Pinnacle Wetsuits

[Jellybeandiver]

Does anyone wear Pinnacle Wetsuits? They are all merino wool lined which I like because a 3mm is a little warmer than a regular 3 mm. And they seem to offer a wide variety of sizes including short and long sizes. And in the mens they carry up to a 4x and then 2 sizes above that they call King 1 and King 2. They are supposed to be an elastiprene material that is more like the Henderson Hyperstretch material. I figure with my size and shape that this would be a good choice for me but I wanted to hear some first hand knowledge of how these fit.

[WestTnDiver]

My wife tried two different sizes of the non stretch and couldn't get a good fit. She called them and asked and was told that they were targeted to taller slender divers. She stayed with the Henderson Hyperstretch. I don't know if the stretchy would now work for her.
That said, I have one of the new stretch Merano 3ml suits. It has a dozen or so 3hr pool sessions and two days of lake diving so far. It is much better constructed that the Henderson Hyperstretch ( I have two of those) but not nearly as warm as the 3ml Instadry which is the warmest suit I've ever had, but not made worth --. My hope is it will last longer than the Henderson - both in construction and in keeping its insulation qualities - the Hyperstretch quickly lost it in less than 50 dives and the Instadry falls apart in 50 dives.
I won't know for another year. It fits me about the same as the Hyperstretch.

[Doug B]

I've got the 7mm merino Arctic suit. Using the size chart, got the XL-short, and the fit is darn near perfect.

I've also got the 3mm shorty they make, have had it for four years, about fifty dives with it, and it's still nice.

I bought the pinnacle hooded vest to use under my 7mm, and it's perfect. I was using the 3mm shorty and a hood under the 7mm.... but that was too much neoprene around my neck.... but i was super warm....even in 45 degree water for 40 minutes.

[missnumnutz]

not sure if this would apply but I have the Pinnacle 7mm Cruiser semi-dry.. it doesn't have the merino lining so it has a bit more give than the merino lined Artic I also tried on.. i couldn't justify the extra $$ I ws losing and it felt warm and has become a good fit after a couple of dives - at first it was SO tight i was sore! i'm an XS - Regular length..

I think Pinnacle suits are good bang for your buck!

[ScubaToys Larry]

Now remember - not all the Pinnacle wetsuits have the Merino lining.

For example the Pinnacle Breaker Wetsuits don't have the Merino lining. And then there are different versions. Some like the Pinnacle Seal Wetsuits have the merino lining, but don't stretch much, then they have the Pinnacle Elastiprene which is the stretchy version with the merino on it. I just wanted to point out the differences here as I've had some people say they wanted a pinnacle for the merino... but then would order one that didn't have merino wool in it.. So just make sure you figure out which of the pinnacle suits have the combination of features you're looking for.

Now I first saw the merino wool suits in Australia (which makes sense since Australia and New Zealand are where the merino sheep are from) and I was pretty blown away. And not only do they have the comfort - I would say the warmth of this suit is greater for any given thickness. Now I will admit that even their elastiprene is not as stretchy as the Henderson hyperstretch wetsuits, so it is harder to get on - but depending on the warmth needed - you may decide that's a fair trade off.

[Netsloth]

I am the proud owner of a Seal 3mm Pinnacle suit. I love it. It fits like a glove, and the claim that it's warmer than a non-merino lined 3mm is not just marketing.

I am warmer in my Pinnacle than I was in my old generic LDS-special 3mm farmer john, and that was 6mm of overlap on the torso!

It seems to be the little things that make the suit so good. Every intersection of neoprene has a little disk glued over the joint, all of the seams are flawless, the neck seal works perfectly and doesn't bind, the wrist and ankles are water-tight. I thought the wool would be itchy, but it doesn't even resemble wool, and I don't notice it.

I love my wetsuit. My next suit will be a thicker Pinnacle.

[tarheeldiver]

Originally Posted by Netsloth

I am the proud owner of a Seal 3mm Pinnacle suit. I love it. It fits like a glove, and the claim that it's warmer than a non-merino lined 3mm is not just marketing.

I am warmer in my Pinnacle than I was in my old generic LDS-special 3mm farmer john, and that was 6mm of overlap on the torso!

It seems to be the little things that make the suit so good. Every intersection of neoprene has a little disk glued over the joint, all of the seams are flawless, the neck seal works perfectly and doesn't bind, the wrist and ankles are water-tight. I thought the wool would be itchy, but it doesn't even resemble wool, and I don't notice it.

I love my wetsuit. My next suit will be a thicker Pinnacle.

That's what I want if I ever reach 250 posts

[Chad]

I have the Pinnacle Fusion 4/5 that has the merino lining and I love it. Very warm (been to 53F at CSSP) and very well made. I am sold on Pinnacle.

[ParrotheadDiver]

I have been looking into one of these wetsuits....can someone (Larry) explain what the difference is...and what the advantages of buying one over the other would be...I only saw the 3rd one on your website but assume you have all three styles...

3mm Elastiprene Pinnacle Aquatics and the

3mm Seal Merino Lined Pinnacle Aquatics

Pinnacle Merino Elastiprene 3mm Womens Wetsuit Womens Wetsuits, Bare Wetsuits, Oceanic Farmer Jane, Henderson Hyperstretch, Henderson Gold, full suits, farmer johns, farmer jane, jumpsuits, shortys, shorties

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by ParrotheadDiver

I have been looking into one of these wetsuits....can someone (Larry) explain what the difference is...and what the advantages of buying one over the other would be...I only saw the 3rd one on your website but assume you have all three styles...

3mm Elastiprene Pinnacle Aquatics and the

3mm Seal Merino Lined Pinnacle Aquatics

Pinnacle Merino Elastiprene 3mm Womens Wetsuit Womens Wetsuits, Bare Wetsuits, Oceanic Farmer Jane, Henderson Hyperstretch, Henderson Gold, full suits, farmer johns, farmer jane, jumpsuits, shortys, shorties

I'm sure larry will stop by and go into great deal, but basically you have a high stretch suit in the Elastiprene, with the wool lining, elastiprene without the wood and a nicely made suit with standard neoprene (with Merino lining).

I have a few suit (ok, more than a few), including an Artic. I love the fit, the durability of the outside fabric, and putting the suit on with the wool lining. Is it warmer? I don't think so, but fit tends to be more important, and all my suits fit well. I really like the stretchy stuff, and having it be too stretching is not a good thing.. If cost is not a concern, the wool lining in the stretchy stuff is very nice.