Scuba VS FreeDiving Suits

[fasttom]

Hi, I'm new to Scuba Diving and Free Diving. Just finished my 11th open water dive over the weekend. I've been toying around with doing free diving as well. I live in San Francisco where the water is cold and need to buy a wetsuit in order to keep moving along with the hobbies. Does anybody have any feedback or knowledge about using the same wetsuit for freediving and scubadiving. I'm starting to shop around for suits and see a lot of different options.

Thanks in advance!

Tom

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I do both. A 5mm freedive suit is probably warmer than most all 7 mm scuba suits. The elimination of zippers, attached hood and smooth rubber interior which minimizes water flow work together to provide a significant advantage to the freedive suits.

check out this link:

they have excellent suits and they will hold up to the repeated compression of scuba diving.

MAKO Spearguns - MAKO 2-Piece Green Aquatic Open Cell Wetsuit (5.0 mm)

 

[Blue Sparkle]

DD,

Considering the advantages you mention to the free-diving suits, what are the downsides(s)? I figure there must be some or everyone would wear them?

They sure do look sleek, when you see them on freedivers (of course many freedivers would look sleek in a paper grocery bag, they're so in shape and unencumbered by gear).

 

[dumpsterDiver]

As you continue to learn to dive, you will learn that freedivers know what their doing, and much of the gear scuba divers use is crap.... they are all about efficiency and minimization. Freedive fins are far superior to scuba fins for swimming efficiently.Rubber belts are far superior to scuba weight belts .. but back on topic..

The freedive suits typically have a smooth skin (rubber) interior which is moderately delicate. It is prone to cuts from finger nails. The bigger disadvantage is that typically a lubricating fluid is needed to don the suit. Divers generally use a diluted solution of hair conditioner, baby shampoo ar something similar. For cold conditions, it is nice to bring hot soap solution.

It is a pain to have to remember to bring "soap", but once the suit is lubricated, it is much easier and faster to put on a freedive suit than a thick scuba suit. The elimination of the internal nylon liner makes the suit more flexible and most people think more comfortable.

The suit and hoods seal against the body and eliminate all water exchange or pumping if the suit fits wells. Often the smooth rubber hood seals so well that you have to let some water into the hood on descent or you will get an external ear squeeze.

It is considerably harder to get out of a freedive wetsuit jacket since it has an attached hood and no zippers. I generally require about 15 seconds of help from a buddy to pop it over my shoulders, but then the rest is easy. Many more flexible people can do it with no help.

Some people claim that freedive type suits use a rubber that is too soft, too compressible and that it is too delicate and will become crushed prematurely with use at scuba depths. This is an over-simplification and it depends on what type of rubber the suit is made from.

True, pure freedive suits (not spearfishing suits like the link I provided) may have no nylon on the inside or outside and this makes them very delicate, but also super flexible and comfortable and they dry instantly in the sun so they are warm on the boat.

I've had my MAKO freedive suit to 190 feet while scuba diving dozens of times and it has held up well and has not exhibited significant neoprene compression.

 

[fasttom]

DD & BlueSparkle, thanks for the great Intel. This reaffirms my thoughts that a Skin Diving suit is the way to go. Much appreciated

--Tom

 

[g1138]

I'd like to add on,
the type of neoprene the suits use is different.
Freedive suits sometimes use open-cell neoprene, which is likened to the pores in bread when you slice it. It allows for easy compression, and loads of flexibility compared to stiff low quality dive suits.

It degrades a lot faster than the alternative closed-cell neoprene which is more akin to bubble wrap; the air is trapped instead of bleeding out.

Divesuits exclusively use closed-cell neoprene. I have yet to see a modern dive suit advertising open-cell. There are dive suits that are stiff out of the box, and those that are flexible right from the get go.(ie. Henderson Hyperflex)

You'll want flexibility in your freediving suit.
Freedive suits are usually skin in and require baby powder or splooge to don.
Some have reflective materials to reflect your body heat (convection).
From what I've heard, it's pretty easy to tear a freedive suit with your finger nails.

Also freedivers generally don't always sport 7mm suits in cold Monterey waters, since they're moving a bit more than scuba divers (your mileage may vary).
An example:
In the North Mediterranean (60-65F waters) I did numerous freedives in a 4/3mm(surf suit) when generally scuba diving I'd wear said 4/3 w/ a 7mm jacket over it. This was to depths around 30ft max.
I'll glady say I was warm during freedives.
Now if you were doing long deep dives, say 60ft+, you may want something thicker.
Deeper dives may require longer surface rests, therefore less movement, so you may opt for the same thickness as you would scuba diving.

Back to suits:
Dive suits generally are lined with neoprene fabric, wool, or plush to allow easy entry.
The trade-off is water entering the suit.
There are also custom dive suits that are skin in neoprene, no fabric. Heatwave and Otter Bay wetsuits makes a few.

I'd recommend Heatwave only on the grounds that I've felt their materials and seen the suits on my instructors. They are extrememly flexible, even for 10mm.
And they make you overheat like crazy during kelp crawls (you can always opt for a thinner suit).
If you get their farmer-john and beaver tail jacket w/ attach hood, chances are you won't even get wet from the sea water.
I'm extremely jealous of those who owns one. 6~6.

Quick google search for add. source:
Wetsuit neoprene and materials explanation etc
http://www.bluewaterhunter.com/wetsuits_101.html
Riffe open-cell freedive suits
http://www.speargun.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=14