Wondering which wet suit to choose.

[valdim]

hi there I'm looking to buy my first wetsuit 5 mm that will be used for spearfishing in Greece and the islands at the shallow waters.
my requirements are to buy something that is easy to wear possibly without using a lubricant ,something that will stand crawling at rocks and is camo in brown-sandy colors.
I have stopped my reviewing at 3 options:
1. Omer Mix 3D Bifo 5 mm https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/omer-mix3d-bifo-5-mm/136312644/p
2. Spetton med green camo 5.5 mm https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/spetton-med-green-camo-7-5-mm/136943531/p
3.Omer Holo stone 5mm https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/omer-holo-stone-5-mm/136312628/p

Only the 1st one can be worn without lubricant. Its disadvantage is that it does not have pads (or strengthened in some way areas) on the knees and elbows.

Which one would you recommend based on yr experience? I looked at Spetton suits, too (Spetton Brown Gold Camo SCS 5mm) which look very sturdy, can be worn without lubricant and seems a good option, but is it suitable camo for my case?
Thanks for the opinions!

 

[Mr. X]

I wouldn't look for lube-free so cannot advise, as you clearly value you it.

I have a black suit and a camo suit and camo weight vest, so I understand the appeal. In practice, I don't think it makes any difference but heck it looks cool

Knee/elbow pads are unnecessary in my experience, provided the suit has a nylon exterior, rather than smooth-skin outer. That was also the advice I received from Elios, 12 years ago. Have heard some say pads are useful when diving from boats but I suspect having pads allows you to develop careless habits

 

[valdim]

Thank you, Mr.X!
Why you would not look for a lube-free? isn't a lube-free more practical?
Thanks again.

 

[Mr. X]

Might be handy but it used to be that such coatings added too much to the price for my tastes and some of them would wear off after a while.

Perhaps things have improved in both areas? Perhaps not. I don't find lubing up much trouble, once you get used to it you tend to do it automatically without much thought. For me, it is part of the experience. But I'm old and "old skool", you are probably young, so give it a try by all means and let us know how you get on.

BTW you can buy special wetsuit lube, made from seaweed I believe. Great idea. But if you spend much on it, might be better to get the coating. Many use hair conditioner as lube but I use Lidl's cheapest, plainest shower gel in very dilute solution, in an old washing up bottle ( found as jetsam on a beach & recycled ).

 

[valdim]

Thanks for the clarification, Mr. X.
As you say, perhaps things have improved in both areas. Perhaps not. We will see.
I really don't know what is best in long term. But I'm not sure if there is "long term", as long as we're talking about spearfishing equipment...
Newbies tend to gain experience and then their mind changes. They sell their present equipment and try to avoid the mistakes they did when they bought it. C'est la vie, as the French say.

 

[Mr. X]

Yes , quite so. You learn by doing, finding what works and doesn't work for you. That's part of the fun of it. No harm asking others opinions and experiences but yours may vary.

BTW check the model-specific size charts. I seem to recall that Omer suits seemed more aimed at smaller/slimmer body types. Like my son. Being stockier, some Mares and Beuchat suits looked like a better/safer bet for me. Although I tend to wear my old made to measure Elios suit most often, tried and tested, like a comfortable old jumper

 

[Brochman]

There is the option of making wetsuit lube from Kelp if you are diving near Kelp just gather some up and take it home with you. Take a small mesh bag and fill it with Kelp leaves. Place the bag in a bucket (no water) and put the lid on and let it sit for a few days ( you can have two or three mesh bags in the bucket going through the different stages of this cycle). The kelp will break down and get slimey because of the natural oils in the Kelp. Push the bag full of Kelp through the arms and legs of your suit and wiping it on the larger areas will work as a Lube. Natural & Biodegradable and at no long term cost to you or the environment.
I learnt this myself from an old diver who said this method was all people used to use before cheap Conditioners came out on the market.

 

[Mr. X]

Have you tried it Brochman?

I was surprised to hear that the thick foam that you sometimes see near shore is apparently, usually, a natural product of nearby seaweed. Although perhaps not at Aberavon

 

[valdim]

@Brochman and @Mr. X :
Guys, guys...why are you trying to drug us, the newbies, to the middle ages?!?
Come on, manufacturers offer no-lube feature:
1.Spetton Brown Gold Camo SCS 5 mm -Inside Microporous SCS Metal Gold thermical coated, witch keeps the temperature up to 25% compared to traditional microporouse open cell. Water and soap not needed to dress in.
See product details here -https://www.spettonusa.com/shop/wetsuits/brown-camo/

2. Omer Mix3D Bifo - Double lined neoprene wetsuit featuring the MIX3D camouflage. It combines the comfort and high quality of technical wetsuits with great durability. It can be worn without any lubricant. Velcro closure.
"Velcro closure"? Hm....I saw this now...Not goodn, huh?

 

[landshark sa]

Open cell is warmer than lined because the open cell neoprene tends to stick to your skin resulting to less water ingress - hence the need for lubricant in order to get into the suit. I have a Pelaj 3mm suit with a "titanium thermal lining" but because the material is so stiff lots of water flushes through the suit while diving. My other Rabitech Predator 3mm open cell suit is much more flexible and warmer.

I've never used Spetton but can highly recommend the lined outer / open cell inner Omer suits. I had one with a similar camo pattern (it was called Real3D back then) to the Holo Stone which I used for 7 years. Considering I get about 2 years use out of my surf suits which are much more expensive, to get 7 years solid spearfishing use is in my books really good value.

As for lube, I always used to use a watered down aqueous cream solution but recently started using Slippy (https://www.slippy.in). The stuff is just phenomenal!! It's a dry powder that once mixed with water (+/- 2 teaspoons to 1 litre water) makes a super slippery lubricant. I've found 300 - 400ml is about enough for both the top and bottom so a little goes a long way and is biodegradable, hypoallergenic, non-toxic and super easy to mix to use.

 

[valdim]

@landshark sa : Thanks for the valuable opinion.
@ the forum: how is it possible that nobody use Spetton?

 

[Mr. X]

For my part, no good reason that I can think of. Maybe just never had quite the right product at the right price for me?

There are quite a lot of smaller French Greek and Italian companies.

 

[SubSub]

I don’t get how all you guys need lube!? I never used anything else than sea water to squeeze my fat ass into the suit, and it always worked wonders!

 

[Brochman]

Hi Valdim a 5mm Lube free suit should be fine for you in the shallows in Greece as I wore a lined 5mm suit two days ago to clean the seaweed off the bottom of my boat and i live close to Norway so much cooler waters. There are probably people on the site that use Spetton but have not replied and or it is about what brand of suit fits you best as in my case Seacsub jacket and pants fits me like it was tailor made Elios jackets also. A Wetsuit has to fit you correctly if there is excess material it creates an air pocket and you will feel the cold also you will not be so streamline in the water so find it more difficult to swim, for me personally i would find a 5mm wetsuit an over kill in the shallows in Greece as i would cook but i am used to cooler waters,we all differ.
The same with a mask it has to fit your face correctly,gloves and fins are the same and might have to come from different brands so they can fit an individual correctly there is no one brand that fits all is what i am trying to say.
So it is all about the individual and sizes for that individual and what diving gear is appropriate to the climate you dive in.
Do you know what the seabed is going to be like when you dive in Greece so as to pick the camouflage closest to your surroundings?

 

[Brochman]

Mr.X Yes i have tried the Kelp lube and it works a treat. I will stick with it for a few reasons (1) Its free (2) It does not pollute the water wether it be the conditioner or the bottle it came in. (fed up with seeing bottles littering the coast) So rather than it being Middle ages lol it is the way forward. The Foam that sometimes can be seen on the shoreline is decaying Algae so often happens after there has been a Algae bloom and they all pop it or a ship has lost its cargo of washing up liquid

 

[valdim]

@Brochman : Thanks for the comment! The sea bed in Greece is combination of brownish, green, grey. In the autumn&winter it's more brown and gray.

 

[Mr. X]

I don’t get how all you guys need lube!? I never used anything else than sea water to squeeze my fat ass into the suit, and it always worked wonders!

I rarely change near the water's edge.

 

[marco15499]

Get an open cell wetsuit. Spetton is good. There's a lot good wetsuits out there. Most of them made in Asia. Some of them are not as good. Ask before buying it. Mares is good too and Picasso, Cressi... I don't have a good experience with Omer. I have to glue it after each 2-3 times in the water.

Once you've learned how to properly wear an open cell, you won't want to llok again to a double lined wetsuit. Open cell is much more comfortable and warmer.

In Greece you have very good brands as Pathos, Apnea, etc.

 

[valdim]

@ marco15499: Thanks for the opinion. I will go for open cell. It seems that this is the classics, for a reason. Which suit of Apnea or Pathos you would buy if u have no budget restriction?
I am now looking at Beuchat Espadon Elite 5 mm. What do you about it guys-is it a good suit and is it a good suit for the Aegean and Med seas?

 

[SubSub]

@ marco15499: Thanks for the opinion. I will go for open cell. It seems that this is the classics, for a reason. Which suit of Apnea or Pathos you would buy if u have no budget restriction?
I am now looking at Beuchat Espadon Elite 5 mm. What do you about it guys-is it a good suit and is it a good suit for the Aegean and Med seas?

If it a good suit or not depends on two things.

1. Material. There is good and there is bad. I’d say most well known brands sell good quality.

2. Fit. This is the more important aspect. You can have a suit with the perfect material etc but if it does not fit good it will leak, it will feel uncomfortable and you will not be able to relax. If possible find some suits to try. You’ll get the feel of what you need rather quick, but as it is a highly individual thing there is no correct answer to this question

Is it for the summer or winter? I feel a 5mm is way to thick for the Med in the summer. Fall -> spring = perfect.