Dave616
Contributor
LavaCore Review
On a recent trip to Cozumel (Feb 1-8, 2014) I decided to see if Lavacore products were worth ditching the wetsuit for. I couldn't find any quality first-hand info on this stuff prior to purchase.
Water temp all week was 78-80, first three days were partly to mostly cloudy then turned mostly sunny for the rest of the week.
First thing I want to mention is that I was sized at a local dealer and Im glad I did. They need to be tight all over; hard to put on tight. The garments will loosen up after use. I was able to purchase a ML top and medium socks at my local dealer, but had to order the ML pants from www.leisurepro.com and another medium pair of socks (for my wife) from www.scuba.com. Apparently Im in the popular size group.
The top is long enough to overlap with the bottoms by at least 6 on me. Im 511, 212lbs. 46 shoulders, and 34 waist, size 11 shoe.
These garments are comfortable and light weight when dry, but heavy wet. They are probably heavier than a 3mm after the dive. They can be wrung out like a towel to reduce some water weight.
After a week of diving (11 total dives), the garments show little wear except the socks. The rubber grip on the bottom of the socks starts to wear off after two days of diving. At a size 11(US) shoe, I still had to get medium socks. Larges would be recommended by the sizing chart however, both sizes I tried on were very loose and baggy on my feet. The socks did grip well while they still had the grip. The grip mostly wears in the heal area. My wife and I both used them in 3mm Oneill Shorty Tropic Dive Boots. The biggest problem I had with the socks were after the first day the Dive Op (Tres Peliconos) offered to take our gear back and hang it all up. The socks remained right-side-out (fleece inside) and stayed wet all night but became the most awful smelling thing on the dive boat. After that day we started bringing them home and hand washing them and hanging them ourselves. Putting baby shampoo in the socks prior to diving seemed to fix the problem. Next time I would opt for my 2mm neo-socks which were cheaper and dry faster.
The top was nice and comfortable, but lacks any wrist, neck , or waist seals to retain body-heated water. It does block wind, but is not very warm in the wind when wet. You are better off getting it off after the dive and drying off. The bungee cord around the waist is too small and too stretchy. Im considering replacing it with good quality 1/8 bungee.
The bottoms basically had all the same issues as the top except, by the time I had them broken in, I probably could have worn a size Medium bottom. When getting on the boat, the bottoms would fill up with water like water balloons down by the calves. There is a ton of vertical stretch in them. There no stirrups; Im not sure how I would get them under a wetsuit. There is also no way to attach the tops and bottoms which would be nice.
If you look close you can see it bunched up around the knees:
With the humidity we had in Coz, Lavacore will NOT dry overnight. It will stay damp the rest of your trip.
As far as the dealer telling me this stuff is supposed to be as warm as a 3 mil, that was and is false. I was cold every dive and being from MI, Im usually good with cold water. I was kicking myself for not going to a dive shop and buying a 3mm to finish the vacation. My wife brought her custom Wet Wear 3mm and was warm all week long.
LavaCore was nice to pack and carry when dry and is not buoyant in the water.
One bonus is using the bathroom. Very easy, anytime.
In closing, these garments seem to have more potential under a wetsuit than as a standalone exposure suit. They have a durable exterior material that should stand up to regular use. I was a little disappointed for the amount of money I spent ($265+), I do not feel there is any value in these products at their current price point. Next February, Im bringing a 3mm to Coz.
Hope this helps.
On a recent trip to Cozumel (Feb 1-8, 2014) I decided to see if Lavacore products were worth ditching the wetsuit for. I couldn't find any quality first-hand info on this stuff prior to purchase.
Water temp all week was 78-80, first three days were partly to mostly cloudy then turned mostly sunny for the rest of the week.
First thing I want to mention is that I was sized at a local dealer and Im glad I did. They need to be tight all over; hard to put on tight. The garments will loosen up after use. I was able to purchase a ML top and medium socks at my local dealer, but had to order the ML pants from www.leisurepro.com and another medium pair of socks (for my wife) from www.scuba.com. Apparently Im in the popular size group.
The top is long enough to overlap with the bottoms by at least 6 on me. Im 511, 212lbs. 46 shoulders, and 34 waist, size 11 shoe.
These garments are comfortable and light weight when dry, but heavy wet. They are probably heavier than a 3mm after the dive. They can be wrung out like a towel to reduce some water weight.
After a week of diving (11 total dives), the garments show little wear except the socks. The rubber grip on the bottom of the socks starts to wear off after two days of diving. At a size 11(US) shoe, I still had to get medium socks. Larges would be recommended by the sizing chart however, both sizes I tried on were very loose and baggy on my feet. The socks did grip well while they still had the grip. The grip mostly wears in the heal area. My wife and I both used them in 3mm Oneill Shorty Tropic Dive Boots. The biggest problem I had with the socks were after the first day the Dive Op (Tres Peliconos) offered to take our gear back and hang it all up. The socks remained right-side-out (fleece inside) and stayed wet all night but became the most awful smelling thing on the dive boat. After that day we started bringing them home and hand washing them and hanging them ourselves. Putting baby shampoo in the socks prior to diving seemed to fix the problem. Next time I would opt for my 2mm neo-socks which were cheaper and dry faster.
The top was nice and comfortable, but lacks any wrist, neck , or waist seals to retain body-heated water. It does block wind, but is not very warm in the wind when wet. You are better off getting it off after the dive and drying off. The bungee cord around the waist is too small and too stretchy. Im considering replacing it with good quality 1/8 bungee.
The bottoms basically had all the same issues as the top except, by the time I had them broken in, I probably could have worn a size Medium bottom. When getting on the boat, the bottoms would fill up with water like water balloons down by the calves. There is a ton of vertical stretch in them. There no stirrups; Im not sure how I would get them under a wetsuit. There is also no way to attach the tops and bottoms which would be nice.
If you look close you can see it bunched up around the knees:
With the humidity we had in Coz, Lavacore will NOT dry overnight. It will stay damp the rest of your trip.
As far as the dealer telling me this stuff is supposed to be as warm as a 3 mil, that was and is false. I was cold every dive and being from MI, Im usually good with cold water. I was kicking myself for not going to a dive shop and buying a 3mm to finish the vacation. My wife brought her custom Wet Wear 3mm and was warm all week long.
LavaCore was nice to pack and carry when dry and is not buoyant in the water.
One bonus is using the bathroom. Very easy, anytime.
In closing, these garments seem to have more potential under a wetsuit than as a standalone exposure suit. They have a durable exterior material that should stand up to regular use. I was a little disappointed for the amount of money I spent ($265+), I do not feel there is any value in these products at their current price point. Next February, Im bringing a 3mm to Coz.
Hope this helps.
