zipper question--what's the point of back zips?

[TMHeimer]

Related to the drysuit zipper thread, this may be a stupid question. Why does anything zip in the back? The only shorties the shop had to sell zip up the back--you grab the rope, you know. Why don't all shorties zip up the front? My body suit zips up the front, as does my 7 mil.

 

[Crass3000]

I always guessed the back zip was so companies could have their logo on the front in a way that looked nicer because no zipper went through it? Just a guess though. Maybe there's a better reason.

 

[fjpatrum]

Because laying on a zipper (as on a surfboard) is incredibly uncomfortable and wetsuit manufacturers don't want to change their machines for different sports.

Some people say they use different neoprene for the different water sports, but that hasn't been my experience...

 

[Mustard Dave]

My drysuit is a front zipper. My old one was a back zipper but I chose to change as the front zipper makes it more flexible around the shoulders, along with not needing assistance to zip it up. Climbing into it is a little trickier but the positives outweigh the one negative.

I have two wetsuits - a Waterproof W1 and a crappy 3mm shortie I bought from Lidl. The Waterproof is a front loader and the shortie has a back zipper. The only one I can get in and out of is the shortie. There is a cord on the zip so I can zip it up unassisted. Although the front loader is much easier to zip up, I find it very difficult to pull it backwards off my shoulders.

 

[iluvtheocean]

i think fjpatrum has the answer -- but it's also consumer demand -- if enough of us contact them demanding front zippers for scuba, the smart manufacturers will listen to market demand. Since we haven't really demanded it, the manufacturers aren't gung ho about it.

you can also ask why on mens and womens shirts the buttons & buttonholes are on opposite sides... men dress themselves and women are dressed (so in otherwords it is a hold over from when ladies had their maids dressing them)

 

[rmh84]

If you check out the catolog direct from the company they often offer both - I was parusing the Henderson catolog just the other day and noticed this.

 

[uncfnp]

According to Connie at Wetwear, the front zippered wetsuit is actually much harder to get on and off then the back zipper...harder to get over the shoulders. But obviously easier to zip. I have found this true with my wetsuits/skins. Don't know about dry suits.

 

[Damselfish]

Wetsuits with back zips may be less convenient to zip, but usually seem easier to get in and out of.

Our first wetsuits over 20 years ago (7mm farmer john style) had the zipper in the front, they were a real pain and back zip probably would have been easier. I also had a much older wetsuit that someone gave me that had the zipper in front. Not a lot of data points, but I'm thinking they originally put the zipper in the front because it seemed like the obvious place to put it, and moving it to the back was actually a clever innovation that occurred to someone along the way. (Or maybe they did it for the surfers comfort then realized as a bonus they were easier to get on and off.)

As far as manufacturing, it's just a different pattern they're sewing, they don't have to change anything about their machines based on where the zipper is.

 

[rhwestfall]

Back zip wet suits are wonderful if made right (refer to Wetwear's finger loop and pull cord). Back zip dry suits are a nightmare for self donning!!!!

 

[Mustard Dave]

According to Connie at Wetwear, the front zippered wetsuit is actually much harder to get on and off then the back zipper...harder to get over the shoulders. But obviously easier to zip. I have found this true with my wetsuits/skins. Don't know about dry suits.

On drysuits with back mounted zips, the zip runs horizontally across the shoulders. I found mine easier to get into than my front zipper where the zip runs from my left shoulder to my right hip. Getting in is probably a little easier than getting out. Getting in is by stepping into the legs first, then the left arm, then the right and then pulling the neck seal on. Zipping up is easy enough but you have to grab the top of the zip with the left hand, otherwise you put strain on the zip. To get out I have to take my head out and then my wrist from the right cuff seal. I then have to wiggle my arm while dropping my shoulder to get the arm out. The left then comes out quite easily.

With the back zip, you step into the legs first and then the arms in any order. The head is then quite easy. I have heard of people fastening the zip unassisted by hooking it onto a fixed object behind you and twisting. If you don't have something suitable, you won't be able to do this. The other problem is without being able to see what you are doing, you risk trapping the undersuit in the zip and potentially damaging it.