Class ratings for wetsuits

[wader]

I was looking at the ScubaPro website and noticed several of their new suits have ratings that surprised me. A 3/2mm suit was a class "C", or 60'-72'F.
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/divewear/wetsuits/products/everflex-white-women.aspx

A 5mm was rated as a "B", or 50'-64'F.
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/divewear/wetsuits/products/definition-5mm.aspx

While I understand that proper fit is vital for a wetsuit to keep you warm, and each person has different tolerances, if a 3mm will keep me warm in 65 degree water, I am all over that! It seems to good to be true. IS this a marketing scheme or has SP figured out something no one else has? Or is the rating system itself a joke?
I'd love to hear your opinions.

 

[kelemvor]

Sounds like wishful thinking to me. Personally, I wouldn't wear my scubapro 5/7 in 50f water. I used to use it for 72f spring water before I got a drysuit.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I was looking at the ScubaPro website and noticed several of their new suits have ratings that surprised me. A 3/2mm suit was a class "C", or 60'-72'F.
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/divewear/wetsuits/products/everflex-white-women.aspx

A 5mm was rated as a "B", or 50'-64'F.
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/divewear/wetsuits/products/definition-5mm.aspx

While I understand that proper fit is vital for a wetsuit to keep you warm, and each person has different tolerances, if a 3mm will keep me warm in 65 degree water, I am all over that! It seems to good to be true. IS this a marketing scheme or has SP figured out something no one else has? Or is the rating system itself a joke?
I'd love to hear your opinions.

It could be marketing but the CE call out "indicates that it has been type-examined by an accredited test laboratory, a so called notified body. The product inspection includes testing the actual product, to ensure its compliance with all regulations regarding product safety and health. In case of drysuits, the suit is been tested in its actual operating environment, to ensure the safety as accurately as possible. All drysuits are classified as personal protective equipment, and go under the European PPE directive 89/686/EEC. As a consumer, it is very important to make sure the drysuit has a CE-marking. It is a guarantee of safety and fit for use." That comes from the Urssuit site but all drysuits I just searched all have a CE rating.

 

[kelemvor]

Like you said, different strokes and all. I know a guy who has 8mm film of him and his buddies ice diving in wetsuits when they were in their 20's. Apparently they did it every winter for several years. I could swear he said 5mm but given the time period I bet it was rubber and not even neoprene.

You might not die in 50f water with a 5mm suit but living and living comfortably are two different things.

 

[RyanT]

Maybe I just get extra cold, but I find most of the on-line temperature recommendations to be completely unrealistic. For example, I find my 8/7/6 semi dry suit really comfortable on 68 F dives. This suit is obviously rather thick and has really good arm and leg seals to limit water exchange. I've comfortably dove this suit as cold as 60 F, but I think that's pushing the lower limit. I would be freezing in a 5 mm suit at 64 degrees.

 

[jseyfert3]

Maybe I just get extra cold, but I find most of the on-line temperature recommendations to be completely unrealistic. For example, I find my 8/7/6 semi dry suit really comfortable on 68 F dives. This suit is obviously rather thick and has really good arm and leg seals to limit water exchange. I've comfortably dove this suit as cold as 60 F, but I think that's pushing the lower limit. I would be freezing in a 5 mm suit at 64 degrees.

Not just you...I get cold very easy, and was perfectly comfortable in a 3 mm custom fit fullsuit...in 81 °F water!

What seems to be interesting is various sites list CE temp ratings, and 3 mm suits usually seem to fall into the class C, or 60-72 °F, which seems like you'd freeze to death. But with a fairly quick search, I can't seem to find what sort of testing method yields the CE temp ratings. You would need to know this for the ratings to make any sort of sense.

 

[scjoe]

Seems like complete jibberish. A 200 pound plus male might remain warm in a 3/2 mil at 72 degrees, but your average female would be shivering at 60 and probably 72 degrees as well. Most people would be cold in a 7 mil at 50 degrees, let alone a 5 mil. Now if you had a high quality 5 mil free dive suit you could get by in 50 degrees, but you would have 10 mil around your core.

 

[kuma1720]

I have to chime in here as well. I tend to lose heat pretty quickly and often end up shivering in the middle of the second dive. I've learned to get a hood (lavacore) which I wear comfortably on the second dive. So what works for the masses doesn't translate for all, so I agree.

 

[rhwestfall]

marketing gibberish....