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Oceanos Slickskin Wetsuit

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diverdylan

New Member
Feb 1, 2006
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I am somewhat new to the sport of freediving and am about to purchase a wetsuit. Has anyone heard of the Oceanos Slickskin? What is an open cell suit? Thanks. Dylan.
 
Hey DiverDylan, welcome to the Forum. Yes I have heard many good things about the Oceanos Slickskin. My buddy down here in the virgin islands actually just ordered the same wet suit. He had to take about 18 different body measurements because these suits are custom built.

These open cell suits have the neoprene spores on the inside and are in contact with the skin. Both sides of the neoprene are vulcanised which is a process[SIZE=-1] to improve the strength and resiliency of the suit. The advantages of this are it's softness and great insulation, in which the material adheres to the skin, reducing the flow of water through the material. Although there are 2 inconveniences to the open cell suits. First, it is exhausting to put on or take off and it is very delicate. There are two possible ways of putting on an open cell suit. When the water is warm you can soak the suit, lubricate it with shampoo and the slip it on, always taking the greatest care with how you handle the material, as even the pressure of a finger can rip it. If instead the water is cold and you dont' want to put ont a wet wetsuit, dust the interior with talcum powder, which will reduce friction against the skin, making it easy to slide on.

**This info was taken from the "Manual of Freediving"...

So hopefully you enjoy your wetsuit, I hope it works out for you.
[/SIZE]
 
For your first suit it's not a bad idea to get some sort of fabric on the outside - nylon, superstretch etc. The protects the suit and makes it much more durable. the tradeoff is a little more drag in the water - but this is not significant unless you are competing. The interior is open cell neoprene - usually with some sort of coating that makes it slide on a little easier. Freediving suits are often custom made and have no zippers.

I dive frequently in very cold water and, in order to put my suit on I mix a little hair conditioner with water - about 1 to 4 or 5 - and squirt it into the suit. I them rub the suit against itself on the inside to make sure it's evenly distributed - you can tell when the suit slides easily over itself. Particularly important are the arms, armpits and area just under along the sides, and the neck. Then it's easy to put on and preparing only takes about a minute.

My suit is open cell inside and superstretch nylon outside - it is very durable, comfortable and warm even down to 2 or 3 c

I've heard only good things about Oceanos - my suit is from eliossub.
 
Where can I find information about the 'Oceanos' suit?

I googled it and came up with nothing :(.

Is Oceanos the company name or a specific model name?
 
The open cell ones are. This is because a zip would let water in and spoil the suction effect which makes them so warm. Also they would be almost impossible to put on, even with a zip, if they were one piece.

Lucia
 
These wetsuits can't be made better. They're made from Heiwa open-cell neoprene (same stuff as Elios), perfectly glued and stitched, and the fit of the custom made is just incredible. Some told me these suit are low end suits without knowing them.

Why do they think like that?
- Because they cost less than half a similar suit, and they are affraid to buy something cheap.

DON'T be affraid, and I can tell you won't regret anything.

And Spiros (the owner) is so nice to deal with. Give it a try!
 
I agree, Spiros is a great guy offering a great deal for a custom suit. I've had mine for about 7 months and have absolutely no complaints.

I got the Black seal, nylon out, open in, reversible 3mm suit. It's great and can be used to temps down around 65f comfortably. The suit actually fits so well that I can wear just the high waist pants in warmer water without them slipping.

Again, can't recommend the guy enough, makes a really high quality product, you won't be dissappointed. Till later...

~JMP
 
I'm in the process of buying a wetsuit and need some direction. After reading this thread I went to diveskin.net and looked around. I will be primarily spear fishing off the Oregon coast, which are frigid waters even in the summer. Temps range from mid 40's to high 50's, fahrenheit. I'm looking at the 5mm green army cammo suit. Is 5mm gonna be warm? I've never owned a wetsuit before nor have I worn one so I have no clue except for what common sense tells me. There is quite a bit of coral where I'll be going so I need a suit that is durable. Obviously I'll be staying as far away from it as possible but as we all know, shit happens.

It would be great if an experienced person could go to this http://www.diveskin.net/shop/index.php?p=productsMore&iProduct=1 site and tell me if it's a good suit for my needs. The price is great for my budget and I really hope it will work for me.

Also, about 8 years ago somebody left a kershaw diving knife in my car and I would like to know if it is a good knife to use. It's got a approx. 7" blade that is double sided, one half of one side perferated.

Thank you so much.
 
My mate bought one of those last year and he really liked it. He swore blind it was better than his elios, he also said that next time he would get knee pads on it ;) having said that his missus said she knew someone on this board that had one and it was the worst fit of all time and couldnt use it.
There a really helpfull post from the guy that brought you peanut butter, strawberry jam and spread cheese sandwiches :p
 
I use a 5mm suit here in Northern Michigan with waters temps down into the low 30s. I've been very comfortable. I really only ever get cold if I'm exposed to the wind alot after I get out. That said it's an individual thing and a matter of how long you'll be in - I've done at least 90 minutes at 33 or 34F.

The trick with ordering a custom suit is to make damn sure your measurements are right. With Elios I went back and forth with three sets of measurements until they accepted them :)
The diveskin suits are getting very good reviews across the board. I can only vouch for Elios personally - but I'd have no problem ordering a diveskin and may do it for my next suit.

My Elios 5 mil is Black Shadow neoprene - with the 'new black' open cell lining and superstretch outside.
 
Last edited:
aesop wrote:

There is quite a bit of coral where I'll be going so I need a suit that is durable

The Heiwa neoprene is exactly what you need. It's a bit tougher than Yamamoto, and compress less in depth. The kneepads are a must if you hang on a coral bottom (don't hurt'em!!!)

I have a 5mm green army camo, and if you're equipped with good gloves and sox, you'll be so comfortable!
 
Thanks so much for yur advice, it's exactley what I needed. I know the contributions the coral makes to the sea and will not hurt them.
 
I posted this question somewhere else and thought this is on topic too.

I know I want the suit but I don't know what bottoms to get. I have the choice between a long john or waist up pants. Also, I have a choice between slick skin or nylon interior, what should I get?

This is prolly a stupid question but I'd rather ask a stupid question rather than get the suit.

Thanks a lot,
Chris
 
I just got my Slickskin wetsuit last week and I have had a couple chances to use it. I am extremely happy with this suit. Its very warm and performs really well. I would recommend getting a custom fit suit. Its worth it at no extra cost. I opted for the waist high pant. Im able to wear just the pants if I want especially when the suns blazing. Dont worry, it seals really well with the shirt. Hope this helps. I love mine and Spiros is a good guy to do biz with. Peace.
 
It helps emensly, thanks a lot. You've made me very excited to get my suit!

thanks again,
Chris
 
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