Experience with Elios neoprene models

[Flo1407]

Hello,

looking for a new tear-resistant 5mm-wetsuit for freediving. My current wetsuit annoys me because it breaks constantly (heiwa smoothskin outside, open cell inside). I'm not a competion-freediver. I need the suit for german lakes from spring to autumn for dives around the 30/40 meters. A good flexibility, tensile strength and good warmth would be very important for me.

I would be interested if anyone of you has experience with the following Elios neoprene models:

1) Suit 5mm New Black coating cell inside / Nylon elastic Black outside Neoprene Heiwa Price Euro 280,00 (see photo 0132) This is the Top-model for freediving, very elastic, warmth, adherent to the body, durable with lining outside and good also for deep diving, but also very slippery to get into.

2) Suit 5mm open cell inside / Kanoko superstetch antitears outside Black Neoprene Heiwa soft Price Euro 260,00 It's an ultra-soft rubber, super-stretch, very very comfortable and very very durable with kanoko reinforced lining outside, but for get into must use always talcum or water-soap.

3) Suit 5mm Titanium coating cell inside / Nylon Superelastic Black outside Neoprene Daiwabo High Density Price Euro 330,00 (see photo 0123) This is an high quality rubber for competition and deep freediving, ultra elastic, very warmth, adherent to the body, durable with lining outside and super-comfortable, but also very slippery to get into.

About some answers I would be very happy.

Regards Flo



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[esom]

Hi Flo,
two things: kanoko is really considerably more stretchy than nylon black, great suit! also, if you break your unlined suit, you do something wrong. if it´s about pointy fingers your new nylon suit will not care too much, but nylon too is not indistructable. improve your technique, take some time to figure it out.

 

[Flo1407]

Hi Esom,

thank you for the reply. I think I have found the problem. The sutures dissolve constantly and become thinner. This happens on both sides. Also on the open-cell side, this happens (the tape comes off). In part, this is difficult to observe. If this is so, there is great danger that the suit breaks even at careful use. I am very careful when putting on and taking off. For example: If I take off the top, I also use soap or water so that it is easier. I therefore tend to present more coating inside. However, I lack the experience this if coating is really tear-resistant. Maybe someone knows if it glued or sewn?

Likewise, with the maintenance. After each workout in the lake, ocean or pool I rinse off the suit with normal water. But the problem still remains. That is the reason why I am looking for linend outside. Have a 3mm wetsuit for warm water, which is really great and makes me not worry at all.

Regards Flo

 

[MarcinB]

Flo, standard heiwa smoothskin/open cell neoprene is very delicate. I can tear it apart very easily, almost like a piece of paper. Elios have sent me some samples of different types of neoprene so I had a chance to test them. On the other hand, the new freedown smoothskin/open cell is much more resistant, its quite hard to damage it. Heiwa nylon elastic/open cell is very resistant, you have to try really hard to tear it with your fingernails. I have such wetsuit and there is not even a single scratch on it even though I'm not too careful while putting it on and taking off.
The open cell/Kanoko superstetch neoprene is the low density one so its more delicate on the inside compared to the standard one.
According to the info from Elios, coatings do not make neoprene more durable, they only make it easier to put it on.
Since you are diving quite deep I would recommend Titanium coating cell inside / Nylon Superelastic Black outside Neoprene Daiwabo High Density. It is less compressible which results in smaller difference in buoyancy and warmth during deep diving. Its is also a bit more resistant than medium density neoprene.

 

[Flo1407]

Hi Marcin,

these are interresting news for me - thank you! But what do you mean with "Its is also a bit more resistant than medium density neoprene." (in connection with Daiwabo high density)?

For me resistance is very importent. The discriptions of elios (as always) are difficult to interpret. Do you think that Heiwa nylon elastic/open cell would be the better choice for me? According to the discription from Elios it sounds like the Daiwabo is more durable than the Heiwa nylon elastic/open cell.

Do you have 5mm on your Heiwa nylon elastic? What about the flexibility?

Regards Flo

 

[MarcinB]

High density neoprene is a bit more resistant to damage compared to the medium density one (most Heiwa neoprenes) because it has more rubber and less air.
Yes, my wetsuit is 5mm and elasticity is very good, but I have never tried a smooth skin/open cell one.
Heiwa nylon elastic/open cell is the most popular neoprene among freedivers, Daiwabo is probably of better quality and is more elastic, but it's also more expensive. If you really want the most durable neoprene than you should choose the double lined one. However, it comes at a cost of elasticity and warmth.
I dive in lakes in Poland where conditions should be pretty much the same as in Germany and some time ago I had the same dilemma. In my opinion Heiwa nylon elastic/open cell is the best compromise between durability, warmth and elasticity.

 

[Flo1407]

Hi Marcin,

thanks one more time! I´m on the way to change my mind and choose your reference (Heiwa nylon elastic/ open cell). It sounds like a good compromise.

Regards Flo

 

[MarcinB]

One more thing, there is also the new Heiwa open cell inside / Nylon Hydro-repellent outside neoprene. According to the guys from Elios this nylon is more elastic compared to the standard one.

 

[pingshui]

I have the suit described as your number 1), in 6mm.

What can I say? It is very stiff and therefore hard to put on. The coating doesn't really make it easier to put on, I still need loads of soap-water. It is very warm, but I don't feel comfortable in it, becuase it is simply too stiff. I can't really recommend it.

 

[Flo1407]

Hello everyone,

thank you all for your informations, which helps me a lot. I just now decided to Heiwa nylon elastic/ open cell and hope to have more fun with it.

Regards Flo