H2 wrists very tight

[rongoodman]

I just spent a week diving in Playa del Carmen in the caves and doing a trimix course in my new H2 5mm and hooded vest. Very nice suit, and the combo was comfortable for me on some longer dives in the cenotes. The wrists, however, were uncomfortably tight, to the point of rubbing the backs of my already irritated hands(from clipping too many stage bottles) raw. Next time I'll take a spray bottle of baby shampoo and water, but it seems that the wrists could be cut larger, or some type of gusset put in, like the ankles.

 

[hendersonusa]

The wrist seal is glued prior to sewing which can stiffen the cuff by preventing stretch. Usually this problem goes away after a few uses as the glue is designed to break loose. If the Stiff wrist problem persists you may try putting a 16-20oz soda bottle in each wrist and allowing the bottle to remain for 24 hours. In the event this is still not comfortable, Henderson would be happy to remove the skin seal and replace with a lycra edge trim and no cost to you if you would return the suit to our repair department at:

Henderson Repair
1 Whitall Ave
Millville, NJ 08332

Include instructions, return address and phone number and e-mail address.


Hope this helps!

 

[rongoodman]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I might well return the suit for the repair before my next trip to the caves.

 

[rongoodman]

The suit was returned for repair and after taking a look at it they decided to replace it, so I'll be headed back to Mexico in the fall for another week of cave diving with a brand new suit. Many thanks to Henderson for a good customer service experience.

 

[SpudRacer]

My wife and I finally got our H2 5mm suits last week. After trying mine on, it seemed to fit well, except for those darn wrists! Funny thing, I came up with the same solution that Henderson posted above. I had called Henderson and was told I could send it back for repair, but that when I got it back it would "have some glue" on it. Not knowing what that meant, I decided to tackle it myself.

I had a large 32oz thick heavy Redhead plastic cup from Bass Pro Shop (awesome store) that I carefully stuffed down the sleeve, then I worked the wrist over it until the tight portion of the wrist was at the largest part of the cup (the opening) which measured 4" in diameter. I left the cup in place for about 32 hours. When I got home from work this morning, I carefully slid the wetsuit off the cup and watched in dismay as it immediately shrunk back to what appeared to be normal pre-stretched size.

But wait, there's more! When I compared the two wrist openings, the stretched one (when flattened) was about 1cm longer than the nonstretched one. I gave it a try, I still could not push my hand (pretty skinny hand compared to most men) through the unstretched wrist, but was able to EASILY slide my hand through the other wrist. It was now the PERFECT circumference. With my hand through the sleeve, I can rotate my hand while the suit remains motionless at the wrist, yet there is no gap for water to enter.

Before you send your suit back for "repair", give it a try, it worked for me. I was afraid the stitching would tear after stretching it so far, but it held up wonderfully and saved me the shipping to send it back!

Hope this helps others out.

Tom