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Thread: 5 mm wetsuit suggestions/opinions

  1. #21
    Registered Users hbh2oguard's Avatar
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    Thanks for the links! They seem pretty reasonably priced too I think the edit link was removed when the site was having problems a few days back, but that's just a guess couldn't tell you for sure.

  2. #22

    Default 2 pc 5 mm wetsuit

    Does a 2 pc 5mm stretchy wetsuit exist? I have had two now that I have had great diffculty getting n and out of.

  3. #23
    SMN Publisher The Publisher's Avatar
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    I have never heard of that, but I did just test dive a 1 piece 3mm drysuit by Poseidon called a Flexisuit and it rocked! It had relatively stretchy neoprene and wrist and neck seals with attached dry soles.

    You can read our report here
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  4. #24
    Registered Users Charon's Avatar
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    I'd like to jump in and get some advice. I've got a Henderson polyofin fullsuit that is supposed to have the warmth of a 2mm without any bouyancy. I'd like to get a 5mm to wear over it for diving upstate new york. I picked out 5 possibles. They are:

    Pinnacle Cruiser 5 5mm $110
    Pinnacle Elastiprene 5 5MM $175
    Neo Sport X-Span 5mm $190
    Henderson Hyperstretch 5mil $235
    Pinnacle Merino-Elastiprene 5mm $265

    I'd like to spend as little as necessary but enough to get a suit that will fit well (stretch and fit tight) and be easy to get on. I'm 5'10" and 205 - fit isn't a problem.
    The only thing I believe in is disbelief - except in the case of unexpected miracles.

  5. #25
    Wreck Diving Moderator acelockco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charon View Post
    I'd like to jump in and get some advice. I've got a Henderson polyofin fullsuit that is supposed to have the warmth of a 2mm without any bouyancy. I'd like to get a 5mm to wear over it for diving upstate new york. I picked out 5 possibles. They are:

    Pinnacle Cruiser 5 5mm $110
    Pinnacle Elastiprene 5 5MM $175
    Neo Sport X-Span 5mm $190
    Henderson Hyperstretch 5mil $235
    Pinnacle Merino-Elastiprene 5mm $265

    I'd like to spend as little as necessary but enough to get a suit that will fit well (stretch and fit tight) and be easy to get on. I'm 5'10" and 205 - fit isn't a problem.
    I personally think you will be way too cold with that combo to really enjoy your diving. I dive in New Jersey and have gone with a farmer john style wetsuit 7 mm, giving me 14mm along most of my body and I was almost always cold....cold to the point where I would end the dive a bit early.

    I now dive a drysuit and am much more comfortable and suggest the same. I understand the cost is huge compared to a wetsuit, but I am just giving you my honest opinion. If you absolutely can't figure a way to get into a drysuit, I would go for the thickest warmest wetsuit you can find. The strechy ones are nice, but they tend not to be as warm as the regular style. There are also semi-dry suits out here which are wetsuits with sealed seams and zippers. They are warmer the seals block the flow of water.

  6. #26
    Registered Users Charon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by acelockco View Post
    I personally think you will be way too cold with that combo to really enjoy your diving. I dive in New Jersey and have gone with a farmer john style wetsuit 7 mm, giving me 14mm along most of my body and I was almost always cold....cold to the point where I would end the dive a bit early.
    I dove a 7 mm Tilos fullsuit into the soft ice below the thermocline in Lake George in late spring and wasn't the least bit cold but hated the amount of weight I had to carry. If I had to go to 14 mm I would quit diving. Simply too much weight to carry. I'm not real big on going real deep so I'm sure I'll be fine with what I'm planning. Unless I'm going well below the thermocline I only wear a 3 mm shorty.
    The only thing I believe in is disbelief - except in the case of unexpected miracles.

  7. #27
    SMN Publisher The Publisher's Avatar
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    When I was a kid I had a custom made 7mm farmer john with separate jacket hood attached no zippers, and in 60 degree water still froze my tail off.

    We are all so different!
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  8. #28
    Wreck Diving Moderator acelockco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charon View Post
    I dove a 7 mm Tilos fullsuit into the soft ice below the thermocline in Lake George in late spring and wasn't the least bit cold but hated the amount of weight I had to carry. If I had to go to 14 mm I would quit diving. Simply too much weight to carry. I'm not real big on going real deep so I'm sure I'll be fine with what I'm planning. Unless I'm going well below the thermocline I only wear a 3 mm shorty.
    If weight is your concern, then a tri-laminate drysuit is surely the answer.

    I wish you the best of luck in whatever you try.

  9. #29
    Registered Users Charon's Avatar
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    Anyone have opinions who have used these 5 specific suits?
    The only thing I believe in is disbelief - except in the case of unexpected miracles.

  10. #30
    SMN Publisher The Publisher's Avatar
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    Ok, I have done a tad of editing of a few posts to ensure we're all having a group hug, lol.

    I have the 3mm Henderson hyperstretch and the 3 and 5mm Pinnacle merino elastiprene or whatever they call it, lol.

    All of these have worked great for me, they are all comfortable. The Pinnacles have leg zippers which I would be happy to do without although they don't cause any problems.

    After several years of use, the stitching on the Pinnacles has started to unravel at the ends. Just tack it down with a drop of Aquaseal.

    The fabric on the arms of the Pinnacle seems to hold up a bit better to surface abrasion.

    I don't think you can really go wrong with either suit.

    I don't know about the Hendersons, but the Pinnacles are available in quite a range of sizes, where they have stock ones and "short" ones.

    Now last year I did try a new Poseidon 5mm "Flexisuit" drysuit. This is unique in that it is relatively thin for a drysuit, but the suit worked really well and was really comfortable.

    You can read that full report here

    I am amazed you dove a 7mm wetsuit in icy conditions and were fine. I am getting cold just thinking about it in my office behind the desk! I can't see how a 5mm would work in those conditions, but maybe you were a polar bear in a past life, lol

    I keep wondering if the 5mm Poseidon Flexisuit drysuit would be the ticket for you. It is not inexpensive compared to a regular stretchy 5mm from Henderson or Pinnacle.
    SMN Publisher

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