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A few suit questions

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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stillwater

Member
Oct 25, 2012
7
0
11
I'm getting ready to get a freedive specific suit and since I don't have the luxury of trying one on before buying it I'd thought I'd reach out here to see if anyone can lend some insight to a couple questions. At the moment I am looking at the Mako Freedive Instructor suit. In comparison to a diving wetsuit, can someone give me a vague idea of how much more comfortable/stretchable a freediving suit is. I'm already a SCUBA Instructor and have had multiple dive suits ranging in price and quality. One drawback I've encountered is that I have a particularly sensitive gag reflex and on most of my suits I've had to loosen the neck closure just a touch or modify the suit a bit (some of them I could just tug at the neck and stretch it a bit). I'm wondering how tightly they sit around your neck when you have the hood down? I also have a head full of dreads that don't fit inside most adjustable hats so I'm also wondering if I'll be able to even fit them inside the hood or if I may have to have the hood sized accordingly to accommodate them (I'm assuming having the hood on and dreads tucked in will cause more pressure on my throat as well). Any advice for either situation or for other reasonably priced suits to look at would be appreciated.
 
Custom. It solves both problems.

See:
Aqualandwetsuits.com
Oceanos
Elios
Oceaner
 
Thanks, that's the direction I was thinking originally. Any reasons to go with snaps over velcro for the beaver tail? Looks like Elios does a single snap, Oceanos is running double snaps and Oceaner is using velcro (correct me if I missed something). Pros/cons to the few options out there?
 
I like single fastener.

I've seen double and it looks like it could compress the "important stuff" too much and be uncomfortable.

For women, maybe double isn't as big of a deal.

Re: velcro - eventually it'll wear / fail open.
 
Thanks again for the suggestions Apneaddict.

I'm about to order a suit from Elios but I still have questions about the hood. They've suggested to go with no hood or an unattached hood, which I'm okay with if that's what has to be done. Just curious to see if anyone has seen or met other freedivers with dreads and what end-solution they may have chosen.
Any suggestions from the forum on a suit with no hood vs. suit with oversized hood? Pros/Cons?
Thanks for helping the new guy!
 
What's the water temps that you're planning on diving in and can you post a pic of your dreads?

How much "volume" are we talking about. Can you run them down your neck?

I've seen other freedivers with dreads and no hood... But 26* might be my minimum temp without a hood.
 
Most of the water I will be diving will be warmer temps with the occasional dip below 26*. The first 2 pics are of them "relaxed", the last 2 pics I pulled them back and tried to flatten them a bit along my neck and shoulders. I'd say it adds about 3-4cm of volume along the back of my neck. Initially I was pulling them back into more of a round pony tail and it was adding a lot of extra volume which is why I was so concerned. I think if I go with the flattening routine it may work fine, aside from making me look like I have a fat neck and big head.
Photo on 10-5-14 at 12.00 PM #4.jpg Photo on 10-5-14 at 12.01 PM.jpg Photo on 10-5-14 at 12.03 PM.jpg Photo on 10-5-14 at 12.03 PM #2.jpg
I've spoken to a couple of Instructors now (One that will be training me in Mach and the other actually has dreads) and am still awaiting a response from one, but I think I'm going to stay with the attached hood and measure accordingly in order to accommodate them.

Many thanks.
 
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