Choosing women's 7mm wetsuit

[swells]

Hi all-

I am new to the SCUBA world. I am in the process of getting certified and am looking to buy a 7mm wetsuit. I live in central CA and will be SCUBA diving off the Channel Islands in a couple weeks. I believe the water is in the 50s.

I am wondering if more expensive wetsuits are worth the extra money. For instance, the Henderson Thermoprene is well-priced in comparison to the Pinnacle Siren or Aqua Lung Aquaflex, but I'm not sure I should sacrifice whatever quality I'll be losing. I'd prefer not to pay $500 for a wetsuit but I'm willing to consider it if it is highly recommended over $200 or $300 suits.

There is no store near me at which to try on suits so I will most likely order one or two online, try them on, and hope one fits! I know fit is the most important thing but because I'm ordering online my trying on abilities are somewhat limited.

If anyone has advice as I look around, I would appreciate it!

Thank you!

 

[CheddarChick]

Buy a dive skin to try them on with. It makes the on/off process so much eaiser..... And I never believe the sizing charts. 7mm's are so much more difficult to try and fit than the thinner ones. So make sure to get one that has some stretch to it....

 

[buddhasummer]

That's pretty chilly water. You can buy a Whites drysuit for just over $900 or a second hand suit for less. I know it's almost double your budget but if you're going to dive regularly it might be worth considering. Nothing ruins a dive like being cold. Good luck with your search.

 

[cb5150]

Someone wiser than me once said, "There is every reason to dive in cold water, but no reason to dive cold." If I lived somewhere that had a constant water temp in the 50s I'd buy a drysuit. But I only dive cold water 4 or 5 times a year so I chose a 7mm wetsuit. I tried an Aqualung SolAFX and it was a struggle to get on/off. I then tried an Aqualung Aqualflex...WOW! Very stretchy for easy on/off and I stay mostly dry for the entire dive. I can't speak to the other brands, but I love my Aqualflex 7mm.

 

[ScubaBing]

As a female diver in Ontario, I dive 7mm as well as drysuits. I prefer a wetsuit if the temps allow it as drysuits have brutal neck and wrist seals.

I second the recommendation of using a dryskin under a wetsuit to make them getting on and off easier. Hendersons are called hotskins and are reasonably priced online.

I like Henderson products that a female specific as they are contoured correctly and they are stretchy.

 

[FaithC]

I bought a Henderson Aqualock in a 5mm. I couldn't be happier with it. Fit, comfort, stretch all A+.

 

[JDelage]

My approach (as a guy...) was to buy several models from Amazon, try them, and return all but the best fitting one. Cost of return is cheap compared to the convenience. Also, with regard to price of good brands, you can find on Amazon new old stock of past year models. I bought a very good Henderson suit for a very reasonable price that way.

E.g., : http://www.amazon.com/Henderson-Wom...ds&ie=UTF8&qid=1398527077&sr=1-1&keywords=7mm

 

[Dive-aholic]

I'll also recommend going with a dry suit. You will be much warmer and happier. A Whites suit was mentioned but keep in mind you will also have to spend another few hundred dollars on an undergarment to keep you warm. You could also go with a high density neoprene suit that will not require much of an undergarment, if any. A dry suit can also be easier to fit. While wet suits need to be snug to keep you warm a dry suit can be a little off size in areas and you will still enjoy the warmth.

 

[spectrum]

Swells,

There are some junk suits out there but of the brands you mention all are quality products so you can expect to get good life from them. The real crux of the matter is fit, any suit regardless of quality will be cold and miserable or dangerously tight if fit poorly. If you don't have a good local selection then traveling to buy or ordering in an assortment to try are the options. Here is a link to a lot of information about choices and fit. You are probably wanting a 7mm with 2X on the core. This means a Jane & Jacket or fullsuit and vest.

Getting in and out of the right 7mm suit is not difficult but there is some technique involved. If you can have an experieinced diver help you when trying them on and evaluating the fit that's not a good idea.

Done right you can be very comfortable down to 50F. Lower than that and I'd be encouraging a drysuit. Meanwhile, as a new diver a wetsuit is a simple effective and care free way to go.

 

[Vegan Shark]

For California water, you definitely don't want to go for a cheaper wetsuit, believe me. You'll end up cold and shivering, and eventually having to buy a better suit. So just start off with one. For a 7mm, you'll want a nice semi-dry. Aqualung Solafax can be had for like $370 on Leisure Pro, and the Hollis NeoTek is a nice suit for $400. For extra warmth, you can get a 5mm semi-john to go underneath the suit.

If price isn't a problem, starting off in a drysuit is a good idea, too.