My farmer John / Shorty is obsolete. ??

[Flycaster]

I bought a new two piece wetsuit 14-14 years ago.
Got out of scuba because of a shoulder injury and snorkeled for years.
I have been looking into getting back into it and I'm real interested in the newer backplate/wing setups and have been looking into equipment at Divegearexpress.com.
My question is what happened to the two piece wetsuits?
Looks like the one piece ones might require less weight.
My two piece when using an aluminum 80 required me to use 30+ lbs. of weight.
I'm thinking of a new one piece suit with that in mind but is it really worth it?

Thanks for your input and comments.

 

[Nettie-NZ]

I'm not sure about your neck of the woods, but for me - if it's cold enough to need a two piece, you may as well be in a dry suit! It's only a theory, but more people around where I dive are tending towards dry suits.

 

[2airishuman]

I just bought a couple of two piece wetsuits last year, one in 3mm and one in 7mm. They are not obsolete.

 

[TMHeimer]

7 mil farmer johns are what OW course students use here. As are shorties for the pool.

 

[ibj40]

Suffered a pretty severe sciatica attack about ten years ago. While in my over 30 years of diving, I have dived anything from just a swim suit, to a skin to a 2mm shorty, to a two piece/2-3mm, to a one piece 3mm, and finally to a full 5mm.

My perspective is that it is personal preference, for comfort (I like my 5mm because it provides more support to my lower back and semi-impaired left leg/foot), and that you then establish your weighting according to the exposure protection you choose.

Going from a 3mm to a 5mm cost me some additional ditchable weight, but I will take that trade-off to the comfort and support I have obtained.

 

[Flycaster]

I just bought a couple of two piece wetsuits last year, one in 3mm and one in 7mm. They are not obsolete.

Good to know. My LDS told me they haven't had one in the store in over a decade.

 

[Flycaster]

Suffered a pretty severe sciatica attack about ten years ago. While in my over 30 years of diving, I have dived anything from just a swim suit, to a skin to a 2mm shorty, to a two piece/2-3mm, to a one piece 3mm, and finally to a full 5mm.

My perspective is that it is personal preference, for comfort (I like my 5mm because it provides more support to my lower back and semi-impaired left leg/foot), and that you then establish your weighting according to the exposure protection you choose.

Going from a 3mm to a 5mm cost me some additional ditchable weight, but I will take that trade-off to the comfort and support I have obtained.

I have a two piece 7mm. Henderson "1 ton of ice" suit with terry lining.
I think with a 1 piece I could loose some weight.

 

[JamesBon92007]

To me it depends upon "how cold is cold?" I dove, dived, and had gone diving with a 1/4" farmer john for about 45 years before I ever wore a jumpsuit, but that was because I was diving in California. After having used my 2.5mm jumpsuit in the tropics and noticing how stretchy and snug-fitting it is I'm thinking I could possibly be just as warm in a 7mm jumpsuit that is more snug and allows for less water circulation. As for obsolete, the same word could apply to me so I try to avoid it. I still have a 1/4" farmer john only my more recent one has a long-sleeve shorty type jacket instead of just a beavertail. It also has a taller neck which I custom fitted so it doesn't circulate nearly as much water as my old wetsuit but it's still stiff and restrictive until I get down a ways. It also takes a lot more work to put in on than my jumpsuit.

 

[AfterDark]

I only dive farmer john style wet suits when not using a dry suit. I've got 7MM and a 3MM bottoms and a 7mm step in jacket. The 3MM bottoms I use when the water gets to the high 60's lower 70's like it is now, by October I'll be back in the 7MM bottoms. Also I only use steel tanks to cut down on the lead. What has become obsolete and I miss it is the beavertail. Two piece jackets for scuba are all step in zipper front.
There are some suits marketed to spearos that have a beavertail. Usually those suits are very expensive.

When snorkeling with my wife I use a 3MM one piece with a 2MM hooded vest underneath. This combo keeps me warm in 70F water for about a hour+. The 3mm is definitely more comfortable, easier to put on and more flexible. However with that combo diving @ 50FSW around here, I wouldn't last 1/2 an hour.

 

[Bruno Genovese]

I mostly dive in 15-17C water. When I started diving I bought a cheap locally made 5mm two-piece. It is ugly, but mix and matching it with a 3mm vest and a lycra skin suit I am comfortable and protected from the warmest to pretty cold water.

My initial thought was to not spend too much, but I have truly come to love the 2-piece for the most practical of reasons: In cold water you almost always have to go at some point during a typical 2-dive trip, but with a two piece it is easy to go without ever doing it "in your suit" or freezing because you had to completely remove a 1-piece wetsuit.

So sure, a 1-piece looks so much better and probably floats less, but a 2-piece is vastly more practical.