What is a good measure of fit ?

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nns91

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I just got my Pinnacle 5mm Merino. I am pretty excited since it is my first suit. I ordered a Small one. It felt pretty great wearing that suit. However, I don't know what is a measurement of fit. Like when I move a bit, there is some room under my arms. Should there be any room at all ? How about the neck area ? When I move my neck, I feel there is a little bit of room there too.
 
The main thing is making sure there are tight seals around ankles, wrists, and neck. The whole goal of a wetsuit is the minimize water flow in and out of the suit. The loose neck could be a problem as it will allow water in and cool your body more.

I use a Pinnacle 7mm and ordered a small and x-small to try them both on. The small fit best but I can't remember how loose the neck is because I normally wear a hood with it. If it's only a little bit of room you'll probably be ok unless you do a lot of shifting around.
 
The seal is tight on ankles, and wrists. However, the neck seal is not super tight though. When I move my neck, I can feel a bit of room.

Plus, 5mm does not have size XSmall so I can't go down any further. So should I be ok with this one then ?
 
I'm going to guess that you'll be alright but it's hard to say without knowing the amount of room. If it's a few inches of room it could be a problem but if it's under an inch or so I bet you'll be ok. If you keep getting cold you can always get a thin hood that will keep your head warm and fill the gap.
 
So what is a perfect fit like ?

You can't really tell until you get it wet. With a good fit, you shouldn't feel water pouring in when you jump in, and it should be comfortable without significant restriction in breathing or movement.

Dry, the suit should be a bit tight and difficult to put on. You should have good seals around the wrists, ankles and neck. The neck is especially important. You should have a velcro flap that you can use to seal the neck.

If all else fails, you can have the wet suit altered slightly to fit you better.
 
Yeah. It felt pretty tight on around wrist and ankle area. I think I could tighten the neck area using the velcro flap.
 
If you dont think it is small enough or doesnt keep you warm,try an x-small 3/5 mil hooded vest. I got one for my son and it worked great. Now he has out grown it with only a few dives on it. If you need one let me know.
 

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