Ideal one piece wetsuit for a tall & skinny Monterey diver?

[dsafanda]

Hello,

I’m looking for some advice regarding purchasing a wetsuit for diving in Monterey. I’ve tried to do a bit of research online but I find most of the manufacturer websites to be frustrating in their lack of details and the LDSs in my area seems to be primarily interested in selling the specific models they have in stock.

I really like the idea of a one piece suit with built in hood as opposed to a two piece suit.

Does anyone have any experience with Excel wetsuits? They make a model called the “Polar Quad-Density” that looks nice.
http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/dive/home.html

The problem is that I’m tall and thin. 6’.2” 175lbs 33" waist. That means that most of the medium sizes fit my core well but are too short and most of the large sizes which fit in terms of length are too roomy everywhere else.

I’ve also looked at some of the semi-dry suits. The Mares Isotherm Ice Millennium looks very nice but the Mares website does not include any sizing information. I’ve emailed the company but got no response. Are there any tall skinny divers out there who own this suit?

I’ve also seen a Henderson semidry listed on some online stores but no such suit actually exists on the Henderson website. Has it been discontinued?

Does anyone have recommendations in terms of other one piece 7mm suits that I should look at?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might have!

[spectrum]

It's not really sold as a semi Dry but Bare does a nice job on sealing their suits especialy the calves and foreams.They also have a huge range of sizes including ML TALL that might do it for you.
http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/baresho...10&pf_id=61425
Layer it with a hooded vest and the neck and back zip will be wery much under control.

The Alpine would be the fullsuit with integrated hood:
http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/baresho...10&pf_id=61438

Pete

Hello,

I’m looking for some advice regarding purchasing a wetsuit for diving in Monterey. I’ve tried to do a bit of research online but I find most of the manufacturer websites to be frustrating in their lack of details and the LDSs in my area seems to be primarily interested in selling the specific models they have in stock.

I really like the idea of a one piece suit with built in hood as opposed to a two piece suit.

Does anyone have any experience with Excel wetsuits? They make a model called the “Polar Quad-Density” that looks nice.
http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/dive/home.html

The problem is that I’m tall and thin. 6’.2” 175lbs 33" waist. That means that most of the medium sizes fit my core well but are too short and most of the large sizes which fit in terms of length are too roomy everywhere else.

I’ve also looked at some of the semi-dry suits. The Mares Isotherm Ice Millennium looks very nice but the Mares website does not include any sizing information. I’ve emailed the company but got no response. Are there any tall skinny divers out there who own this suit?

I’ve also seen a Henderson semidry listed on some online stores but no such suit actually exists on the Henderson website. Has it been discontinued?

Does anyone have recommendations in terms of other one piece 7mm suits that I should look at?

Thanks in advance for any a

dvice you might have!

[mossym]

henderson hyperstretch might work, they stretch a lot, so they fit a little better than other suits i tried, i'm like you, 6'1, 180lbs, and the henderson fit me well

[Jim Ernst]

Hello,

I’m looking for some advice regarding purchasing a wetsuit for diving in Monterey. I’ve tried to do a bit of research online but I find most of the manufacturer websites to be frustrating in their lack of details and the LDSs in my area seems to be primarily interested in selling the specific models they have in stock.

I really like the idea of a one piece suit with built in hood as opposed to a two piece suit.

Does anyone have any experience with Excel wetsuits? They make a model called the “Polar Quad-Density” that looks nice.
http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/dive/home.html

The problem is that I’m tall and thin. 6’.2” 175lbs 33" waist. That means that most of the medium sizes fit my core well but are too short and most of the large sizes which fit in terms of length are too roomy everywhere else.

I’ve also looked at some of the semi-dry suits. The Mares Isotherm Ice Millennium looks very nice but the Mares website does not include any sizing information. I’ve emailed the company but got no response. Are there any tall skinny divers out there who own this suit?

I’ve also seen a Henderson semidry listed on some online stores but no such suit actually exists on the Henderson website. Has it been discontinued?

Does anyone have recommendations in terms of other one piece 7mm suits that I should look at?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might have!

i have the excel polar and i dive monterey bi-weekly and the suit does me real well and i am a cold wuss, it is a great suit!!!!

[dsafanda]

Thanks guys! Exactly the type of helpful info I was hoping for.

[ShakaZulu]

I have actually dived my XCELL (Titanium Polar Quad-Density) in Monterey in the winter......keeps you nice a warm. The second dive is a different story though. Don't pay too much attention to those Henderson guys, my dive buddy here has had two of those, and he is still cold. Because they stretch so much, they also compress a lot. The XCELL has the stretch where is needed, around the ankles. The integrated hood, with the front zipper keeps you very dry, water does not circulate through this suit, so don't pee in it. Have fun, let me know what you think when you get the XCELL.

[ChrisA]

FOr $350 JMJ in Torrance CA will custom make a suit like you describe.
Being custom fit will be near perfect.
It will have a front horizontal ziper and is made out of a stiffer type
of neoprene that does not compress at depth like the softer foam does.
Actually they can make anything you can describe in the color and material
you want see the "freediving" suit here http://www.jmjwetsuits.com/styles.htm
I've seen a few of these suits first hand and can't image a warmmer design
unless you have it built so a "shorty" would fit under it.

Hello,

I’m looking for some advice regarding purchasing a wetsuit for diving in Monterey. I’ve tried to do a bit of research online but I find most of the manufacturer websites to be frustrating in their lack of details and the LDSs in my area seems to be primarily interested in selling the specific models they have in stock.

I really like the idea of a one piece suit with built in hood as opposed to a two piece suit.

Does anyone have any experience with Excel wetsuits? They make a model called the “Polar Quad-Density” that looks nice.
http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/dive/home.html

The problem is that I’m tall and thin. 6’.2” 175lbs 33" waist. That means that most of the medium sizes fit my core well but are too short and most of the large sizes which fit in terms of length are too roomy everywhere else.

I’ve also looked at some of the semi-dry suits. The Mares Isotherm Ice Millennium looks very nice but the Mares website does not include any sizing information. I’ve emailed the company but got no response. Are there any tall skinny divers out there who own this suit?

I’ve also seen a Henderson semidry listed on some online stores but no such suit actually exists on the Henderson website. Has it been discontinued?

Does anyone have recommendations in terms of other one piece 7mm suits that I should look at?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might have!

[TunaTodd]

dsafanda I have a 7mm two piece that I purchased when I was about your girth....no chance I can fit it now. While it's not a 1 piece it is a nice suit. I would give you a good deal just so it has a good home. Now that I think about it it was a custom from M&B in Long Beach....really nice sturdy suit.

[Mike C]

I have a Scubapro Everflex 7mil one-piece. Easy to put on and take off: size ML seems to fit me just fine (6' 2", 175 lbs.)

[MontereyCADiver]

I've used a 6.5 mm one-piece suit with a built-in hood for years. For me, it worked GREAT! I think the suit came from Manta Ray in Monterey, but I'm not sure. The suit originally belonged to an out-of-the-area buddy, and I confiscated it after a test drive. (Yes, I promised to replace it whenever he'd like.) I'd probably still use that suit, or a replica, but many of my dives in the Monterey Bay waters are at the 2-hour mark -- so, I went dry. (I'm a volunteer diver for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.)

A very reputable shop in Monterey that makes custom suits is Otter Bay Wet Suits. (http://otterbaysuits.com/)

By the way, 6-3", 230#.

Best of luck, Jeff