Wetsuit Confusion

[Sirius13]

When you buy a 7 mm Farmer John and a 7 mm Shorty combo, is your core protection at 14 mm or still at 7 mm? I wouldn't mind sorting this out before I buy. I was planning on a 7 mm one piece Henderson Hyperstretch. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sirius13

(previously known as Sirius4Procyon)

"Life is like a jar of Jalopenos, what you do today may burn your ass tomorrow":out:

[Tom R]

At the price of the Henderson (Good Suit still). I would spend a little extra and grab a low end drysuit, your spending that kind of coin anyway.

If you new to diving and haven't got your bouyancy down it also may be a very expensive bad choice as we are blessed(pending on view) with zebra mussells here in Lake Ontario.

Tom R

[Sirius13]

May I ask what the prices are of each. I'm in Afghanistan right now and window shopping is not an option, hehe.:boom: :boom:

[D M I]

Hello

I use the Atlan Nordic pro one piece wet suit, I find these one piece suits much easier to move in and the protection is the same or or better than any older style Farmer john. Those farmer john suits give you the feeling of being squeezed before even getting in the water, and do not allow for good maneuverability and tend to make the upper torso area bulky. I would say they are good for rentals at best. I do allot of cold water teck diving with plenty of deco stops at depth and I've never been cold in a Atlans suit plus it's 100% Canadian made

D M I


http://atlaninc.com/docs/diving.html
:D

[Sirius13]

being a very healthy guy that made me feel like I was under a lot of pressure while I was still on the boat. My problem is large calves. I usually have to get my wife, (procyon), to help me get the suit off past my calves, hehe.

[JimC]

An entry level dry suit can be had for $800cnd, new in stock sizes.

[Tom R]

Well having owned, a Viking, 2 Atlans, a Bare XCD2 and now a trilam. I think that the Trilam is the best going for diving. Jim is right you can start at 800.00 and go to 2500.00 for drysuits but you have to decide on what is important. In all my experiences a proper fitting drysuit is a must and underwear is the key here also. Think long and hard about this and you can PM for more info.


Tom

[pufferfish]

Sirius13 once bubbled...
When you buy a 7 mm Farmer John and a 7 mm Shorty combo, is your core protection at 14 mm or still at 7 mm? I wouldn't mind sorting this out before I buy. I was planning on a 7 mm one piece Henderson Hyperstretch. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sirius13

(previously known as Sirius4Procyon)

"Life is like a jar of Jalopenos, what you do today may burn your ass tomorrow":out:

Great signature line there Sirius.

Yes your core protection would be 14mm if you have both the FJ and shorty on. Of course at 33 feet you will be down to 7 mm again.

As far as wetsuits and having purchased one last year and helped someone with a purchase this year I can offer my thoughts.
If you are going to be diving here in Canada you will need 14mm of neoprene at some point so unless you have lots of 'natural' insulation a one piece 7mm will be very cold below about 50 degrees. I think the best combo to get which offers the most number of mixes and matches is a 7mm fullsuit without a hood, a 7mm sleeveless shorty with a hood, and then a separate 5mm hood to offer greater flexibility in exposure protection.

As far as material for the suit the nylon on both sides is cheaper but the neoprene on only the inside is better for two reasons. First off it sticks to your skin making convective heat losses less. Secondly and this is a real nice feature is when turned inside out the neoprene only dries in twenty minutes whereas the nylon stays wet for hours. When the air temp is cold it is nice to put on dry wet suit and not a wet wetsuit for that second dive. Of course a dry drysuit is probably the best option but considerably more $$ for a good one with underwear.

Lots of manufacturers make the nylon one side but the two I would look at would be the Henderson Gold Core or the Bare Arctic Glideskin Fullsuit. You will pay more for Henderson than a comparable Bare suit. The biggest advantage with Bare I have found is their sizing. No other company offers 15 sizes for men and 14 for women. No matter what your size you will likely fit into one of their suits off the rack. Their new Arctic SGS full suit has the glideskin for most of the suit and hyperstretch in the calves so big calves shouldn't be a problem.

Being over in Afghanistan yes it might be difficult to window shop but have a look at www.bare-wetsuits.com or www.hendersonusa.com

Bare does have a suit like DMI describes called the Arctic Hooded Fullsuit.

Since no one else has put up pricing and I have gone through purchasing two suits recently so here is what I found. Obviously fit is the most important aspect of any wetsuit purchase so if you can try it on first do so. Most shops though if you have the suit shipped to you sight unseen will allow you to exchange the size as long as you pay the shipping.
If they have your size I don't think anyone will beat the price of $495 Canadian for the new Bare 7mm Arctic SGS fullsuit WITH hooded sleeveless shorty found at Dan's Dive Shop www.dansdiveshop.ca. We bought one in the spring at another shop and paid $640 for the same combo,..ouch. If you don't want to spend that kind of money then the best deal out there in a Bare is the plain nylon two side 7mm Arctic fullsuit with hooded vest for $329 at Aquarius. This is a great suit and for the price and fit choices untouchable. Have a look at www.aquariusscuba.com

Both shops will ship anywhere in the world. Listen the post is a bit long (no comments from the peanut gallery please) but you probably don't get a lot of Internet time over there in Kabul. I am assuming you are with the CF and my hats off to you guys for working in very difficult conditions. One of my best friends just arrived there last week for a tour of duty.

[knives]

Hi,

I have a altan 2 piece 7ml. It is defineitely warmer then a one piece wetsuit....but it won't compare to the Trilam drysuit I have ordered...that I am told will be the ultimate in warmth and comfort...can't wait to go dry ...this time of year the cold air really make wetsuit diving a drag....let us know what you choose!
PS...
Are you able to dive over there?
:)

[Under Michael]

Hey Serius, I bought an Oceaner Galiano and find it very versatile. It has a full 7mm with a 7mm Shortie Tunic. I can use the one piece by itself or add a seperate hood when it gets a bit cold.

Then if it's really frosty throw on the tunic over top of the 7mm. Wearing this combo at Ivy Lea last Saturday (59 degrees) I was hot until we went to depth. I paid about $329 for the wetsuit last fall. Check this out. http://www.oceaner.com/galiano.htm

[Under Michael]

Hey Sirius, sorry about the slip. Enjoy,
UM

[Sirius13]

I dive into my sleeping bag at night and diving for the :boom: bunker occasionally that's about it. I 'will' be diving in Lake Ontario on my vacation in Novembrrrrrrr though... I appreciate all the info and links that everyone is sending to me. I will be going thru all of it and hopefully I'll come up with the right decision.

Thanks All!

[Groundhog246]

I dive a Bare Extreme (7mm one piece) and by itself it's almost as warm as my Mares john/jacket was. I also have a White's hooded/sleevess jacket (6.5mm) for those colder dives. It is far warmer than my Mares ever was. My wife dives a Whites ADS (6.5mm), one piece and sleeveless jacket (6.5mm, not hooded) and also finds it warmer than the "standard" 2 piece she used to wear. With the additionof 3mm one piece suits and both thick and thinner gloves, we're set for a wide variety of conditions. Best of all, with some comparison shopping and a bit of luck, the total I paid for both suits, jackets, and gloves is still slightly less than the $800.00 quoted for one drysuit.
Now a drysuit is on the wish list (of course, if I buy one, I gotta buy two. :rolleyes:

[procyon]

Groundhog246 once bubbled...
Now a drysuit is on the wish list (of course, if I buy one, I gotta buy two. :rolleyes:

If I could be practical for a moment. The man can't have a drysuit unless his favourite dive buddy gets one. :out: :)

[warjarrett]

Well having owned, a Viking, 2 Atlans, a Bare XCD2 and now a trilam. I think that the Trilam is the best going for diving. Jim is right you can start at 800.00 and go to 2500.00 for drysuits but you have to decide on what is important. In all my experiences a proper fitting drysuit is a must and underwear is the key here also. Think long and hard about this and you can PM for more info.
Tom

There is one big problem with trilam. It is not stretchable. Therefore it must be made baggy to allow the diver to move and to allow room for various types of undergarments. Baggy means more drag, and that is NOT a swimmer's friend when he is trying to make it back to the boat. From your experience with 2mm compressed neoprene (the Bare XCD2), how is trilam better than a streamline, flexible fitted drysuit? Warren

[amobeus]

Hi

Try the Atlan Nordic artic one piece custom suit, its bult well and keeps you very very very warm in cold water with front entry zipper. Farmer Johns if not fitted properly can be very restrictive in the chest area becuase of thickness and make for an uncomfortable dive restricing your breathing, so if you go this route go custom fit as well.

Nordic 7/5W99S
Made of a combination of 7mm neoprene in the body and 5mm under the arms and for-arms. This 1-piece custom fit has a cross chest zipper with an interior flap, built-in double water seal gasket system in arms and legs and a hood attached. An interior 2mm pull over shoulder vest is built-in to prevent water flow. Pre-bent arms and legs. Spine pad and key pocket are included. Black body, color accent on hood and under arms can be in any available color.

Good luck

Amobeus

If it sank we can move it.

[knives]

Hello

I use the Atlan Nordic pro one piece wet suit, I find these one piece suits much easier to move in and the protection is the same or or better than any older style Farmer john. Those farmer john suits give you the feeling of being squeezed before even getting in the water, and do not allow for good maneuverability and tend to make the upper torso area bulky. I would say they are good for rentals at best. I do allot of cold water teck diving with plenty of deco stops at depth and I've never been cold in a Atlans suit plus it's 100% Canadian made

D M I


http://atlaninc.com/docs/diving.html
:D

I use an Atlan wetsuit farmer john style...I have no problem with manueverability, it is not for winter diving though...I will also be diving in a diving concepts drysuit soon( for this time of year ) , it is trilam and is not baggy at all.

[patlisa514]

Hey thanks for diving in Afghani, this house really appreciates it. Check Pufferfish's answer because it is my exact setup, and I dive Cape Ann in the Gulf of Maine. I love my setup, because it doesn't allow nearly the amount of water in than a conventional 2 piece suit because of the hooded shorty that goes over it. No seperate hood to put on as we all know the water comes in the neck and down the back, but it is minimal if at all in the style Puff described, I wouldn't go back or change until they come up with a new slice of bread. thanks again soldier!!!!!! Pat Lisa, Joe, Sara, Molly, Jack

[pretty flowers]

I can't really understand why anyone would want to dive in cold water without a drysuit.

I've dived both in the UK, and while I prefer generally diving in a wetsuit, there's no way now that you would get me into one anywhere where the water temp is less than 15 degrees. I'd rather suffer drag - not that it's ever been a problem - than mild hypothermia on a deco stop!

[Lady Ashley]

I WAS a big supporter of Bare until they moved their wetsuit manufacturing plant to Malta. Now the quality and sizing are questionable compared to the suits made 2 years ago . Bare has wrecked a great Canadian product . I do fear that they will also start making their drysuits over there also.