Too fat for proper full wetsuit size

[danpass]

Yep, too fat for the right size full wetsuit. Suit arms too long, suit legs too long.

To avoid the expense of doing anything custom for my tropical diving, I'm thinking a typical shorty (2mm-ish) and then a full skinsuit/full rashguard.

My specific example, I'm 5'8" but 240 (and dropping, so, on trend ).

At normal weight, on many online size charts, I typically fall into the M/L-Short (I've come to the conclusion that my legs are 2in too short lol for the general clothing manufacturing community)

Using the BARE sizing chart, only because I have it in front of me, my current belly puts me in the 2XL column.

Any recommendations on shorties and skin suits?

 

[tbone1004]

@The Chairman can probably sympathize and offer some more direct advice but what he has said for as long as I've known him is "when you look like a manatee, you can dive like a manatee" and for him that means a tie dye t-shirt and bathing suit.
At the risk of being a bit insensitive, if you are that heavy you probably aren't needing a wetsuit because you're going to get cold when diving in the tropics, even with multiple dives per day and I would just dive in a bathing suit and long sleeve rash guard to minimize sunburn/stings. Growing up swimming in the oceans and lakes of Maine it is rare that I would put a wetsuit on diving in the ocean in Florida unless it's real deep/real long for technical dives but anything recreationally I just dive in a bathing suit/rash guard. If you're dropping weight then spending money on a wetsuit is going to be problematic anyway given how fast you are prone to change when that heavy.

 

[Nemrod]

Bare and Body Glove and a few other California brands are famous for being cut to fit athletic surfer dudes. Just buy an inexpensive suit that fits your core and cut the legs and sleeves shorter. A seamstress can sew the ends or just paint the raw ends with AquaSeal. You can probably tolerate tropical water.

I bought a custom suit from a well known supplier in Florida. I guess Florida is the opposite of California. I gave all of my body measurements and waited impatiently. What a waste. The suit came in and it looked like it was designed around a bowling ball. Anyways, I would not waste money on custom suits until you are at your happy weight.

Just get some neoprene shorts and a vest and a beanie and a rashguard in tye die.

 

[danpass]

I've always been a human furnace, and yes, moreso now lol.

Any recommendations on full dive skins/rashguards?

 

[tbone1004]

I've always been a human furnace, and yes, moreso now lol.

Any recommendations on full dive skins/rashguards?

doesn't need to be "diving" for this. any of the long sleeve sun shirts are fine, pick a brand you want plastered on your chest and go. Head up to Aqui Watersports in Lauderdale by the Sea and they have a pretty good selection and @LandonL is a pretty cool guy which is helpful.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

I just got a couple of the high SPF shirts for <$30 on Amazon.
They work just fine. Biggest challenge is finding ones without camo or 'tribal' graphics.
I'm 6' and 205lbs, in the Caribbean I'm wearing stuff for skin protection, not warmth.

But then I grew up swimming in the North Sea, which is bloody cold.

 

[Cthippo]

I am 6'1" and 350 lbs and wear an O'Neil Reactor 2 in 5X. They even go up to a 6X and have regular and tall sizing. The largest sizes can be hard to find, but do exist. For cold water, I have an Akona 7mm

 

[lowwall]

Look at MMA or grappling rashguards on Amazon. Both tops and bottoms are available. The good ones are strong and they are relatively cheap. Get a neoprene 2 or 3mm vest there as well. They are very compact and provide warmth where you need it if you find yourself a bit chilled.

 

[NDonahue]

if the issue is just arm and leg length (meaning the arms and legs aren’t baggy if you find the right size for your core), the it is super easy to modify a wetsuit since neoprene doesn‘t fray. Just cut to length and use a lighter/drop of glue to secure the end of any stitching you cut.

 

[Marie13]

Chop the arms and legs. There are instructions here somewhere on how to do it properoh.