r/scuba•
jamjazzer

Entry level drysuit for skinny diver

Hi Scuba divers out there!

I am Fabian and have been thinking about getting a drysuit for quite some time now. I am located in Germany, where it's totally fine to dive in a 7mm semi-dry wetsuit during the summer months. But in spring (April/Mai) it's usually still cold and as soon as the days get shorter in October I am freezing in the 7mm wetsuit as well.

So yea in winter I went to a big fair in Germany (the "Boot") and looked at tons of drysuits. Being totally overwhelmed by all the manufacturer and all the offers I returned home not buying anything. Now the topic comes up again.

These are my requirements:

  • I consider myself a sport diver (AOWD, 45 dives), no cavediving, no double-tank diving, no deep diving. I want to breathe underwater in the local lakes in the 10-25m.
  • I am freezing quite fast - last summer I was diving in the Mediterranean I was okay with my 7mm semi-dry. But I wouldn't want a 5mm or a colder day.... brrr....
  • I am quite skinny (183cm height, 93 chest, 83 waist, 93 hip).
  • I am fine with spending 1000 Euros, if less, I am happy, too. I don't see the point spending 2000 on a drysuit.
  • I ready to buy another suit if I all the sudden want to go deep diving and cave and tec diving.

So most drysuits I look at, do not have a standard size that fits me well. So for most manufacturers I would have to get a suit made to measure. Usually that's 100-300 Euros in addition. You saw my budget earlier, so that's a lot I think.

Therefore my questions:

  • Any recommendations for standard sized drysuits I could pick that would fit my skinny measurements?
  • For my kind of diving I would prefer a neoprene drysuit? Do you see any "blockers" in that decision?
  • I finally found one suit made by cressi. I have good experience with cressi, my semi-dry I currently own is also made by cressi (size L/4) . They threw drysuits out of their program, but you can get the drysuit from last year for around 600 (see here: http://www.divingshop.nl/nl/cressi/266-cressi-drylastic-man-4mm-hd-8022983037226.html . ) Does anyone of you have experiences with a 4mm cressi neoprene drysuit? Again, the semi dry by cressi currently fits me very well. I would pick this drysuit in size L/4, which has:
  • Height: 175/183cm (I am 183)
  • Chest: 98/103cm (I have 93)
  • Waist: 78/83cm (I have 83)
  • Hip: 88/93cm (I have 93)
  • Do you have any experience by buying a drysuit "from the catalogue" without trying it on?

I ended up with a bunch of questions, but maybe you can still help me with my decision.

Cheers, Fabian

Posted Jun 26, 2017, 8:16 PM UTC · edited

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