Very UNhappy with Lavacore

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Diving Maui the last 2 weeks of August last year, water temperatures were 78-79 degrees. The DMs were telling us that they haven't seen a consistent 80 degree reading in quite a few years. So planning for 79-80 degrees is correct. Personally, I won't dive anything thinner than a 5mm full suit in Hawaii since, like Bill, I get chilly with extended dives....and my dives are rarely less than 60 minutes.
 
DiveMaven, others can correct me, but I understand that temperatures around Kauai can be a couple of degrees cooler than to the south. I think we have happily hijacked this thread! :)
 
I thought this was the "Should I buy a Lavacore" thread? Not the what temp is it in the Hawaiian Islands.

Okay so I read all the posts and I guess the Lavacore is a gamble. Some have had great success and others have destroyed it. As least we are consistently inconsistent.
 
getting to the core, i took the gamble because it sounded good.
so far i am on my second top and the sizing is worse than the first i already sent back. i had an XL that was snug so i requested it be switched for a 2XL. the 2XL wont fit over my shoulders.
at just 6ft i wear a 44 regular jacket, maybe one day they will send a size that fits.
 
Those who remember Polartec suits from the 90s that promised warm diving in cool waters are probably saying -"Well, here we go again. This is ok if diving in warm water where minimal exposure protection is needed". If the water is cool, you need neoprene (or drysuit of course if really cold). No, I haven't tried it. Yes, know some that have and respect their opinions.
 
Those who remember Polartec suits from the 90s that promised warm diving in cool waters are probably saying -"Well, here we go again. This is ok if diving in warm water where minimal exposure protection is needed". If the water is cool, you need neoprene (or drysuit of course if really cold). No, I haven't tried it. Yes, know some that have and respect their opinions.

diveprof is spot on- I just tried my Lavacore long sleeve top with hood. I wore it under a 5mm wetsuit for 2 night dives in Kona. It definitely added some extra warmth during the dive but back on the boat, it did not offer any warmth when there was a breeze, there was NO protection from windchill. It was difficult to remove, it felt like trying to remove a straight jacket, it takes a long time to dry, even when turned inside out and smelled like a wet dog so I had to dip it in "Sink the Stink". It is no better than my polartec suit I purchased years ago. Neoprene is still the best option to keep warm even it is adds buoyancy.
 
I dive in fresh water usually in the low 40's. I WAS using it as a base layer because the stuff is very warm, unbelievably warm actually. I did have to relinquish the stuff though because it just did not fit well. I'm 5"10" and in the 180 mark with a fairly muscular build and the large was just way to constricting. Getting it on was a battle and getting it off was a friggin nightmare! I'm thinking that if the stuff got wet it might be a little more forgiving but as I said I wear it under my drysuit. It really is too bad because the stuff is very expensive (but worth it if it does the job in my opinion) and I had to order it online and went according to their size chart...... no returns :-( If I get down to a locale in the US that has the stuff I will definitely try on a XL.

What I'm saying is try this stuff on before you buy it.
 
My 7 days of Cozumel diving with my Lavacore was awesome!
Was snug around the shoulders when first fitted dry but Doug re-assured me that she will loosen-up after diving it for the first time, & it did.

Just no need for extra weight as its nuetrally bouyant was a good enough reason for me to take a chance on the product.
 
I just purchased the longsleeve lavacore shirt. At 6' 2" 180lb (40in chest, 33in waist) I was worried about sizing, especially with all the discussion on SB, but I initially went with the Medium/Large. It came in yesterday and i tried it on dry and it was as close to perfect as i could expect from an online purchase. Length was spot on. Close fit, but not TOO tight. Only point of concern was a slight rubbing from the armpits which might clear up in the water. Can't wait to get it wet!
 
Wow it's been almost exactly a year since I posted about Lava Core, and it's been nearly 6 months and I've never heard back from them and yet they are still in business and the sizing has not improved. Just to refresh I went through two of their tops because the sizing chart is wrong or they don't know how to measure. I'm out 30 dollars in shipping charges for sending them back. At this point my recommendation on Lava Core is spend your money on something else.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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