Wetsuit

[RemaxReeler]

Hey there, I'm the new guy on the board. I'm new to spear fishing and have met a few of you over the last month. After diving this weekend, I learned how ill equiped I am for winter hunting and just wanted to check to see what you guys felt would be a good wetsuit for some chilly water?

[subdude]

I am in NW Fl and dive year around in open boats.

I just replaced my 6.5 mm farmer john and jacket with a 7/5 henderson gold core. I also use a hooded vest for when it gets below 70 or so.

The jacket and john are about 8 yrs old and have hundreds of dives on them so it was time. Usually the coldest I get is between dives. Goretex and layers help make that more tolerable.

subdude

[RemaxReeler]

Thanks Sub, the Henderson line looks top notch, thanks, Lee

[GeauxSaints]

When the water gets below 65 I use a 3mm hooded vest, a 1 piece 3mm suit and a 2 piece 3mm suit layered.

With LOTS of weight...but I am warm as can be.

Above 65 and a 2 piece 3mm with a hood is all I need. Hoods and/or hooded vests are the BOMB!

[dothanfrogman]

Gold core is the way to go.

[Capt.Gene]

Front entry cross chest zipper, combination of Gold Core and hyperstretch in the parts that bend. 7mm body and 5mm lower arms. Attatched hood with Hyperstretch neck pannels.
This is THE wetsuit for the 49F. water temperature I expect to see in central Gulf of Mexico this January.

[Nitroxshooter]

I must be a wimp I use a Mobby's drysuit. I have a Henderson drysuit for sale. it is neoprene 7mm.

[201proguide]

i plan on going out this weekend after not doing any spearfishing for about a month. i cant stand not going any longer. the only wetsuit that i own is a 3/2 wetsuit for surfing. im going to tuff it out and try to get some stonies and grouper. hopefully the grouper have moved closer inshore in big numbers.

[Grande]

201,
i dont know what your experience level is but last weekend i did my first dive with a full wetsuit. holy shit it is a lot different than surfing. i have a 4/3 and it wasnt too bad underwater for the first dive but when i got in the boat i was freezing after a couple of minutes and didnt do another dive. i think it would be manageable if the air was warm but it was in the 50s and windy and i just couldnt warm back up. also i was shocked at how much extra weight i needed. usually i use 6lbs, i had to use 14lbs and about halfway through my tank i could feel myself being pulled up.

[Fish_Dip]

DUI drysuit.

It's as simple as that. Do all of the research you want. You'll always go back to the DUI and find it is the most bang for the buck and won't ever let you down.

[inletsurf]

Im the cheapest and dirtiest son of a bitch on this forum. I'll wait till one of my buddies or someone sells a good fullsuit for surfing and then I'll buy it for no more than $75. That suit becomes my surfing wetsuit. Then, the former surfing suit becomes my dive suit.

You should see the progression of one of my suits.

0 months---typical fullsuit (surfing style, but works well)
1 months---reef cuts all over wrists and arm sections from pulling bugs from holes
2 months---knees wore out from reef rock when I'm yanking bugs
4 months---one leg tears off at the knee...
8 months---both arms usually eat away and tear off the next time I put the suit on. Now the wetsuit is a short-sleeved one legged farmer john
12 months---there goes the other leg.
12 months, 1 day---time to find a friend with a cheap suit for sale

I hate spending money on something that gets screwed up after a year. Its like i have to appropriate money to the more important expenses in diving, like regulators and shit. Spearfishing isnt' too hard on the suits, it's grabbing up rock reef and holes for bugs and getting all the micro cuts thru the rubber on the arms and knees...

Just as an example... lets take a look at how cheap i really am...(get ready to laugh)

Here's a suit that was used for diving only 1 year and has already been thrown away. This was at the 8 month mark, where the next time i put the suit on, my hand tore thru the elbow. Notice my right leg. Ripped off. For shits and grins look at the mask. Pretty pathetic, right?

Heck with spending over $100 for a suit. I'm saving money for a better regulator, powerhead, and that SS commercial rhino, and a JRII trip. I can't be spending money on stuff that gets destroyed in a year!!!

Check the DANIA beach flea market this year for some great prices on diving wetsuits (April)...good luck

PS keep in mind that the gulf gets way colder than the average winter temp here...

[greyface]

Inletsurf, I'm laughin' my ass off! You're not only the cheapest & dirtiest sob on the board, but you're definately one of the funniest! That ****in' pic kills me. That wouldn't be one of those high end Wally World masks, would it?! US Divers Malibu or X-Ray? There's 3 or 4 of those in one of my gear bags...LOL!:D

[Screen Name]

First off, I want to congatulate you on your new "Camel Toe" avatar. Thank you for not showing the face and crotch on that one.

Secondly, Have you ever been diving with one of those dudes that dont have a scratch on their wetsuit? They put their hands behind their back to make sure they never inadvertently touch the reef? You see pictures of them all the time in Skin Diver Mag.

Well, I can envision a photo of you in a Henderson ad in Skin Diver, shaft stuck in the coral, big ol murk cloud, bustin off chunks of staghorn to get your shaft unstuck.

Thats our boy, Inletsurf!

[inletsurf]

LOL!!!! I can't remember which US divers model it was, I bought it for my girl at the time to snorkel on the surface while I made my descents...accidently broke the glass out of the mask i was using so I took that one from her...

It worked, and like i've said, i've been too busy buying other shit and if it works, use it right? I'm going to get one of those sporasub samurai reflectives soon though.

Thanks on the avatar...I thought it was funny too. I don't think the FS moderators like it though, especially after they deleted 3 of my threads because of camel toes.

Juli-fag deletes my threads:
http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=19824&page=15
http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=19824&page=16

I rub it in their face:
http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=26858

[FredT]

These things are almost mandatory for diving rigs, are highly resistant to all forms of abrasion, and are inexpensive enough to have a spare on board to deal with the off chance you do hole one of them.

I'm talking about an Honest-to-God Cajun Diveskin!

These things are manufactured out of some really heavy duty stuff with long sleeves and come with a relief zipper as standard equipment.

I think the last one I got was about $14, but the "name brands" like Levi's and Dickies can come a bit higher.

There ain't nothing like a good jumpsit coverall for saving the rubber of your wetsuit or drysuit. Use a polyester blend for that summer 95°F water, and the heavy canvas ones for winter over your drysuit.

FT

[inletsurf]

LMAOROF FredT!!!!

:D :D :D