How tight should be wet suit for freediving

[michal_bar]

I'm about to buy 6.5 mm akona two piece (john&jacket) wetsuit. I'm planning to use it for free diving. I'm going to dive some it cold water so I don't want it to be too loose, but on the other hand I want to be albe to breath

How tight should be the suit?

Is there a significant difference between 'regular' suits and those that are advertised as apnea siuts?

Is akona any good?

Thanks for help.

 

[Dark&Cold.Diver]

Its a matter of taste

Hi there! I think that you probably get ten different answers if you ask ten different people.
I use a 7mm Picasso suit that is pretty tight (maybe i have to improve my diet ).
For me its important to have a suit that keeps me warm no matter what, i usually dive in cold water (living in the northern parts of Sweden).
I know alot of people that would feel uncomfortable in a suit that is that thick and tight, but compared to the feeling of stop a diving-session because of to cold water isnt that nice either. And for me the most important thing is to have the freedom to decide how long i will stay in the water.
And theese days im used to the suit , it makes me a bit more immobile but i dont have any problems holding my breath in it.
Maybe you can try a less thicker suit if you feel uncomfortable , i think there is thinner suits that is almost as warm as the thicker ones, maybe there are others on this forum that has any sugesstions for you.
But in the end it is up to you to decide whats feeling best for you.

Greets. Jeppe

 

[donmoore]

The differences between an apnea suit and other types of wet suits is large. The apnea suit is more flexible and designed to take less effort when holding your arms in the dive position above your head and in breathing. They are also designed to reduce water movement into and out of the suit.

There are few major material choices with apnea suits. The first is nylon or smooth cell (open cell). Smooth cell has the advantages of further (substantially) reducing the amount of water movement in and out of the suit, which makes it considerable warmer than nylon lined. It also further adds to the softness and flexibility of the suit. The draw back of smooth cell is it more difficult to put and thus needs a lubricant, which is why there are so many threads in deeper blue on what to use for lubricant. A metallic coating of the smooth cell helps it slide on easier and helps hold in heat a slight amount more, but you should still use a lubricant to make it last longer. I believe titanium is not one of the metal coating. A suit with a titanium lining just has titanium powder mixed in with the glue that holds the nylon lining to the neoprene.

The second choice is smooth cell or nylon or lycra on the outside. A cloth outside greatly adds to the durability of the suit and is essential if you like to scrape it against rocks. Smooth cell outside isn’t as durable but is more slippery in the water thus reducing the diver’s drag a little. Smooth cell outside also dries faster and has less of a evaporation refrigerator effect than cloth outside.

There are more considerations, but this might help you start the process.
don

 

[donmoore]

As far as tightness goes, when you decide what type of material and features you want, check into how much it would cost to get a custom made suit. Many times it’s not that much more, then it’s made just perfect for you.
don