Nylon exterior lining or Lycra?

[Gab]

I have thought long and hard and for my fishing style, mainly along rocks and coral, max 25m, I need a wetsuit with an external lining. I often climb out and sit on rocks, this will probably destroy an unlined wetsuit.

My question is should I get Nylon or Lycra? I read that Lycra is more stretchable and thicker than Nylon, but Elios (one of the makers I'm looking at) recently replied that Lycra is more durable bur not more elastic, so I'm a bit stumped....I think they use an elastic Nylon but I read that it is only half as elastic as Lycra.

Does anyone have experience with both types of exterior linings? What are your comments/thoughts?

Thanks,
Gabriel

 

[Jonny250]

me again
i had a lycra elios suit and it was not as warm as the nylon heiwa suit. i think the lycra suit is matched to a more stretchy and less warm neoprene. It was very easy to get on/off.
my lycra suit was very stretchy. i cant remember which neoprene it was, not heiwa.
I had the black shadow which is very dense and warm, the heiwa/nylon which is tough and pretty warm, and this ?/lycra which was least warm. ease of putting on was in the reverse order. all were tough, but the black shadow started to split in the legs during the summer, you still need lube to get it on.

 

[Gab]

Hi again Jonny

Thanks for the info, that would explain maybe why they have more nylon ones than lycra ones. Thanks for sharing you experience!

What interior lining did you have on the lycra and nylon suits, if any? Maybe the interior lining also played a role in the heat and ease of putting on? I don't think I am ready for an open cell inside yet; since living far from the sea I get to fish only up to 3 times a year. I have read a lot of good about open cell inside but also that they are a lot more fragile and care has to be used when putting on, taking off, storing, packing for traveling, etc. I was thinking of the superelastic lining Elios has, I have read that the metallic linings tend to peal off but I can't find much info about this one.

 

[Gab]

So, I ended up getting a 5mm with Lycra and a 3mm with nylon, both custom Elios wetsuits. The 5mm has more stretch than the 3mm, it is easier to put on and especially easier to take off. They have different neoprenes so that may be the reason, or it could just be the lycra vs nylon factor (which is what I think it is).

Thanks all for your comments.