My farmer John / Shorty is obsolete. ??

[Saltyhawg]

I have a full 3mil and a shorty 3 mil. From about 79 degrees up, I'm comfortable in the shorty. From 75 to 79 I wear the 3mil long and below that I wear the long with the shorty over it. I'm ok down to about mid to low 60's dressed like that.

 

[84CJ7]

I was glad to ditch my 6.5mm farmer John style 2 piece suit. Even when it wasn't trapping air or letting water rush in due to its bulky stiffness it took so much weight to sink all that neoprene that my buoyancy was garbage from carrying enough lead to sink a boat in the shallows and a ton of air in my bcd at depth when it compressed.
Bought a hyperstretch 7mm one piece and I don't get cold in any part it covers on a single tank dive even below double thermoclines in Wisconsin. Cut a ton of weight off and lost the annoying super swings with depth changes. Anything thicker would truly be dry suit territory.
Two piece suits are a crappy way to make up for either too thin a single layer suit or lack of a dry suit and really are obsolete for anyone who has experienced diving with better options.

 

[Centrals]

It is ONLY obsolete when it doesn't provide any thermal protection.

 

[Chavodel8en]

I recall the farmer john go no from training. Alot of neoprene. I like my full suit with attached hood. Keeps me warm with much less lead.

 

[Bob DBF]

Two piece suits are a crappy way to make up for either too thin a single layer suit or lack of a dry suit and really are obsolete for anyone who has experienced diving with better options.

Sounds like the suit was old and or the wrong size for you. They do have hyperstreach 2 piece, I wear one and have no problems with mine. I do like the 2 piece because I can unzip the jacket to cool off if I'm Ab diving or tank diving in SoCal waters.


Bob

 

[northernone]

Certainty not obsolete. It can be a suitable solution for the conditions. Having 14mm neoprene on the body in the form of a farmer john and jacket is a significant increase in warmth compared to a 7mm one piece. I also find fit more forgiving. (Half can also be worn)

On Thursday I did a dive in 38° water, wet. Glad for 14mm on my chest... a full one piece would have been insufficient.

I'll dive wet when I can, dry when I have to. I enjoy feeling the water on me during diving.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[ams511]

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

I would consider finding a new LDS if possible. If you go to any big online scuba retailer they all have 2 piece wetsuits. For example, Leisure Pro has a Neosport for $104.00 (I am looking for a wetsuit). Your LDS is trying to steer you to what he has in inventory.

 

[OldPhotog]

Bought a 3mm farmer john and a 3mm shortie using the same logic I do for other cold weather gear - layering is a good idea. Now I've got a shortie for use in the pool or balmy water, or I can put 'em both on, where I've got 6mm on my core. Has worked out well for me - but I am cold tolerant and tend to dive in warm waters.

 

[blac86]

Neoprene has actually come a really long way. Today's 5mm one piece are as warm as 15 years ago 7mm two piece. Modern insulating linings also help, many wetsuits now have a soft piling liner over the core, as opposed to only nylon.

Wearing less neoprene will drastically reduce the weight you need.

I don't mess around with 5mm wetsuits tho, I have a 3mm and a drysuit. If I can't do it in my three I'm doing it dry.

 

[boulderjohn]

This is just one person's experience.

When I became a DM years ago, the shop for which I worked used 7mm farmer johns for local classes in cool (roughly 60° F) water. I assisted a lot of classes with those, and then I became an instructor and taught classes in those suits. (These were older models than you will get now--they were relatively stiff.) For my personal diving in cool water, I had a 3mm Farmer John.

Then the shop got rid of the 7mm Farmer Johns and went with plain 7mm full suits made of a stretchier material that fit the body better. I thought the 7mm full suits were warmer than the 7mm Farmer Johns, even though they had half the neoprene on the core. At about the same time, I got a good deal on a 5mm full sit for my personal diving, and I immediately decided that it was significantly warmer than my 3mm Farmer John, even though it had less neoprene on the core as well.

I have used a drysuit for cool water diving for years now.