lycra ???

[unirdna]

I've been shopping around for a solid 3mm suit, and have encountered a material I am unfamiliar with....lycra. Picasso makes a suit (Shadow) that has lycra on the outside. I own a commercial termic with the black nylon exterior....so, if any of you could compare/contrast the two (materials), I would appreciate it.

Gracias,
Ted

ps. I posted in the spearo section because I want the advice of those who expect durability from their gear. I know that many competition freedivers like the smoothskin, and I must admit that material would be a nice treat, but I would rip it to shreds.

 

[loopy]

Hey Ted,

Remember Jane Fonda? Not sure if you guys got her in your country, but she was an aerboics champ... she used to wear lycra leotards all the time. A lot of leotards, bike pants and generally anything that needs to be stretchy is made of lycra.
It's kinda like stretchy nylon... as far as durability goes, I haven't heard anything bad about the Shadow before.
If you're in the market for a new wetsuit, check out www.eliossub.com and have a look at their custom suits. They make custom fitted 3.5mm and 5mm suits for around $130US, and you get to pick what materials go on the inside, outside, wherever - you ever get to specify the type of neoprene. Extremely good value, and I've heard nothing but good about them.

 

[icarus pacific]

Lycra is a stretchier type of nylon-covering Tedski. It will snag and bugger up as easily as nylon will/won't but will let the base rubber do it's job of moving with you easier. I don't own a suit with it, but just off the top of my noggin, I'd have to think it's more prone to tearing because of it's thinner weave... It's usually seen on the inside of the suits as it's slippery texture facillitates the donning/doffing thing. Then again, it's gotta better than just a bare rubber exterior as far as the wear thing goes. But manoman, you can seemingly fly in a rubber/rubber suit.

I picked up my 3 mil Termic from the shop here.


sven

 

[loopy]

By a whisker...

 

[unirdna]

Thanks dudes.

Loopster: We are all very familiar with Jane Fonda and her love of the tighties. The leg-warmer craze was a dark time in the history of our world....If the bellbottoms wanna come back, so be it. But if the Flashdancers try to make a move, they should be put down immediately with such a force that the world has never seen. Jon has been barking about those elios suits (and waterway fins) for months now. Maybe it's time I start sniffin the 3mm's.

Svengali: Jon has that same 3mm termic; he would sleep in it if his wife would let him. Seems that one would give me nothing to complain about. I don't really need a custom suit since the Picasso size 50 was designed to fit my exact frame.....still.....if the price and fit on the elios suits is what folks have been yackin about, I'dabetta look into em.

Hasta,

Ted

 

[Jon]

lycra vs. nylon

Ted,

I seem to remember hearing, or reading, that nylon stretches in two directions and lycra stretches in four.

When it comes to swim suits I know that regular nylon suits last longer than the lycra ones do in the chlorine.

$130 for an Elios sub has me thinking that I need one - just cuz.

I am sure that my wife will have other ideas on that idea.:head

Jon

 

[Abriapnea]

Hi Ted ,
As mentioned the nylon is more durable but lycra will give better stretch , IMO very important if you are spending long hours in the water .
I use a Picasso Chicle (opencell) when hunting bluewater .
Now thats smooth ...