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

[Superlyte27]

According to Steve Gamble (pretty much the god of drysuit repair on this planet) a back zip drysuit zipper will last twice as long as a front zip. Less wear and tear, less goofy angles, less abrasion through wrecks and rocks.

 

[Sir-Dive-A-Lot]

When I ordered my drysuit, I had the option of front-entry zip at a slightly higher price. However after speaking with the distributor at the dive conference I was attending, he did mention he had a slightly higher repair rate on front entries due to both the longer zip and more strain on the zip at the front. So I decided to opt for the shoulder entry and saved myself a little bit of money.

 

[jIM STEELE]

when Jack O put the zipper on the back for surf suits (not in water or on board) we found that you pump less water with the back zip when you reach forward or when you arms reach up, you stay warmer. they can also have better neck seals. softer neo compress more also pumps more cold water the more dense stiffer neo is warmer at depth some suits use both for comfort and warmth. most suits are made by the people that makes the neo. and they put diffident branding on them.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2013 at 08:46 PM ----------

I have been to the place there made

 

[fjpatrum]

I tried on 4 front zip wetsuits and a couple back zip wetsuits over the last week because I am in the market to replace my 4/3 surfing suit. I (again) found out the hard way I can't wear a front zip (at least the new ones with the really small zippers) because I can't get the damn things back off my shoulders without a lot of pain. I used to be able to do so without pain, but I've apparently gotten "old" in the last couple of years.

I'm now firmly in the camp of "easier to don/doff" a back-zip suit.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Properly designed wet suits minimize the flow of water through the suit. This gives the water in the suit a chance to warm up to near body temperature and that is one of the ways it keeps you warm. The more the flow through the suit the colder you will be because the water doesn't have an opportunity to warm up. The main thing about back zips is they hold a better seal on the water so once it's in your wet suit it doesn't move out as fast. It's difficult to do this with a front zip because trying to seal the front of the neck will be fairly uncomfortable with a zipper there. Back zips are also a little easier to get into and out of than front zips.

As for dry suits, I just started diving my first back zip dry suit about 4 months ago. I wasn't sure I would like it but I'm much happier with it than I've been with my front zip suits. I really like that the bulkiness and non-flexibility of the zipper has been removed from in front of me. With the zip in the back I don't even notice it. The back zip is also easier to get into and out of than a front zip was. I don't have to bend my neck in unusual ways to get into the neck seal with a back zip.

 

[c-fstb]

I always wondered about the back zip thing too. My drysuit and 3mm wetsuit are both back-zips and I'm thinking of upgrading and was planning front zip this time around (which is why I've just resurrected this old thread). Good points on the pro-back-zip suits, but nobody has yet mentioned my reason for wanting a front-zip. Over-heating while waiting on the surface.
On a recent Mexican trip, I found myself really uncomfortable while waiting for the rest of the divers. I try to keep my stuff organized & accessible so that I can always be ready to gear up as soon as the boat arrives at the dive site and am usually the first ready to get in the water. Sitting in the Mexican sun, all dressed up with nowhere to go while watching others fumbling with their gear at a leisurely pace gets me rather overheated. This is when I began to wish for a front zipper so I could at least leave that open till the group is ready to get in the water.
I was thinking that it would also be good for the same reason in a drysuit, although the guys I usually dive with at home here in the north are quicker and better than I so it's usually them waiting on me (not long though).
Anybody else consider a front-zip for this reason? Is it worth the other negatives?

 

[drbill]

I remember the first time I wore a back zip wetsuit. All my previous wetsuits had been farmer johns with a front zipper. It was in 1989 and I was diving with a Cousteau team. I put the darned thing on backwards and got a lot of laughs when I came out on deck and asked why it was so uncomfortable!

 

[AfterDark]

My dry suit is front zipper because when I solo there's nobody there to help me zip the suit. My wet suit is a 7mm farmer john style for the same reason and it is warmer with 14mm on my torso and groin.

 

[jqjcn]

back zipper is more durable

 

[elmer fudd]

back zipper is more durable

Only if you have someone to zip it for you. If you end up doing the job yourself, then you can't see when it's spread too far apart or obstructed and often end up having to use brute force to zip it.