Elios Black Shadow Neoprene

[Jonny250]

Well my new suit arrived today:
i thought i'd post some info, as i spent ages trying to find info on the black shadow, and elios dont exactly help themselves selling it:
So here's what you get for an MTM suit (click on the thumbs):

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In the box:
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Quality of internal seams bonding (ok, but nothing like the quality of an Xcel surf suit):
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Bonded connections around the neck (where my last elios suit started to pull):
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Fits well snug:
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Out of interest i re-measured, but gave elios virtually identical measurements to my first suit (open cell, more stretchy), slightly smaller this time as ive lost some weight. The suit fit is as expected just a tad tighter. However the neck is quite long compared to the last one so it will be interesting to see if it flushes.

In terms of putting on the suit, i didnt use any lube and it was on in less than 2 minutes, no problems. It going to be GREAT to not have to bother with lube and warmer too, i expect. just need some calm weather...

oh yes, it took 5 weeks to arrive, ordered direct off the elios website.

 

[podge]

Good stuff Jonny, just a few more weeks and i should have mine, just in time for the colder water of winter.

 

[azapa]

Jonny, Lube is great, a well lubed suit stretches easily around you as you breathe and move. I would recommend you lube it anyways.

Nothing worse than a suit not letting you take a nice full inhale!

 

[foxfish]

Looks nice mate, I hope it works well for you.

 

[Fondueset]

Plus lube will keep the neck from blowing out.
I use lube because my suits are all smoothskin - but my nylon-out black shadow suit is on its second owner - and never had a neck or anything blow out on it.

 

[Jonny250]

Plus lube will keep the neck from blowing out.
I use lube because my suits are all smoothskin - but my nylon-out black shadow suit is on its second owner - and never had a neck or anything blow out on it.

well spotted! i think the neck is a bit long actually. it'll be easy enough to sort in the water if its just blowing out tho.

Nothing worse than a suit not letting you take a nice full inhale!

good point thanks Az, it will be good to have the option tho

 

[Jonny250]

Ok, i tried the suit in the sea last night, the rubber is much less stretchy than my previous elios open-cell cammo suit. but the real killer was the difference in buoyancy between the old and new suit. Given that they are made to almost identical measurements and thickness, the difference in the water was incredible and i was super-buoyant.
If you get a black-shadow then take some spare weights and ankle weights the first time you use it as you may need some adjustment.
have to admit i prefer the rubber on my previous open-cell cammo suit which was a lot more stretchy.
It is extremely warm!
overall score (perhaps comparing with my previous open cell elios) i would say 6/10. Dissapointed!
Also, having just bought a new surfing wetsuit too, its amazing the difference in quality and technology in the surf suits; seems like the apnea suits are stuck in the 1980's.

 

[podge]

Jonny, my suit arrived and Elios sent me a standard trouser type bottoms instead of the farmer john bottoms that I ordered, a couple of emails later and back the suit goes to be sorted out.
Mistakes can happen but all kudos to Elios they seem to be on the ball when it comes to customer service.

 

[foxfish]

Jonny you might find the suit compresses quite quickly once you have worn it & dived in it a few times?
I quite agree with you about the surf suits, I used my custom fit, second skin, silver, one piece suit for six years, surfing all year & diving in the summers before it fell to bits!
Same as spear gun design though espesally air guns!

 

[Fondueset]

Johnny - how thick is that suit? I have a 6 mil - smoothskin/open cell I never wear because it feels stiff to me after my 5 mils. But all my other suits are really comfortable and they are all black shadow in/smooth out. My nylon suit was 'superstretch' on the outside - may be that makes a diff.

They are all more bouyant when new - my yamamoto 5 mil is very bouyant - I have to do exhale dives anywhere less than about 8meters - or add weight.
Sure is warm though - water temp down to 8c here and I'm toasty for a couple hours at least. Don't think a surf or tri suit would handle that.

 

[cdavis]

Ditto on foxfish's observation, although I'm not so sure about "fast". The rubber they use is very full of air, makes for a very warm suit. Mine ( black shadow in, nylon out, 3 mil) seems to be getting less warm with age, not much, but its noticeable since I dive in constant temp springs.

One other thing. When I first got it, I could get into top and bottom no lube. Over time, something has changed and the top is difficult to get into without a little bit of lube. It doesn't look or feel different. Also ditto Azapa's comment.

Connor

 

[TheBob]

Funny thing... here I was about to ask for thoughts on the "new" Elios Black Shadow.

I like the characteristics as described; I'm a newbie, and hoping for a suit which is "all-around enough" for now to dive in NorCal and in the cooler waters of more tropical places. I dove in the south of Maui with no suit at all, and from what I've gathered so far I expect to be okay with a 5mm suit for my part (and more) of the US West Coast.

I want durability more than I need speed, and like convenience where possible. (I use waxless cross-country skis, for instance. )

I wonder whether there is a difference in the warmth factor and the wear factor of the Elios 'coatings' versus the 'slide cell treatment?'

I might still be persuaded by those who know more than I to go with lube... but not yet, lol.

(Another factor making Elios look good right now is the exchange rate between the Euro and the US dollar.)

Thoughts?

Bob

 

[MarcinB]

I'd recommend you to stay away from coatings. They make neoprene more expensive and a bit less warm (info from Elios). They also tend to wear out with time and you need to use talc or lube anyway if you want it to last long. I had the same lube dilemma when I ordered my Elios wetsuit. After the first try my doubts were gone. With the help of water with some soap you slip into the wetsuit very easily. Actually much easier than into a wetsuit with nylon inside.

According to posts from this thread the black shadow neoprene is less elastic. I have standard Heiwa medium density neoprene (5mm, nylon elastic/open cell) and I'm very happy with it as far as elasticity is concerned.

 

[TheBob]

Thanks for the very specific feedback. I still wonder a bit about the coating, as I doubt I will be diving more than once a week at most, so the coating might last quite some time. That said, I'm definitely now more 'open to open-cell,' so to speak.

One thing I've noticed as I scan all available information is the availability of one-piece 'skins,' typically made of Lycra. I was considering one of those for cool tropical waters, and possibly as an underlayer for 5mm (or even 3mm?) suits. Some of the reviewers indicate that it allows easy donning and doffing of unlined wetsuits.

Are those reviews believable? Has anyone tried this, successfully or not?

(These days, the sealife I identify with most is the sponge.)

Thanks-

Bob

 

[cdavis]

As an under layer, bad idea under a open cell or coated suit. It would be much less warm.

 

[TheBob]

Thanks!