wetsuit suggestion

[Ptt]

I'm new to the whole diving/snorkeling thing so need some insight.
I'm 5'8" and 128 lbs. Which brand and model is better suited for my skinny body type?
I'll be rarely using the suit, maybe once or twice a year and it will be down south like Cozumel or Florida and mostly for snorkeling. I'm thinking a 3mm full suit??
I read a few threads and seen some people like Pinnacle's because it doesn't allows water in as much as Henderson.

[Sansho]

Pinnacle suits are nice because they come in a number of different sizes. Bare suits also have a number of sizes. Henderson has fewer sizes but people tend to like the hyperstretch-type materials. Most vendors have similar stretch material suits, too, under their own name.

At a minimum, suggest a 3mm suit. If you were planning to do lots of diving at a time, consider a 5mm suit. Past two years I've dove off the Florida Keys in February, and the water temperature has ranged from 68º to 78º, and a 5mm worked fine for me (I also used a 5mm hood when at the low end of that range). If you scan the discussions, you'll find people doing multiple dives a day over several days in "warm" water can get chilled in a 3mm suit.

[fisheater]

Fit. Damned near the ONLY important thing with a wetsuit is fit.

Try them on. You want them to be skin tight. Tighter than you think they should be, but just loose enough to not constrict you (too much). The less water they let in, which is due to fit, the better.

So. To sum it up, fit.

[cbope]

Originally Posted by Sansho

Pinnacle suits are nice because they come in a number of different sizes. Bare suits also have a number of sizes. Henderson has fewer sizes but people tend to like the hyperstretch-type materials. Most vendors have similar stretch material suits, too, under their own name.

At a minimum, suggest a 3mm suit. If you were planning to do lots of diving at a time, consider a 5mm suit. Past two years I've dove off the Florida Keys in February, and the water temperature has ranged from 68º to 78º, and a 5mm worked fine for me (I also used a 5mm hood when at the low end of that range). If you scan the discussions, you'll find people doing multiple dives a day over several days in "warm" water can get chilled in a 3mm suit.

I was diving in Thailand a while back and we did a 4-dive day off a boat in low-70's water. I was using a rented 2 or 3mm shorty. By the last dive I was definitely chilled. I just ordered a full suit with 5mm torso and 4mm arms/legs for similar diving trips.

[Ptt]

I recently dived in Nha Trang, Vietnam. I used the supplied shorty. No idea how thick it was, but it was pretty worn out. I only did 1 dive, but near the end of it I was chilled. I didn't go up because of the cold though. I had to go up because my throat was dry. After we got on the boat, the DM told me that it was 77 degrees, 20 min dive and the max depth of 5 meters.
I do get cold easier than a lot of people, so I guess I'll get 5mm and will try on several to see.

[Damselfish]

Originally Posted by Ptt

I'm new to the whole diving/snorkeling thing so need some insight.
I'm 5'8" and 128 lbs. Which brand and model is better suited for my skinny body type?
I'll be rarely using the suit, maybe once or twice a year and it will be down south like Cozumel or Florida and mostly for snorkeling. I'm thinking a 3mm full suit??
I read a few threads and seen some people like Pinnacle's because it doesn't allows water in as much as Henderson.

Can't say from this what suit thickness you need. Depends on your tolerence to cold, may be lower than average since you're skinny, but also depends some one where you live (you don't say.) And when you might go, because water temps vary with time of year - especially in Florida there is going to be a huge difference between say August and January. And you might find you don't need a suit for snorkeling so much since you're usually basking in the sun at the same time, though it's good to protect you from the sun.

So you might not want anything snorkeling in the Keys in August. And if you're the chilly sort and trying to dive there in January the 3mm might not be enough.

[dawnvip]

I often get chilled by the time the second dive is over while using a 3mm shorty in the carribean so I recently ordered the Henderson thermoprene 3mm full. LOVE IT! It does not feel like regular neoprene, much softer and stretchier. Keeps me warm. What more can I ask for? As for sizing, there is a chart on the ST site, but you can phone and talk to the guys if you're worried. (It does stretch a lot so you could probably go for the smaller end of the scale and not be worried)

[rednose83]

I have the Pinnacle 3mm from ST and love it!

Just wore it in the springs here (72 year round) and was nice and toasty!