Woman's wetsuit for COLD (46F) Diving

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drewh1

Registered
Messages
62
Reaction score
7
Location
N. California, USA
# of dives
200 - 499
Recommendations would be appreciated - Please don't say "drysuit"

I am reintroducing my girlfriend to diving in California. I wear an Oneill suit with the built in John and love it. I can't find anything similar in women's wetsuits. would rather not do a two piece.

would like a 12 mm core with 7mm arms and legs. Built in hood would be great. She is a small or maybe xsmall.

Thanks for your ideas!
 
For that cold, she most likely need custom. A Farmer Jane should not be dismissed out of hand.


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Do you realize how difficult it is to sink to such a suit, how much weight is needed ? Will be loaded as they wore doubles . Doubles to at least make it easier to empty 6kg but she still wore about 14-15 kg, not to mention if she will be used alu tanks
 
Have you considered semi dry? I know bare makes a mens semi dry, it has most of the features you are describing. I dont see a womans cut on the website, but have a look at semi drys perhaps, if you want a thicker suit, hood attached.
 
Aqualung's SolAfx works well for Monterey beach dives up to about 35min.

http://www.aqualung.com/us/content/view/543

Of course fit is everything...

Lining it with a Lavacore suit helps delay the chill a bit without adding too much buoyancy...

http://www.lavacoreinternational.com/products/

Down the line she could also add a neoprene vest or step in on top.

That being said, a suggestion for 'reintroducing' some one to Monterey diving might be a drysuit course. They can be rented and depending on how many days you actually dive in a year, renting the drysuit a couple times might entice her to go diving a bit more.... Because she's warm and actually enjoys it....

Just a thought.
 
Used drysuit for $400? It really is the simplest option.

I don't think there is a more cost effective option out there. Semi-drys approach $500-$600 really quick. It really does not require much more training to use one, and best of all, you're absolutely comfortable at the end of the dive.
 
I'd also like to know what her normal tolerance for cold is. Dismissing a dry suit is likely to make sure she is not your dive buddy. And maybe not your GF either. I got my GF a drysuit. She resisted for a year or so and used her Harvey's custom 7 mil. I taught her a drysuit course and now I seriously doubt she'll be in a wetsuit again unless it's in a really warm pool. She took her drysuit to Turks and Caicos in August. And loved it. You don't need to spend an arm and leg on a drysuit. I can put someone in one for under a grand. And unless she is a stock size you may end up paying close to that for a really good quality wetsuit that will not be as warm and as versatile.
 
How about the Fourth Element proteus, they do a full 7mm suit with a 5/4mm short john suit you can wear underneath... Proteus 3mm/5mm/7mm Scuba Diving Wetsuits | Fourth Element

Amen. Fourth Element is famed mostly for their undergarments, and their wetsuits aren't well known since they're a UK company and not many US shops carry them, but their products are all of incredibly high quality.

I dive in Monterey too, and have tried out a lot of semi-drys. Aqualung Solafx, Hollis Neotek, Mares Isotherm, Bare's Velocity, etc. Fourth Element Proteus is hands down the warmest wetsuit I've tried, and keeps me cozy even on 2 hour dives. The ankle and wrist seals are excellent, and there's a panel behind the zipper that stops water from entering. The core neoprene is really compression resistant, and while in other suits I feel the cold as soon as I get past 60ft, in the Proteus even at 100 ft I don't feel much of a difference from the shallows.

The 5mm short john that goes underneath is really comfortable, and the combo doesn't limit mobility or make you feel like the Michelin man like a farmer john does.

Only downside is the cost of the fullsuit + john is about $650, which isn't much less than a cheap suit. If you do go for it, get the Fourth Element cold water hood too, works best with their neck seal.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I am definitely thinking a semi-dry. I will also take a look at the fourth Element, new one to me.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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