Bare Wetsuits - Pros & Cons?

[Fairfax22032]

I am looking at my first wetsuit purchase with a budget around $200-225. As much as I liked the feel of the Henderson H2, it is not really in my price range and was wondering what people though about products from Bare. I tried on a Bare wetsuit for the first time today and was generally pleased with how it felt - the different sizing options really seemed to help fit without a lot of compromise, but I realize that there is a difference between standing in the LDS and being in the water. I tried a Velocity 5/4 full, Sport 5mm full and an Elastek 5mm full with the Elastek feeling somewhat better, but it is hard to quantify. Even the lowest price models seem like a big step up from the Deep See wetsuit that I have been using.

The other question that I am wrestling with is what thickness to purchase which I realize has a lot to do with where I will dive the most. While my preference tends toward the Florida Keys and Caribbean, I expect to have 5-10 days per year on training dives at local quarries and the occasional spring-fed lake. If I had $400 I would be tempted to buy both a 5mm and 3/2 full suit and I think that with Bare I could get both for around that price as long as I did not target the higher end models.

Any comments on feedback regarding your experience is appreciated.

[Fairfax22032]

I guess that I should have taken 30 seconds to look on the Equipment forum since someone asked essentially the same question within the last week. Comments here are appreciated, but sorry for cluttering the board. Then again, I read the entire thread and it is asking about Bare drysuits, so I guess that my question still stands.

[Beck-Miester]

I recently bought a Bare Sport Full 7mm with the 7mm Hooded vest (I dive primarily VERY Cold i.e. 39-54*F range). I am about 5'11 and weight about 245lbs. I liked the fit of a 2XL Bare Sport full, right off the rack. In conjunction with 7mm boots and gaunlets, I am extremely comfortable down into the low 40's. The fit is nice.

Pros: Having the hood attached to the vest means that you can generally avoid that rush of cool water down your back. The suit itself is N2S, so it feels quite nice against the skin and "generally" is pretty easy to put on, with N1S around the face for a nice seal. The zipper on the full suit is in the back. Ergonomically designed to a human body, means that if you find a size off the shelf that fits you well, it is almost like a custom fit.

Cons: The hooded zipper has the zipper in the front. Generally, I don;t mind it so much, and it is easy to zip up, but you have the zipper dangling from the right side of your jaw, and while it doesn't FEEL ackward, it does kinda look that way.

Overall: As far as Wet diving goes: I like it.

Beck

[spectrum]

Fairfax22032

I have a slew of Bare wet suits and I like them all. Bare offers a great price/quality ratio. My 7mm set is the Arctic with the 7mm Step-in vest. It looks like they retired the Arctic name but the Sport seems to be the same suit and a great value. The Elastec and Velocity are going to be very comfortable but that flex will cost you a little warmth. The Elastic buys some of that back with better sealing but that comes at a $$ cost. The Arctic/Sport Combo is a perfectly comfortable set-up and a great buy. I like it for the mentioned reasons, especially how it shuts down the neck opening. I have a lot more on the topic here.

As for the different conditions, you are headed for a neoprene wardrobe, pure and simple end of story. Good 7mm boots will be universal but that's where it ends.

Pete

[spectrum]

Cons: The hooded zipper has the zipper in the front. Generally, I don;t mind it so much, and it is easy to zip up, but you have the zipper dangling from the right side of your jaw, and while it doesn't FEEL ackward, it does kinda look that way
Beck

I especially like being able to zip my neck open as I step out of the water. While those with with bibbed hoods have to pull theirs off entirely or stay suited mine just unzips and flops open. It makes the hike back nicer.

Pete

[Beck-Miester]

Agreed! I do like the fact that with the tug of a zipper, I can pull my hood back and at least LIMIT my risk of overheating...esspecially when I am doing shore-dives (and some of the walks to the water's edge can be long and treacherous..esspecially carrying all that gear....)

From that perspective, then yes: It could definately be seen as a "pro". btw, spectrum: you are 100% correct: The Bare Sport Full replaced the Arctic Full. They are virtually identical. The statement about sacrificing insulation/heat for flexibility is also a very valid point when comparing to the Elastek suits.

When I was shopping for a wetsuit, I was looking for my best "bang of my buck" too, and I have to say that I firmly believe that with the Bare suit, I got it. Everything about it from it's materials to it's quality of manufacture was (from the comparisons that I saw) top-notch....

[Fairfax22032]

From that perspective, then yes: It could definately be seen as a "pro". btw, spectrum: you are 100% correct: The Bare Sport Full replaced the Arctic Full. They are virtually identical. The statement about sacrificing insulation/heat for flexibility is also a very valid point when comparing to the Elastek suits.

When I was shopping for a wetsuit, I was looking for my best "bang of my buck" too, and I have to say that I firmly believe that with the Bare suit, I got it. Everything about it from it's materials to it's quality of manufacture was (from the comparisons that I saw) top-notch....

This is very helpful...as much as I like the Elastek models, I cannot get my head around the additional cost given the amount of diving I manage over the course of a year and the Sport models sound like a very good option. I think that the 5mm full with the 7mm hooded vest would cover me 98-99% of the time and when I get the extra money I could see buying the 3/2 full or 2mm shorty for when I dive warmer water.

[giles45shop]

I have a 5/4 Velocity that's about 4 yrs old and have been very happy with it. I also have a 7mm Artic that I'm equally happy with. Good fit, nice features (additional seals at legs and wrists, zipper on legs) decent price. I'll buy again for my next one.

John

[rakpix]

I have a 2mm Velocity Shorty and a 5/4mm Velocity Full. Love em. Fit matters much more than brand or stretchiness. Your suit should be a tight as possible without preventing you from raising both hands above your head Y-M-C-A style, then bending your elbows to reach your valves. If a Velocity lets you do that ... go there, if not ... go Elastek. I wouldn't go with anything lower quality than an Ignite, though. Check unrealfind.com and the classifieds first too. It may be kinda gross to buy a "used" wetsuit (we all know what that means), but a long soak in Simple Green cleanser and its gonna be surgical-sterile!

[Altamira]

I bought a Bare 3mm Elastek full suit and have been extremely pleased with it. After trying on practically every brand suit I could find, I ordered a Bare suit because nothing else seemed to fit me the way I wanted the suit to fit. My wife bought a 3mm Scubapro Form 2 wetsuit from our LDS which she loves, but the same brand wetsuit did not fit me as well. While I would have liked to buy mine from our LDS, I could not find one that fit like a glove. I am 5'8", weigh 185#, have a 42" chest and 35" waist and have always had trouble finding an off-the-rack suits that fit. I ordered the Bare wetsuit because it was one of the few brands that had a size that was large/short. As soon as I put it on I told my wife "This is the one". I could not have asked for or received a better fit if I had one custom made, and the quality seems every bit as good as my wife's Scubapro.
Guy