Wetsuits

[andycornish]

I started spearfishing last summer and looking forward to the start of this season, I have a 5mm surfing wetsuit which has lasted me so far but its starting to die.

Any recommendations on what to buy ? I have a mate with a camoskin 2 piece job which seems good.

1)Any make better than others ?
2)What sort of thickness is good for the UK year around?
3)Does the camoskin make a difference compared to a black one?

Cheers

 

[robdigital]

Hi Andy,

I was new to spearfishing last year and had the same problems with choosing what to get but for the uk go for a dedicated 5mm spearo suit mine has a nylon outer with a open cell interior which i have not had a problem with getting a cold body. There is loads of choice and everyone has there own opinion on manufacture i ended up with a omer suit which was a bit scary ordering online but there size guide was spot on. Also dont be too put off by having to use lube - its not that much hassle and to be honest after a few times getting in and out i reckon its easier than putting on a normal wetsuit!! As for camo well i dont mind looking an ass so i went for it

 

[A.C.]

Hi Andy
I agree with Robdigital,as the neoprene used in spearo suits is only manufactured by a couple of companies and to the same spec it's really down to indivdual choice and "pocket". As to camo, there are quite a few camo lycra oversuits/rash guards that can be worn over a standard black suit (camo suits tending to be more expensive). I use different thickness jackets and longjohns/trousers to mix and match, so I stay warm but don't need to wear a lot of weight.With an oversuit I can buy single piece items or end of stock and still have camo whatever the mix, which is quite cost effective.

Stay warm! Good hunting

A.C.

 

[nz676]

first off there are many different grades,densitys and qualitys of neoprene also different types of thermal and wear resistant lining/coatings for the interior and exterior depending on what you are looking for, your best bet for your money is to check out the elios website.Elios makes custom wetsuits open cell being the warmest and having a custom helps get rid of air pockets and areas water can seep in making you cold.They will help you figure out what you want based on your use of the suite aka spearfishing,competion ect....send them a msg and they will reply in a day or two.This is a far superior purchase than a off the rack suit and camo cost the same or maybe a few pennies more than a standard colour suite also the price will be almost the same as a off the rack suit. Go with a 5mm and if you need a little extra warmth in the core buy a over or under vest of 3- 2mm.I think are temps of water a some what similiar as i dive in 4 degrees in the winter with an outside temp of -5 degrees with a 5mm and a 3mm under vest summer rises to around 12-17 degrees and all i have to do is drop the undervest so i dont over heat.Most important are good gloves and booties as your hands and feet will get cold before anything and if they get cold it will chill your core so investing in some nice open cell socks and gloves is really good for warmth

 

[thedodd]

Mako 5mm Camo wetsuit by far the most bang for the buck, blends nicely in the reef and is farmer john for added warmth in the core! Has matching gloves as well dont be fooled by the price its

http://makospearguns.com/details.php?prodId=168&category=4

 

[nz676]

yeah mako and elios have the exact same camo reef pattern except the elios will be a better fit.and after shipping the mako will cost you more to ship international there a nice suit but a rack suit and a custom always go for custom.The elios you can order in a higher grade up to 45 yamamoto neoprene.and if you wish you can order elios in a farmer john as well ,as most suit manfacturers have that option. Its just that in the summer you cant remove a farmer john so speaking from experiance you over heat thats why i choose a waist high and a undervest better for year round.also i believe the hammer head adaption uses the same camo reef pattern as well if your interested.

 

[foxfish]

Here is another cutom suit maker that is popular with db folk Spearfishing Suits - DiveSkin - Quality Neoprene Products

 

[nz676]

those suits at diveskins are a pretty good deal good price decent quality i have one myself and the customer service is really good

 

[ncspear]

Cressi make great suits. They are made alongside Oneil, excel and cskins in china so you know you are getting a well made suit. They also have a good dealer backup here in the UK, so chasing a guarantee wont be too hard if you have to.
The main difference between a 'dive' suit and a 'surf' suit is that you are paying for durability as opposed to flexibility. Personally i believe that the 2 piece system is somewhat archaic, it doesn't make much sense to give water the opportunity to seep in through the waist when you could have a one piece which provides a complete seal which equals consistent warmth and less buoyancy. Spearfishing seems to be one of last bastions of the 2 piece, and in my opinion Thats due to convention rather than purpose, although i would love to here opinions to the contrary.
I would recommend going to try one on rather than buy online, plus it will support your local dive shop, which at the moment probably needs all the help they can get. Plus they will give you loads of free advice.
Use a plastic bag when getting a wetsuit on, gets rid of the need for 'lube'. Use it like a sock and your leg will shoot out the other end like its been greased.

 

[A.C.]

Two piece suits are great because they give you options to mix'n'match also in our not so warm waters you have a double layer of insulation around your core (if wearing longjohns/farmerjohns). Plus on a not so pleasant side, if your on a comp or "big swim" and after 3or 4 hours feel the need for a dump you can sort this out (obviously longjohns negate this option).

 

[andycornish]

The one piece 5mm excel i have at the moment is fine for the summer i can stay in for 3-4 hours before i start to feel the cold and that with no booties, and 3mm gloves and no hood, it is a good wetsuit, but the neck seal is starting to go. And in the winter i could only last an hourish before it was not enjoyable at all !

I agree with ncspear that a one piece stops the risk of water getting in at the waist but talking to my mate that has one he has never had any problems with water getting in at the waist. And im not sure how thick you can get a one piece wetsuit ? also from what i have seen you can get a decent quality thinker two piece wetsuit than a one piece. Plus all 'spearo' wetsuits seem to be two piece

 

[ncspear]

You can get a 7mm one piece pretty easily , although it has to be said it seems to be cheaper to go for a two piece sometimes. I suppose the next question is do you go camo or black? Personally i use a black wetsuit, and put a camo longsleeve rashie over the top...sneaky...

 

[andycornish]

Have to go to my local (in cornwall) dive shop and see what they have as they have a good range of kit for spearo's having bought all my kit in there so far. Where did you get the camo longsleeve rashie from ncspear ? could be useful for my current wetsuit while i look for a replacement

 

[ncspear]

Its a C-skins rashie. I'm in the 'surf industry' (work in a surf shop...), so my kit tends to be surf based. Its a really good colour for our waters as its a kinda dark grey camo.

 

[andycornish]

Used to surf myself so most of my kit so far is old surfing stuff. Yea its the same colour as my mate (DB member TomH) who has the camo two piece and definitely cheaper than buying a whole new suit

 

[andycornish]

Also forgot one of the advantages of a custom spearo wetsuit is that they have a built in pad on the chest for loading, which im sure will help once i get a larger than the mares instinct pro 75 i have at the moment

 

[ncspear]

Good point. In typical diy fashion i made my own chest pad by laminating offcuts of neoprene together with aquasure, then on to the chest area of the rashie. Its lasted ages!
Mares guns are pretty damn good, i have a phantom carbon 95, and its great, plus easy to get spare parts etc in the uk.

 

[thedodd]

I like the new omer 3D rashguard because the hood is attached and can be put on or taken off easily witout having to tuck in a camo hood. I have the riffe crytic camo rashguard and camo lycra hood. Its nice but i wish it was all one piece.

 

[nz676]

A two piece suit is warmer as it has no real seam little to no water enters your suite if you have sized it properly almost all free divers and spearos wear a 2 piece suit far superior to one piece.unless you are a warm water diver and dont mind water flooding in your zipper.A 2 piece suit there is no water inside(there should be lube on you skin after a dive) if you have the proper fit and a 2 piece is equally durable if you get the appropriate neoprene for your activity hiewa or a yamamoto 39 with ultra stretch is great with nylon exterior.surf suits tend to be double lined there easier to get on but made from closed cell neoprene so far far colder than open cell with smooth skin interior .Just look around the site at other forums on wetsuits and you can see what im talking about your far from the first person to ask these question and there have been great discussions on this from some very experienced people.

 

[DeFishWhisperer]

I was convinced I needed a farmer john suit but the local dive instructor/shop owner recommended to go with a 1 pc 7mm vs the 7mm farmer john suits due to the additional weight needed for buoyancy. The 1 pc was very dry and comfortable, ended up with 24#'s on the weight belt. Does anyone know if this is something that should be considered? Any guess how much more weight would be needed?

Cheers:friday