off.
The hooded vest squeezes the full suit in better and it’s warmer since it’s on top.

 

[RXTdiver]

Did the weight and difficulty put you off that much for the extra warmth you get from it?

Yes

 

[RXTdiver]

In addition to the great suggestions here I have something that helps me with my 5mil. First I essentially have the legs inside out and put a foot through one side and 'roll' each leg on. When you get to the hips it helps to jump around a lot (joking - but it happens!) - you can also mostly roll your suit over the hips too. With the arms I also have them turned inside out and 'roll' them on. This helps a lot. I've never seen anyone else do it, but it makes the whole process so much easier than tugging and tugging and tugging. Maybe it'll work for you too? The hardest part now is getting my hands through the teeny hole (I wish my 5mil had zippers on the wrists).

This makes a lot of sense. I can see how this would make things much easier. Thank you very much for the suggestion.

I'll probably use this in combination with other approaches like the soap and water in a spray bottle.

 

[RXTdiver]

Taking off a heavy wetsuit is like 5X harder than putting it on. I have to tske a couple rest breaks before I finish

I found the opposite to be true.

 

[RXTdiver]

I know this isn't what you were asking, but 7mm wetsuits are really too thick for scuba diving. They are (as you noticed) difficult to don, limit range of motion, undergo huge buoyancy changes, and lose most of their insulation value at depth. If the water is cold enough that a 5mm full wetsuit doesn't suffice, then instructors really ought to put their students in drysuits. They will be much more comfortable and it only takes a little more pool practice time to learn how to use a drysuit.

This is exactly what the instructor said. He uses a dry suit instead of a 7 mm wet suit.

 

[RXTdiver]

If there’s a way to make it easy, I haven’t yet found it.
Last time, I had a skin on and put the wetsuit on over it. Easier, but neglected the feet. Not fun. Next time I’ll try some socks.

What I'd I smeared coconut oil all over my body? I'm being serious. It's good for your skin anyway, but does anybody think that might help?

Also, since I'm doing a pool dive, this means I'm using a wet suit provided by the place where I'm doing my open water dive certification instead of my own.