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Sharskin VS Wetsuit
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Erik 1
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Maybe. I'd be interested to hear if others have had the same experience with Sharkskin and/or Lavacore.
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GIven I use all of the above I believe I can post with some "authority"
Firstly they are all pretty much the same material wise. I would suggest they are equal to a 2mm neoprene wetsuit.
How you wear them is obviously down to your cold tolerance
They do not have the same elastic properties as a wetsuit. They have stretch in the lengthwise direction but not so much widthways. So attention to sizing is paramount. The wrist and ankle openings can be very tight - especially with the Fourth Element Thermocline range. Fourth element tend to have a cut that is on the smaller side.
If I jump in with just my one piece Thermocline I can instantly feel the thermal drop of the water (which you don't feel in a wetsuit) this lasts for perhaps one minute and all it well. Personally I feel slightly cooler in a one piece than with a wet suit.
Apart from the upside with them being neutrally buoyant they do have the benefit of being breathable. I can wear mine in high ambient temps as UV protection whereas I'd get very uncomfortable in a normal rash vest which doesn't breath
I dive in a hot humid environment so as soon as you put on a 3mm you start to over temp. Not so with these materials - can wear it comfortably, indeed because my one piece has a front zip I just undo that when I get out of the water, between dives I may just get out of the top half.
Similarly when its cooler I stay in my top. there is no wind chill and it drip dries very quickly.
I have a sharkskin long sleeve top which has a latex neck to give additional warmth from flushing. This normally is worn under a wetsuit - if its a bit cooler I have a lava core hooded top, again worn under a wetsuit. I find the hoods made out of this material less restrictive than a neoprene hood.
I'm not a huge fan of my one piece - although I do like the front zip, I prefer separate tops and bottoms (long and short to mix and match as the conditions dictate both above and below the water.
I've never had one go baggy under water. By their very nature they are a tighter fit than a wetsuit might be.
Worn on their own I would say they are a mid point between a conventional 3mm and a conventional skin suit
Firstly they are all pretty much the same material wise. I would suggest they are equal to a 2mm neoprene wetsuit.
How you wear them is obviously down to your cold tolerance
They do not have the same elastic properties as a wetsuit. They have stretch in the lengthwise direction but not so much widthways. So attention to sizing is paramount. The wrist and ankle openings can be very tight - especially with the Fourth Element Thermocline range. Fourth element tend to have a cut that is on the smaller side.
If I jump in with just my one piece Thermocline I can instantly feel the thermal drop of the water (which you don't feel in a wetsuit) this lasts for perhaps one minute and all it well. Personally I feel slightly cooler in a one piece than with a wet suit.
Apart from the upside with them being neutrally buoyant they do have the benefit of being breathable. I can wear mine in high ambient temps as UV protection whereas I'd get very uncomfortable in a normal rash vest which doesn't breath
I dive in a hot humid environment so as soon as you put on a 3mm you start to over temp. Not so with these materials - can wear it comfortably, indeed because my one piece has a front zip I just undo that when I get out of the water, between dives I may just get out of the top half.
Similarly when its cooler I stay in my top. there is no wind chill and it drip dries very quickly.
I have a sharkskin long sleeve top which has a latex neck to give additional warmth from flushing. This normally is worn under a wetsuit - if its a bit cooler I have a lava core hooded top, again worn under a wetsuit. I find the hoods made out of this material less restrictive than a neoprene hood.
I'm not a huge fan of my one piece - although I do like the front zip, I prefer separate tops and bottoms (long and short to mix and match as the conditions dictate both above and below the water.
I've never had one go baggy under water. By their very nature they are a tighter fit than a wetsuit might be.
Worn on their own I would say they are a mid point between a conventional 3mm and a conventional skin suit
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After wearing a Lavacore or Sharkskin, the suit did get a bit baggy. For a while, I used 4th Dimension top. This worked way better than the Lavacore or Sharkskin. My personal solution is a custom made freedive custom hoody wetsuit made out of high quality medium density neoprene that is slick on the outside (i.e. Elios) that has a superb fit. With high quality neoprene and form fit, I found that this thin slick neoprene hoody wetsuit top was warmer than a-off-the-shelf 3 mm wetsuit. If it get cold, I have similar capri pant.Me too....As soon as my old 1.5 mil freedive wetsuit dies, my next suit will be a high tech fabric....It will need to be slick on the outside, with an insulating layer...I can always where a Thermolution under it when the water gets colder than 72 degrees...Under 60 and I'm NOT diving
Full disclosure, I live in SE Asia and commonly use a wetsuit for warm water. Usually, just a hoody top with board shorts.
Last edited:
Hi Dan
I have tried Lavacore tops and so has Maribi. I will be a dissenting voice here and say that I was not too impressed, and actually found them far inferior to a properly fitting 2 or 3 mil wetsuit. They can feel tight and snug when you put them on, but they get baggy when wet. They let water in through the neck and wrists (I did not try a fullsuit and so cannot comment on the ankles). They will never give the skintight fit, water seal and and streamlining of a wetsuit. Given that I do not need any extra weight with a 3 mil (with my 6 lb plate), the issue of extra weight is not a negative and the positives far outweigh. Also, I do not have confidence that these materials will last as long as a good wetsuit (ie many many years).
They can add some warmth, and Maribi puts her top under her wetsuit in the winter, but she says it does not make that much difference, and she will probably add a 5 mil wetsuit this coming winter, like I did last year. If you are diving tropical waters, the little warmth they add is fine, and they do offer scratch protection and have benefits on the surface. But, from what I have seen, a good wetsuit is a far better choice. You will see me in my 3 mil this summer.
Now, I will say that we have wetsuits with an unbelievable set of sizing options and multi-panel construction(Waterproofs) which give us a skin tight fit very close to custom. Maybe wetsuits with more generic sizing do not compare as well, but I still think the wetsuit is better. The high cost of these "tech" materials also makes the choice of a wetsuit easy.
I have tried Lavacore tops and so has Maribi. I will be a dissenting voice here and say that I was not too impressed, and actually found them far inferior to a properly fitting 2 or 3 mil wetsuit. They can feel tight and snug when you put them on, but they get baggy when wet. They let water in through the neck and wrists (I did not try a fullsuit and so cannot comment on the ankles). They will never give the skintight fit, water seal and and streamlining of a wetsuit. Given that I do not need any extra weight with a 3 mil (with my 6 lb plate), the issue of extra weight is not a negative and the positives far outweigh. Also, I do not have confidence that these materials will last as long as a good wetsuit (ie many many years).
They can add some warmth, and Maribi puts her top under her wetsuit in the winter, but she says it does not make that much difference, and she will probably add a 5 mil wetsuit this coming winter, like I did last year. If you are diving tropical waters, the little warmth they add is fine, and they do offer scratch protection and have benefits on the surface. But, from what I have seen, a good wetsuit is a far better choice. You will see me in my 3 mil this summer.
Now, I will say that we have wetsuits with an unbelievable set of sizing options and multi-panel construction(Waterproofs) which give us a skin tight fit very close to custom. Maybe wetsuits with more generic sizing do not compare as well, but I still think the wetsuit is better. The high cost of these "tech" materials also makes the choice of a wetsuit easy.
Erik 1
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Erik 1
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I am bumping this to the top since I am still looking at alternatives to the sharkskin, which I like everything about EXCEPT how baggy it gets. A year-and-a-half later, does anybody have any direct experience with both the sharkskin and either the Fourth Element suit or the Frogskin? I did find one thread comparing the Frogskin to the Lavacore and I have to say I'm tempted to try a Frogskin based on that thread. Thanks.
I'm interested too. I'm wanting to layer under my 3mm, in order to be warmer when water temp is in 72-78F. Thanks
I have the fourth element thermocline one piece and a sharkskin top.
I don't like cold.
If I'm in my 3mm then my first go to is my sharkskin top underneath. The SS has a thin neck seal to prevent against flushing. If there is a breeze on the boat I'll keep my SS on for a while. Unlike a rash vest they do breath.
If the temps get a little more chilly then I'll add my thermocline to the mix wear that under my 3mm with the SS underneath that
If it's really warm I'll dive the thermocline San the SS no wetsuit. The thermocline on its own doesn't have a good seal around the neck so I get a bit chilly in that alone.
I can't recommend them highly enough. My wife's has a lava ore to, hers is in great condition too. They've been dived for 2-3 years and have few hundred dives on them and still okay (not baggy)
I've changed my opinion from my earlier. I couldn't get on with the hooded top, and learned the like the one piece
Point to note. The fleecy internal cloth of all, does soak up more body oils then a wetsuit mainly the upper half. I find that if on a vacation it's good to give them a gentle wash with a bit of soap (I take mine in the shower with me) otherwise they can get a bit stinky.
Hope that helps
I don't like cold.
If I'm in my 3mm then my first go to is my sharkskin top underneath. The SS has a thin neck seal to prevent against flushing. If there is a breeze on the boat I'll keep my SS on for a while. Unlike a rash vest they do breath.
If the temps get a little more chilly then I'll add my thermocline to the mix wear that under my 3mm with the SS underneath that
If it's really warm I'll dive the thermocline San the SS no wetsuit. The thermocline on its own doesn't have a good seal around the neck so I get a bit chilly in that alone.
I can't recommend them highly enough. My wife's has a lava ore to, hers is in great condition too. They've been dived for 2-3 years and have few hundred dives on them and still okay (not baggy)
I've changed my opinion from my earlier. I couldn't get on with the hooded top, and learned the like the one piece
Point to note. The fleecy internal cloth of all, does soak up more body oils then a wetsuit mainly the upper half. I find that if on a vacation it's good to give them a gentle wash with a bit of soap (I take mine in the shower with me) otherwise they can get a bit stinky.
Hope that helps
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