wetsuit tightness

[hockeyman]

hi i was wondering how tight a wetuit should be around the crotch area on me im 6 feet but for the diving i do my wetsuit will need to be extra tight

all answers help thanks mike

[Hemlon]

It should be as tight as possible without being restrictive. Only you can answer how tight is too tight.

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

The point of a wet suit is to trap heated water against your body... it doesn't have to be tight all over, simply tight enough in the neck and extremities to restrict flow of cold water from the outside. Being tight in the crotch is not going to keep you warm if water is flooding in the neck or sleeves, and conversely, being loose in the crotch will not hurt you if the ingress points are well sealed.

[ChrisA]

hi i was wondering how tight a wetuit should be around the crotch area on me im 6 feet but for the diving i do my wetsuit will need to be extra tight

all answers help thanks mike

The ideal is that the wetsuit is no tighter than it needs to be to ensure that there is never space between your skin and the suit. Any additional tightness after the suit is making contact with the skin just makes it harder to get in and out of and more restrictive to movement.

In a non-custom suit the ideal is hard to achieve. Most off the rack suits depend on some very stretchy rubber so the suit can adapt to your shape. Custom suits are expensive but it is not all that expensive to have a suit customized. They can open up a seam and add a panel or remove material. Divers who loose or gain weight have this done all the time.

[spectrum]

hi i was wondering how tight a wetuit should be around the crotch area on me im 6 feet but for the diving i do my wetsuit will need to be extra tight all answers help thanks mike

Mike,

As menmtioned you want as close of a fit as possible but you need to get that with fit, not tension. The idea of the close fit is 2 fold. First it minimizes the water volume that have to warm. You body will tolerate water in your wetsuit but the less water the better, hence semi-dry and dry suits. Secondly and probably most important a close fit limits the exchange of water that you have warmed with your body.

So when you think about it a modest abount of space (water volume) in the crotch area is no big deal as long as the suit fits well on the limbs.

If your suit is tight in the crotch check to see if you have tension between your shoulders and crotch. Also make sure that the suit is seating up into your arm pits. People are all unique and it's possible to have such things as a long torso. In my case I'm a textbook Bare XLS (Extra Large/Short cut) however that suit pulls my shoulders down and makes it hard to spread my arms since the suit was pulling my arms down. My XL fits great and it turns out that the arms and legs really are not too long.

One sign on a close fit is that after a dive you will see the impressions of the stitching in your skin for a while, like sleeping on a wrinkled pillow. Only an hint of compression is needed to have this happen and the suit can still be a breeze to get in and out of. Other wise it should be perfectly comfortable with a full range of motion. Arms straight up, hands on opposing shoulders, touch your toes as well as in your trunks and so on. By the way I'm talking 7mm here.

If you feel constricted or need to do a dance to don then you have the wrong suit. That being said if you have never been in a (heavy) wetsuit that can take a little getting used to.

Pete

[jeffrey-c]

hi i was wondering how tight a wetuit should be around the crotch area on me im 6 feet but for the diving i do my wetsuit will need to be extra tight

all answers help thanks mike

Since you say "all answers" help:

If you keep thinking throughout the dive "wow, I need to loosen the crotch strap" and then realize your BC doesn't have one, it might be too tight.

If you're asked to tryout for soprano in the newly-formed LDS choir, it might be too tight.

If you start longing for the "loose freedom" of a Speedo, it might be too tight.

[dk2943]

On a related subject, I am in South Florida and real weather wimp. I am 6 foot and weigh about 220, but every full wetsuit I have tried on, up to an xxl has been so tight around my calves, that I did not even bother to try further. Do I need a 3xl or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for any help

[spectrum]

On a related subject, I am in South Florida and real weather wimp. I am 6 foot and weigh about 220, but every full wetsuit I have tried on, up to an xxl has been so tight around my calves, that I did not even bother to try further. Do I need a 3xl or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for any help

It's not uncommon for someone with a particularly developed body part to need some level of customization. Look at the specs for the 3XL and try it if it makes sense but don't get a baggy suit to accomodate you calves. Being in FL you have the luxury of nearby neoprene customization talent.

Pete