Drysuit fit for Ice Diving

[MyronGanes]

I'm 5'8" 200 lbs and muscular. Once I go thicker than a 3mm wetsuit my arms and legs have a VERY difficult time squeezing into the sleeves of an XL while the wetsuit is still baggy on my torso. Even the 3mm wetsuit is a little baggy everywhere but my arms and legs but at least I can stretch it over my limbs easily.

So I'm essentially forced to buy a drysuit for cold water diving because they're more baggy and not fitted like wetsuits are.

Can anyone with a similar body type to mine recommend me a drysuit that will fit well? Will I be able to go with just a Large drysuit considering that I have trouble fitting into an XL wetsuit because of my arms? Will I have enough room for undergarments?

Lastly, is there a difference between the warmth of various drysuits or are some drysuits more suitable for ice diving than others? Or does it just all depend on the undergarments.


Thanks!

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I prefer 3 mm (con-crushed) neoprene drysuit. These are made by a number of manufacturers including Seasoft. Mine is custom made from a Chinese company. Keeps me warm and toasty under the ice.

 

[tbone1004]

one of the nice things about many drysuit manufacturers is that they cut to order, so often times getting a custom fit suit is not much more expensive than a stock size. Where in Canada are you? May help us to point you in the right direction to a LDS that can help

 

[fishb0y]

I've owned quite a few dry suits, and by far my favorite is now the AquaLung's (formerly White's) Fusion suits. The large inner bag and shell help give this suit an almost custom fit. I just bought a second suit for traveling (the rear entry model) and couldn't be happier. They were also having a sale ($799 I believe) recently. Great suit.

 

[Damselfish]

While a drysuit is the way to go anyway if you're ice diving, be aware that you can get custom wetsuits made if you want one for some of your diving - you're not "forced" into a drysuit just because rack wetsuits don't fit. It's also possible to get a wetsuit altered, though that may not be the best solution for you. Or if you haven't you might look into the "hyperstretch" type suits - probably if you try one that fits your torso it will thin out in the arms and legs, but if you're looking for a better fit in a suit for warm water it might be a good option for you.

 

[Dhboner]

Spend a little extra money for a custom cut suit. If you are anywhere near Toronto, Custom Diving Services (Barrie) or Dan's Dive Shop (St. Catharines) can help you out.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Like said above, investigate the option of a custom suit. Also, there are some amazing drysuits featuring flexible materials.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Like said above, investigate the option of a custom suit. Also, there are some amazing drysuits featuring flexible materials.

Such as? Examples please ...

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Such as? Examples please ...

The One Endurance Drysuit By Ursuit
The Techniflex Front Zip Drysuit By USIA
The FX100 Front Entry Drysuit By Hollis
The E Motion Drysuit By Santi

 

[Herb-alaska]

what dry suit for ice diving. the answer is any dry suit that you are comfortable in and that is actually DRY. This means the suit you love today will be the suit you curse sometime later as all dry suits leak it is just a matter of time. The key to comfort in cold water is the underlayer. I base my suit with a base layer like under armor then adjust what goes on next by the temp a simple 45 to 50 degree dive just gets a light fleece which can be expensive dive related fleece suits or a simple surface intended fleece top and bottom they work well. For cold water my go to under suit is a Weezle Extreme. This is a bulky underlayer that is warm even when it is dripping water. It is fantastic but expensive at over $300.

The key to diving dry and being warm is staying dry it is all a compromise, how much loft do you want which must be paid for in added lead on the weight belt vs how little loft can you deal with to loose weight on the weight belt.

For Ice diving I would say get a weazle under garment then buy a dry suit that fits and has room for the undergarment. If you have extra room you can deal with it, but if you don't have room you either don't zip the suit or you feel like you are in a straight jacket
my thoughts
Herb