"Loose" wetsuit question

[leabre]

I just purchased a Henderson 7mm Hyperstretch Titanium wetsuit (jumpsuit). I tried many different wetsuits; some of the "stretchy" ilk and others not so "stretchy". This is intended to replace my Excel 8mm single piece w/hood that makes me terribly uncomfortable and anxious everytime I dive with it.

While I find the hyperstretch to be exteremely easy to don/doff (28 seconds to get into and 15 seconds to get out of) (compared to 5 minutes with the Excel to don and 2 minutes to doff), I find that it has some "slack" beneath the armpits, behind the knees, and around (just under) my belly there is some appearance of looseness but it does otherwise seem like a great fit. It is 1 size smaller than the sizing chart suggestion for me but the size smaller than this was near impossible to get into and constricting every aspect of my movement & breating to the point that I would probly pass-out were I in it too long (besides that it took me 9 minutes to get into and about as long to get out of and only with the aide of some help).

My question here is should I be concerned about the small slack (I can grab/pinch about 1/2 inch in those areas of slack but the suit as a whole fits nicely) or should I have it tailored to remove the slack? In the end, its out keeping me warm and hopefully comfortable. My other wetsuit has me in anxiety everytime I use it but it is indeed warm.

For the record: I tried about 8 different brands/types and varying sizes of them before concluding this was the one for me. The only other wetsuit that I truly enjoy is a prototype wetsuit that has yet to release to market (same stretchy material but different maker) but I cannot keep it for long before it must be returned.

Thanks

 

[Teamcasa]

I’m always puzzled by these questions. If it’s a struggle to wriggle in and out of a wetsuit, it’s too small.
I personally love my custom made suits. Easy on – easy off. They never restrict my movement and the cost is the same or less than a premium suit.

I did buy a Henderson hood, the fit was horrible. After ten minutes with the wetsuit tailor, the hood fits perfectly. Life is too short to wear a poorly fitting wetsuit!

Dave

 

[Scuba.com]

1/2 an inch doesn't sound like a lot but when you think about 1/2 an inch of cold water that your body is trying to keep heated, you may well find that is a really big deal.

Your suit should be snug and generally you should not be able to grab any loose material when wearing it on the surface. I think I'd have somebody used to fitting suits give an opinion on the fit before I made up on my mind on trying it in the water. Your fit sounds like it might be right on the border there and a 2nd opinion certainly can't hurt.

 

[Web Monkey]

You're probably not looking for this, but by the time you get to a 7 or 8 mil suit, you're squarely in drysuit territory.

You can get a good used DS for only a little more than a new wetsuit, and you'll be warm and dry, which is a good thing.

One of my friends picked up a "used" semi-custom DUI suit that had about 3 dives on it for about $500, which is around $2000 less than it cost the previous owner.

Even a brand new Northern Diver, which is an excellent DS can be had for less than $1000.

Terry

I just purchased a Henderson 7mm Hyperstretch Titanium wetsuit (jumpsuit). I tried many different wetsuits; some of the "stretchy" ilk and others not so "stretchy". This is intended to replace my Excel 8mm single piece w/hood that makes me terribly uncomfortable and anxious everytime I dive with it.

 

[leabre]

Well, I dived with this "loose" wetsuit last night to test it out with my new BP/W before this weekends serious diving at ADP and all I can say it is the most comfortable wetsuit I've ever used and it is toasty. I"m not used to a back zipper, it can be cold at first, but otherwise, underwater and in 8ft. surge it was just fine.

Reqarding the semi-drysuit; I'll look into that closer to winter when it is much colder.


Thanks

 

[Sam Miller III]

Congrats on attending LA County ADP!

Suggest that you might want to contact Mark Kettenhoffen of Kettenfoffen enterprises in Ornage California and have him alter that suit and/or make your next suit SDM

 

[Notso_Ken]

I’m always puzzled by these questions. If it’s a struggle to wriggle in and out of a wetsuit, it’s too small.
I personally love my custom made suits. Easy on – easy off. They never restrict my movement and the cost is the same or less than a premium suit.

I did buy a Henderson hood, the fit was horrible. After ten minutes with the wetsuit tailor, the hood fits perfectly. Life is too short to wear a poorly fitting wetsuit!

Dave

But then, if it ISN'T a struggle to get in and out of, then the water is ALSO going to find it easy to get in and out of, and it will not keep you as warm as it should.

A proper fitting wet suit WILL be snug, otherwise it is NOT doing its job.


Ken

 

[Teamcasa]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teamcasa
I’m always puzzled by these questions. If it’s a struggle to wriggle in and out of a wetsuit, it’s too small.
I personally love my custom made suits. Easy on – easy off. They never restrict my movement and the cost is the same or less than a premium suit.

I did buy a Henderson hood, the fit was horrible. After ten minutes with the wetsuit tailor, the hood fits perfectly. Life is too short to wear a poorly fitting wetsuit!

Dave

But then, if it ISN'T a struggle to get in and out of, then the water is ALSO going to find it easy to get in and out of, and it will not keep you as warm as it should.
A proper fitting wet suit WILL be snug, otherwise it is NOT doing its job.
Ken

Mine is snug, proper fitting and easy when compared to an ill fitting wetsuit, to put on.

Dave

 

[Lehmann108]

Have you tried a dry suit? 7-8 mm of neoprene, as other posters have noted, is really in dry suit territory.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

It can be hard to find a "perfect" fitting suit....Some manufs. offer numerous odd sizes as well(pinnacle) like an XL-Short...or Large Tall, etc. This helps to aid in getting a suit to fit better. What did the shop think where you are tryin them on at?? If its bad, we would send it in to Manuf. and get it taylored....I know Pinnacle Charges a small fee and we just pass that on without markup to help get a perfect fitting suit....

I would look into it more, if you half a 1/2 in places, it seems the suit is too big.....if its 1/2 inch and your stretching the stretchy suit, then it might not be....just to hard for me to say without seeing it...


Case closed....You need to Fly out here Goodluck with the suit!!!