wetsuits for women

[saltwater newbie]

thanks Larry -- now that my boyfriend has officially called me out ...can anyone tell me whether there is a wetsuit that shaves 10 pounds off my butt??? Ok...seriously, I am a newbie and I am struggling with the wetsuit purchase. Are the women's wetsuits truly a better fit for women or does it really matter? I am also trying to figure out what mill to get as a starter suit. We are diving in the keys in mid october but my guess is that the majority of rest of my dives will be primarily in the caribbean. I am not a cold blooded person. ....and about that dive toe nail polish.....????

[dallasdivergirl]

i am a total warm water wuss & i normally wear a 3 mil shorty with short or long sleeves. i was in roatan in October and i was pretty warm.

i am totally lost with the dive toe nail polish. i do get a good pedicure right before i leave and put on 3 or 4 coats of clear & i never have problems.

[saltwater newbie]

thanks for the response - this forum started at the request of my boyfriend because he was tired of trying to answer my girl body questions from his male body perspective.....the nail polish comment started out as joke, but I appreciate the tip all the same.

I see you are from Illinois. Have you ever been to the Superman festival in metropolis (I think that is in Illinois...or heck, maybe it is Ohio...)

Have you ever tried the front zip wetsuits? how about a farmer jane?

[Athena2c]

I would say that you do want the women's wetsuit-it does make a difference.
I've been very comfortable with a 1/2 or 1mm suit for the April/May Caribbean diving I've done, but am opting for a 3mm for the Bahamas liveaboard in January.

I don't know about dive toe nail polish, but I did get a dive flag pedicure for my wedding last year-a barefoot on the beach affair. It was a special request from hubby

[cutter77]

My long sleeved 3mm shorty has been just the right weight for our Caribbean trips. It's easy to get in and out of too.

[saltwater newbie]

What about farmer janes (bib only) with a rash guard or a jacket? what about front zip wetsuits? Good? Bad?

Hey Larry, why don't you carry any 3 mil farmers?

[dallasdivergirl]

I got a 5 mil full wetsuit with hood and front zip. very easy to get in & out of. my shorty is a back zip & it's a pain to not zip my hair up in it. I have never tried on a famer jane.

my 5 mil is a mares & it fits great. i can't wait to try it out.

salt water newbie i don't know if you were talking to me about living in IL but i live in Fort Worth, TX

[Athena2c]

I prefer front zip when I get it. They don't make a lot of suits with the front zip unfortunately.
I used a farmer jane for my certification classes and hated it. I really like the full suits.

[pjm1128]

Originally Posted by saltwater newbie

thanks Larry -- now that my boyfriend has officially called me out ...can anyone tell me whether there is a wetsuit that shaves 10 pounds off my butt??? Ok...seriously, I am a newbie and I am struggling with the wetsuit purchase. Are the women's wetsuits truly a better fit for women or does it really matter? I am also trying to figure out what mill to get as a starter suit. We are diving in the keys in mid october but my guess is that the majority of rest of my dives will be primarily in the caribbean. I am not a cold blooded person. ....and about that dive toe nail polish.....????

My suggestion would be to try various thickness suits and styles (maybe renting?) before you sink the money into a wetsuit. I *know* I get cold easily, so usually end up wearing more suit than anybody else in my group, but diving cold is NO FUN, as well as less safe. You kinda have to learn what works for you and can't always go by what others do, or the temp recommendations for a particular gauge wetsuit. I got back from the Bahamas a week ago and dove in a skin while most of the others in my group dove in swimsuits. Water temp was 87 degrees. I was more than warm enough in my skin, but wore it primarily for protection from inadvertent brushes with coral and various stinging critters. For night dives I wore a 3 mm full suit comfortably. When I dive in Maui, I usually wear a 7 mm full wetsuit for water temps in the low to mid 70's during the Winter, while other people might be diving in 3 mm's. It all depends on you, and how easily you get cold.

Pat in MI

[saltwater newbie]

why did you hate the farmer? I am trying to figure out a way to get a two piece suit that can be a 2 or 3 mil farmer with a rash guard for warmer water and a jacket for colder water.

have you ever had a custom suit made?