Henderson Neosport 7mm... Did I make a Mistake?

It's been many years since I've purchased a new wetsuit... about seven I think. I had planned to purchase an Aqualung Aquaflex but when I went to order they were out of any size I could squeeze into. I had 15 min to place an order, so I went with one of comparable price... the Henderson Neosport 7mm jumpsuit.

I didn't have time to research opinions on wetsuits so I'm interested in the opinion of those who have worn this suit. How did you like it? What were your dislikes?

I tend to dive warm so any 7mm is bound to be far better than my "holy" wetsuit. I've heard the Neosports are fairly stiff which concerns me as a videographer. Any feeback welcome since I can return it. TIA.

well Bill, if you are looking for a stretchy warm suit, I can recommend Pinnacle. The lining is nice and warm and the elastoprene really stretches. I own and dive a .5mm, 3mm and a 7mm and have been down in the 40's with the 7 and been toasty and mobile. I might add I'm not a fan of henderson suits. Take a look at the pinnacle, it can't hurt.
A DRBill fan.
jack

I have and use this suit.

My opinion, its a very basic no frills wetsuit. If you dive in warm water >65 I think it'll be adequate.

I was just getting started in SCUBA so I wanted something cheap- which is what drew me to this suit.

Comparing it to my wife's 7mm 1 peice oceanic suit- These are the differences:
- No wrist or ankles seals, Oceanic has silver rubber seals on the inside to block water
- Very thin strip of neoprene over the back zipper on the inside to prevent zipper leak, Oceanic has a strip that is 2x as wide and 3x as thick
- Very thin "plastic" like kneepads, oceanic's look/feel much more hardy, rubber
- No zippers on ankles
-No neck seal, very thin neck velcro- a bit leaky here
- No shoulder guards to prevent BC wear
-Oceanic is a bit "wooly" or "fuzzy" on the inside, this is just neoprene

on land it is a bit stiff, but in water no problems, its pretty comfortable.

Overall, I'd say its a decent suit for the price. A little more leaky than even slightly more expensive suits but it works. For what I paid, I'm happy with the suit

Bill- I don't have this model but I've been very happy with my other Henderson suits. The stiffness issue is tricky, and you'll only know with use. There are newer more flexible materials but I've found them to offer less insulation for comparable thickness.

I wish someone would develope a suit using the stiff high R value stuff for the torso, and more flexible material for the limbs.

Enjoy the suit, which will probably be OK until it accumulates too many battle scars.

Isn't the Neosport line something along the lines of the Henderson "value priced" brand?

Bill,
If you dive on the warm side - go Henderson. It's the most comfortable material out there, bar none. If warmth is an issue, Pinnacle is the "bar none" brand in that category.

Point is, it's a trade. Henderson is the most comfortable but doesn't offer the thermal performance or lifetime performance. Pinnacle is the warmest, but much stiffer in comparison and also more durable.

I'm making the same trade now. I'm just dyyying for a Pinnacle and Sports Chalet has the new (2nd gen) Elasto-Merino on sale for $288. Great deal. Tried on two today in the HB store and couldn't pull up the sleeves for my life! Very disappointing. Coming from the Henderson Ti-Hyperstretch, maybe I’m spoiled in the don/doff/comfort category but this suit just wouldn’t come over my arms/shoulders.

Anyhow Bill, consider custom. Teresa at New Wave Wetsuits does an awesome job at a very fair price; even tailors brand names – which is what I’m calling her about Monday morning. Good luck!

I did my first dive in the Neosport today. I made the right choice size wise so fit was no problem. It felt very strange to have a fully intact wetsuit surrounding my body! The only minor issue I saw with it was the lack of the neck seal. Water did infiltrate the back of the suit, but I felt quite comfortable in 55 degree temps. The infiltration through the neck may have been due to my hood. Once I get a 3mm vest, I think this wetsuit will be perfect (at least for me).

John_B:

Isn't the Neosport line something along the lines of the Henderson "value priced" brand?

Click to expand...

"value priced" - I like that. So I guess I'm not cheap, I'm value oriented.

Anyway, I have two Neosports, a 7mm FJ/Jacket and a full 4/3. Unless you need a custom fit I don't understand why people pay what they do for some wetsuits.

I have about 100 dives on my henderson neosport 7mm, and it's like I just bought it yesterday. Very little "crushing effect" with an average dive depth of 60 ft. Only difficulty I had was some of the stitching began to come loose, but it started after getting it snagged on a peice of steel protruding from a wreck. Would reccomend the 5mm instead of the 3mm. That extra 2mm made a huge difference in warmth. I generally dive cold water and the 3mm didnt cut it.

I've used both Henderson and Neosport brands of 7mm wetsuits and found them to be very comfortable, easy to don, and quite durable for the price. Since I dive all the time as an instructor and I am a wuss when it comes to cold water, they didn't work so well for me in the long-term and I've since switched but if you are just diving on a regular basis and not all day every day, then it should be perfect for you...and it sounds like it is!