Plus Sized Ladies wetsuits

[violakat03]

Any recommendations for manufacturers or custom suit makers for a plus sized girl? I'm looking to spend as little money as possible and still get a suit that fits me and protects me. I only need a 3mm suit, if I'm ever going to be in something cold enough to need a 5 or 7 mm I'm going to get a dry suit!

I'm 5'6" and weight a smidge over 200 lbs. 40 waist is the only one of my measurements I know for sure, bust is probably somewhere around 45 in, hips around the same. In regular clothing I wear a women's 18/20. I've tried on a Men's XL short from Aqua Lung with the hyperstretch - it fit PERFECTLY, except in the neck! It gapped a lot there and we all agreed that it was because of my chest and that it would let too much water in to work properly. I'd love to find a suit that has either an adjustable neck that can be tightened or is better suited specifically to larger women and takes into account a larger chest.

[crab lover]

TommyDSports.com | A complete line of affordable, high quality scuba gear for every diver! this is the absolute cheapest place I have found for plus sized wetsuits. Have not ordered from them yet, only found them AFTER I bought a custom full suit from Harvey's and a men's XXXL shortie from XSScuba (which I love both, but didn't love the price on the custom).

Where will you be diving? If in warmer water (you said you only need a 3mm) then the water that you get in at the neck won't be a big deal. I actually like to let in some water every now and again... if it is a big deal, get a core warmer with a hood and that will seal it up, provided that the Henderson is worth the price with the core warmer...

[violakat03]

TommyDSports.com | A complete line of affordable, high quality scuba gear for every diver! this is the absolute cheapest place I have found for plus sized wetsuits. Have not ordered from them yet, only found them AFTER I bought a custom full suit from Harvey's and a men's XXXL shortie from XSScuba (which I love both, but didn't love the price on the custom).

Where will you be diving? If in warmer water (you said you only need a 3mm) then the water that you get in at the neck won't be a big deal. I actually like to let in some water every now and again... if it is a big deal, get a core warmer with a hood and that will seal it up, provided that the Henderson is worth the price with the core warmer...

I'm brand spankin' new at diving (taking my certs test in a month, excited!) so I can't say for certain where I will be diving, though I'm a wimp in the cold so it will most likely be in Florida and the Caribbean during spring/fall and maybe some diving up here around Ohio in the warmer summer months, unless I get a dry suit for colder conditions, which is a possibility later on.

The gap at the neck was apparently very large, too large to be a true 'fit', as the staff at the LSD said they wouldn't be comfortable with selling me that suit because of the way it fit around the neck (one of the few things they've been honest with me about so far). They said that the particular suit I tried on came in equivalent women's sizes but according to everything I can find, the highest they go is women's size 14 - which says it fits women up to 165 lbs and with waists up to 36 inches - I'm way over that!

I will check out that site, thanks for the recommendation!!


Edited to add: Wow, big sizes AND great pricing! I just emailed them for sizing information so I can tell what size I'd wear in their suits. Even if it's not the greatest suit, at that price, I can afford to use it for a year or two until I lose some weight. I may decide to by another thickness from them if I really like it!

[crab lover]

Glad I could help! Tell me how you like it when you get it! At 5ft 4in and 2** lbs, I know what you are going through. I searched around and wound up paying quite a bit for my first suit. I just happened to have run across Tommy Ds and was pleasantly surprised.

[ronbeau]

Any recommendations for manufacturers or custom suit makers for a plus sized girl? I'm looking to spend as little money as possible and still get a suit that fits me and protects me. I only need a 3mm suit, if I'm ever going to be in something cold enough to need a 5 or 7 mm I'm going to get a dry suit!

I'm 5'6" and weight a smidge over 200 lbs. 40 waist is the only one of my measurements I know for sure, bust is probably somewhere around 45 in, hips around the same. In regular clothing I wear a women's 18/20. I've tried on a Men's XL short from Aqua Lung with the hyperstretch - it fit PERFECTLY, except in the neck! It gapped a lot there and we all agreed that it was because of my chest and that it would let too much water in to work properly. I'd love to find a suit that has either an adjustable neck that can be tightened or is better suited specifically to larger women and takes into account a larger chest.

You might want to check out WetWear.

I am a male but when I got into diving in 2004 I was about your height and weight. WetWear made my custom wet suits and did an excellent job.

I am now over 50 lbs lighter than I was then. I paid WetWear to shrink them to my new size and I am still using them today when I don't dive with my dry suit.

I ordered the Easy-On model.

[drydiver]

I am about your size and I wear a Pinnacle elastiprene, I believe they have a reputation for generous sizing also I have heard about Harvey's use the custom department link. I think they are more expensive, but why spend any amount of money on something that does not do the job, I am thinking of cold water diving where the fit/thermal properties are more important.

[spectrum]

Hi violakat03,

It sounds like you have figured out that in a wetsuit fir is everything and that is true. I understand your plan to go dry when you enter colder local water which I hope you do. As for the warmer water in the 3mm suit please don;t take any shortcuts on that suit. When you have warmer water at hand it will probably be because you are paying to be at a vacation destination. If this is a dive centric trip making 4 or more dives in a day is not out of the question. That sort of immersion even in tropical water will leave you thermally depleted day over day so that 3mm suit needs to be working well. It's no bargain if you are uncomfortable or sitting out the late day dives because you are chilled. Generally these divers do not feel chilled but rather suffer fatigue as their body tries to recover in the tropical environment. A diver that is not warm will be more accident prone and have an elevated risk of DCS. A warm water wetsuit is not just about stings and scrapes.

Height and weight alone don't begin to define a human form and with the right proportions somebody may have an off the rack suit that will be a good choice. My wife happens not to be an "off the rack gal" and custom suits have been the key to her comfortable diving in 3,5 and 7mm. If you are not finding what fits and feels right on a rack then get a custom suit. The cost will be comparable to a premium off the rack item. WetWear has been mentioned we can also suggest LiquidFit and Atlan. Allow plenty of time for it to be produced and perhaps returned for an alteration.

Remember that a high stretch suit will loose some thermal protection by virtue of it's elasticity. If you are wearing it with significant stretch you are pulling it thinner further lessening it's value. The stretching combined with the properties that allow for it result in a suit with a shorter lifespan. There is no free lunch on this one.

Pete

[DiveDiva_Ashley]

though I'm a wimp in the cold so it will most likely be in Florida and the Caribbean during spring/fall and maybe some diving up here around Ohio in the warmer summer months, unless I get a dry suit for colder conditions, which is a possibility later on.

I'm a fellow Ohio-cold-water-wimp (Findlay), but due to the cost of a drysuit I have been diving in a 7 mil Farmer John in the local quarries since I was certified. You may want to try a rental 7 mil wetsuit first before dropping all that money on a drysuit unless you plan on diving most of the year. If you really are freezing, you could buy a drysuit then without losing a bunch of money trying another option out. I find myself pretty comfortable in the summer months, and I get to tease the guys about being wusses and diving in drysuits year round while I dive in a wetsuit

That said, if you have the money, I'm sure a drysuit is worth it because it can "buy" you more months of diving early season and late season. If you don't have lots of extra dough for that though, a 7 mil FJ may be a good option for you to get some diving in between tropical dive trips. My recreational dive season here in a 7 mil starts in late May-early June and ends in September.

[Debraw]

If anyone else is reading this thread and looking for recommendations, check out the Henderson line. They now make plus-size suits and they fit great.

[saltwater taffy]

I really love, love, love my custom wetsuits from Liquid Fit. Since you are a gal, you will appreciate that you would be working with the owner, Carolyn. She knows her stuff and is so very supportive when helping you. Remember to tell her that you are a scubaboard member and she will give you a 10% discount.
Good luck in your search,
SWT