First scuba wetsuit

[IslandDan2020]

Malta? What is available locally (and even mail order with taxes and shipping) will be different than most of the American advise you will see.

But I will echo what has been said above, fit is key. If it doesn't fit right, it isn't worth it regardless of cost.

As for a 5mm suit, I find that a real good size. Especially for a first/only suit. With modern stretchy neoprene it isn't restrictive as a 7mm but still offers good thermal protection. If you will be pushing the colder side of what a 5mm is good for pay attention to water flushing through the suit. 5mm in stretchy material doesn't need zippers on wrists and ankles, which are normally there to help get into and out of the suit but also are a source of water flushing through the suit. You can boost a 5mm suit for a little colder water with a hooded vest.

For a 5mm suit I got a Henderson Aqualock about 7 years ago. I have been comfortable in that where others were chilled in a 7mm suit. It is on the expensive side of the suits (I had some real good overtime money at the time) but the features are what made it work. Other suits on the market have very similar features if you look at a much better price point. The fit was right (stretchy enough to not be restrictive, but not baggy anyplace either). I can wear it in water all the warm enough that I don't need a suit but also cold enough that I could also be in a drysuit. I think that would be true with an good fitting 5mm suit.

Thanks a lot for your reply .. i purchased one .. and like you said it fitted great .. was not restictive but was not loose from any places.

 

[Zef]

Hello, I'm about to purchase my first wetsuit, I was considering a 5mm. Recently came across an Italian wetsuit brand called Teknodiver. I cannot find any reviews on it so I would appreciate if there are any experienced divers out there who came across this and can tell me what he/she thinks. I'm also open to any other suggestions.
Thanks

Teknodiver is a good brand but not well known in the US as they are an Italian company. They make good quality wetsuits and drysuits, especially made-to-measure at good prices. There made-to-measure suits are not much more expensive than their off-the-rack suits.

My wife owns both a 5mm wetsuit and a hyper-compressed neoprene drysuit from Teknodiver, both made-to-measure. We have a local shop that carries/reps this brand among others.

My wife especially likes her wetsuit and wishes she went with one of these suits a handful of years ago when she started diving as it would have saved her a lot of frustration with poor fitting off the rack models that were not comfortable for her.

Teknodiver is also good about making alterations when needed.

I would definitely recommend them as a viable option, especially if you live in Europe.

-Z

 

[IslandDan2020]

Go to several shops and try on as many as possible. Get the one that fits best or go custom.

As others said its all about fit.

That's what I did and it really did help me with my choice thanks

 

[IslandDan2020]

@IslandDan2020 welcome to Scubaboard. I am from Crete/Greece and I'd guess that we get similar temperatures over the year i.e:
Summer around 25ish (with max at the surface surface ~28oC)
Winter around 18ish (with min at the bottom at 16oC)
Spring and Autumn in between.

Most of the time I am using a 5mm two pieces (long john) Cressi Medas wetsuit I bought from planetmultistore.com for around 136euros last year. It seems it is still available for that price:
PLANETMULTISTORE.COM - Cressi Medas 5mm Man | S | Diving - Wetsuits - Dive Wetsuits | Planet Multi Store and I am very happy with it (for the price).


In summer (temperatures 25+oC or so) I use a Seac Sub Relax 2.2mm full body suit. It claims to be 2.2mm but it measures (with calipers) to around 1mm and in water it is actually negatively buoyant. Hence it is more like a rush guard / cloth material instead of neoprene, but it is perfect for summers and for my trips to the tropics (covid permitting). It sells for around 65euros.

When things get cold (reaching 20ish degrees or less), I add a 3mm vest inside my long john and if needed a pair of thin gloves. With those I get cold but managed to dive throughout last winter.

Since last January though I have managed to loose about 1/4 of my weight (I was about 115kg, now I am 90kg or so). Now I am feeling cold much easier even top side hence I doubt I can dive winter temperatures with the long john/west/gloves combination any more. Last dives I did before the lockdown were on the 2nd of November (it feels much longer) with 23oC and I was just ok with just my long john. No more diving for us here until further notice hence I don't know how I would cope this year.

As you can tell I am on the low budget side. Of course there are better (and more expensive) options out there but most of them are out of my budget.

For me next step is drysuit. I wouldn't fancy to be wearing more neoprene than a 5mm long john + 3mm vest

All the best...

Hi .. yes we do have similar temperatures i believe.
Thanks for the detailed info !!. Will really help me to consider the different options i can have with different seasons/temperature changes.
I've never been to Greece but have been to Corfu I loved it including the beaches of course

 

[IslandDan2020]

Teknodiver is a good brand but not well known in the US as they are an Italian company. They make good quality wetsuits and drysuits, especially made-to-measure at good prices. There made-to-measure suits are not much more expensive than their off-the-rack suits.

My wife owns both a 5mm wetsuit and a hyper-compressed neoprene drysuit from Teknodiver, both made-to-measure. We have a local shop that carries/reps this brand among others.

My wife especially likes her wetsuit and wishes she went with one of these suits a handful of years ago when she started diving as it would have saved her a lot of frustration with poor fitting off the rack models that were not comfortable for her.

Teknodiver is also good about making alterations when needed.

I would definitely recommend them as a viable option, especially if you live in Europe.

-Z

Noted Zef thanks for letting me know Love from Malta

 

[formernuke]

Ahh, just get a custom drysuit and be done with it, suitable for all water temps.

 

[stepfen]

Ahh, just get a custom drysuit and be done with it, suitable for all water temps.

Are you sure?? I haven't tried a dry suit, but using one in water temperatures of more than 25oC while topside it can be as hot as 35-40ish sounds like hell to me. Even with a wet suit at these temperatures I often dive with the zippers open to allow more cooling.

 

[formernuke]

Are you sure?? I haven't tried a dry suit, but using one in water temperatures of more than 25oC while topside it can be as hot as 35-40ish sounds like hell to me. Even with a wet suit at these temperatures I often dive with the zippers open to allow more cooling.

When I go dry in summer here, I wear light sometimes very light under garments. When on the surface, unzip and don't zip up again till splash, just like a wetsuit.

It is hot but so is the wetsuit during the summer.

Here we often do it if going deep as even in summer deep water temp is in the 40's Fahrenheit.

 

[IslandDan2020]

Ahh, just get a custom drysuit and be done with it, suitable for all water temps.

Thanks for your suggestion but in my case (since I live in Malta) it wouldn't be ideal for all water temperatures especially in summer it would be too much

 

[broncobowsher]

Are you sure?? I haven't tried a dry suit, but using one in water temperatures of more than 25oC while topside it can be as hot as 35-40ish sounds like hell to me. Even with a wet suit at these temperatures I often dive with the zippers open to allow more cooling.

I've been in Truk with 85°F water and there were people diving drysuits. Right next to us who were diving shorts and a shirt. And there is no thermocline. That is 85° water regardless of how deep you go. It was there standard dive gear so that is what they used.