Are all 7mm wetsuits created equal?

[Dogbowl]

Here's what one web site says about neoprene quality:

Standard=Cheapest
Premium=Medium Grade
Stretchy=Best Grade

So, if you want something really stretchy this may be true. However, if you don't want as much suit compression at depth then the Medium Grade might be the best grade for you. Neosport used to sell something called X-Span but it no longer seems to be available. I read some bad reviews here on SB about the rubber separating from the nylon. So much for Best Grade.

Just wanted to comment about the Neosport line being "Best Grade". Absolutely not. It is a separate brand of wetsuits made by Henderson that is supposed to be entry level and very affordable. It is also stretchy, but I suppose the quality has to be less in some other aspects. I purchased a Neosport hooded vest off Amazon because it was so affordable (and because I was short on time), but I also asked my LDS to bring in a Henderson Thermaxx for me to compare to see if it was really worth 3x the price. I don't know if it was worth 3x the price, because value is in the eye of the beholder, but I returned the Neosport and kept the Henderson Thermaxx. So did my husband.

 

[northernone]

I regularly wear 11 different wetsuits (Our loaner suits and different thicknesses).

The materials are very different from each other: How they are to get into, how they compress at depth, how they dry, and how they wear out and how they age.

Comfort seems more a factor of design and fit, only 2 of them fit me nicely.

It's remarkable and annoyingly hard to tell material based on the advertising and sales pitch.

As a fellow Canadian, ouch for the retail price mentioned. Shopping around might be desirable, if the added options aren't overwhelming?

Cameron

 

[Silty Sam]

This is why your LDS is so important.

 

[Geobound]

@Dogbowl I'm in the GTA (or at least once every two weeks), so I've been to various dive shops. Scuba2000 is where I got to try on the Waterproof, but at that price second guessing my fit could be costly.

I also tried on the Bare Sport Flex, and that's what got me wondering about quality. The Bare actually fit comfortably (perhaps a tad bit too comfortable) so I figured I could always add a full body skin if need be?

@Johnoly LOL.......yes I know what you mean. I can fit into anything from a medium to 2 XL if you go by the charts!?!

@Themerrydiver Thanks for your info on scuba.com, but the exchange rate and duties doesn't make that as good a deal for us north of the border.

@Ministryofgiraffes I really would like to go with the Waterproof wetsuit, but the price is the major drawback at this point. If I was convinced that it would be that much warmer, then I would spend the extra dosh, but it doesn't appear to be the case? Maybe I will rethink that in a few years?

@JamesBon92007 Thanks for the breakdown between the three qualities, I hadn't seen that spelt out before. I too really like the Reactive, but it prices up pretty much the same as the Waterproof here, and if I'm going to go that deep I may as well get the Waterproof with its built in features?

@northernone I know what you mean. I wish that manufacturers would quit with the fancy made up names, and just go with warm, warmer, and cook a turkey in it. That would save so much time and frustration, and would likely have people buying quicker rather than comparing special names with other brands?

I've done a fair amount of internet shopping but would rather support the DS that actually carry the product and let me try it on, so I'm okay with a bit of a premium.

@Silty Sam In my experience the LDS are only as good as the brands they carry, and would rather not comment on brands they don't. I can't say I blame them, but as an inexperienced purchaser I do count on them more than an experienced one would.

I'm fortunate in the sense that in my daily travels I can pass by several different shops in several different cities, but often they don't seem to carry the sizes that I want to try on (L or XL). They are either out of stock, or "just sold the last one". They do however offer to allow me to try on a rental (if they have them), but depending on how often they have been used, they won't fit the same.

Speaking of rentals..........do dive shops sell their rentals, and if so how often do you think?? I suppose I can ask my LDS, so no need to answer this question, I was just thinking out loud. LOL.......

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

@Dogbowl I'm in the GTA (or at least once every two weeks), so I've been to various dive shops. Scuba2000 is where I got to try on the Waterproof, but at that price second guessing my fit could be costly.

I also tried on the Bare Sport Flex, and that's what got me wondering about quality. The Bare actually fit comfortably (perhaps a tad bit too comfortable) so I figured I could always add a full body skin if need be?

@Johnoly LOL.......yes I know what you mean. I can fit into anything from a medium to 2 XL if you go by the charts!?!

@Themerrydiver Thanks for your info on scuba.com, but the exchange rate and duties doesn't make that as good a deal for us north of the border.

@Ministryofgiraffes I really would like to go with the Waterproof wetsuit, but the price is the major drawback at this point. If I was convinced that it would be that much warmer, then I would spend the extra dosh, but it doesn't appear to be the case? Maybe I will rethink that in a few years?

@JamesBon92007 Thanks for the breakdown between the three qualities, I hadn't seen that spelt out before. I too really like the Reactive, but it prices up pretty much the same as the Waterproof here, and if I'm going to go that deep I may as well get the Waterproof with its built in features?

@northernone I know what you mean. I wish that manufacturers would quit with the fancy made up names, and just go with warm, warmer, and cook a turkey in it. That would save so much time and frustration, and would likely have people buying quicker rather than comparing special names with other brands?

I've done a fair amount of internet shopping but would rather support the DS that actually carry the product and let me try it on, so I'm okay with a bit of a premium.

@Silty Sam In my experience the LDS are only as good as the brands they carry, and would rather not comment on brands they don't. I can't say I blame them, but as an inexperienced purchaser I do count on them more than an experienced one would.

I'm fortunate in the sense that in my daily travels I can pass by several different shops in several different cities, but often they don't seem to carry the sizes that I want to try on (L or XL). They are either out of stock, or "just sold the last one". They do however offer to allow me to try on a rental (if they have them), but depending on how often they have been used, they won't fit the same.

Speaking of rentals..........do dive shops sell their rentals, and if so how often do you think?? I suppose I can ask my LDS, so no need to answer this question, I was just thinking out loud. LOL.......

Can’t really say ref other 7mms
As I have only ever had my waterproof in a 7, but I have never been cold. I wore it in tobemory in August as well, but I’m 260lb and dive basically naked at night in the Caribbean.

I also bought mine on a ‘black Friday -ish’ weekend deal along with a load of new stuff, from the UK about 30 mins after Brexit tanked the value of sterling, so I got it for a song I recall I ended up paying about $460 for it all in after converting to CAD.

 

[Marie13]

@Geobound

You’re in Canada. Look at the Bare Reactive. I have the women’s version (Evoke). Very warm. Nice and stretchy. Very comfy.

 

[Geobound]

@Ministryofgiraffes Now that's a great deal! I just received a Suunto D4i Novo with the transmitter included from England for $618.00 CDN. That's shipping, taxes and duties included. Sometimes you just fall into a great deal!

I'm hoping that I can get away with a 7mm in October, but don't plan on being more than 30' - 40' deep?

@Marie13 Thanks Marie. Hopefully I can find a good deal, as I don't want to spend $600.00 on one.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

No, they’re definitely not all the same.
I went through a great learning curve regarding wetsuits during my diving career.
To boil it down, cheap off the rack wetsuits are generally made from cheaper material that is heavily blended with nylon or some other synthetic. One piece suits will be cheaper because of less labor and less material. Two piece suits with a john and jacket and an attached hood are the warmest suits but also more money because there is more material plus they are more labor intensive to make.

All the companies with their special lining gimmicks claiming to be warmer because of heat reflection is all hogwash. Suits are warm because of the quality and thickness of the rubber not the lining material.
Unlined raw neoprene suits are theoretically warmer that any lined suit because the rubber is right up against your skin.
The warmest suits in shallow water are the spongy suits that fit snug. There are cheap crappy soft spongy suits that can get ruined by one deep dive, and there is quality spongy material. Most freediving suits are made from soft spongy material, but not all. The difference between a $300 7mm freediving suit and an $800 7mm freefiving suit of very similar cut will be the material. The warmest suits for going deep (scuba) are the ones made from much denser material and they crush down less at depth. They are also less prone to large shifts in buoyancy the deeper you go. There is usually a difference between suits designated for freediving and ones intended for scuba diving. However, some people use either for either activity. I have a semi decent quality freediving suit I use for scuba. Some people I know use two piece zippered scuba suits to freedive for abalone.

There are many neoprene manufacturers, most all are Asian.
Every manufacturer has a line of material going from soft spongy to dense depending on the intended application.
Some companies make better quality rubber that others. Yamamoto of Japan makes some of the finest neoprene but you will pay for it. The densest material I ever used was made by a company in South Korea.
There is no such thing as a top quality suit that is dirt cheap, it’s economically impossible, unless it’s some sort of complete fluke.

The best suits I have are all custom made by well known suit builders. They know their products and select the best materials according to the type of diving their customers do and their budget,...thickness, cut, density and quality of material.
Going custom is the only way serious wetsuit divers will be able to get exactly what they want.
Forget about cheap, you will not get a top quality suit off the rack. Some are pretty nice, but you still don’t have a choice of perfect material + perfect cut + perfect fit.

 

[charlier]

@eric sedletzky post is on the mark. I have a custom two piece Elios freedive wetsuit. It is made from high quality Japanese neoprene. The 2mm wetsuit is warmer than my 3mm wetsuit. Rather than purchase another two piece freedive wertsuit, Elios made a 3mm one piece suit w/hoody using the highest quality neoprene that does resists compression at depth. This wetsuit is warmer than my Scuba Pro 5mm wetsuit. Quoting Eric S., perfect cut+perfect material+perfect fit.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

My next suit will be from these guys:
Wetsuits for SCUBA diving - JMJ Wetsuits