Need advice on dive suits! help.

Im really looking forward to diving this year and want to start hunting underwater..Just bought a rob allen railgun and now I need a suit. I got a 7mm scubapro one piece but that thing is a pain to get in and out of and is quite stiff! I hate cold water but need a good flexible suit. I like the 2 pieces and camos they out there but not sure wat I'm looking for when buying a suit. I would like spend no more then 300 but if its worth buying and then ill spend more..Anybody got any older used suits? Going to monterey this next weekend and I'm really looking forward to spearing some fish! someone help! ricci

I can only speak for one open cell wetsuit. I only had $300 to spend too, i spent just under that and got the Mako 7mm. Love it, never, ever cold. Price was right.

Rick and Fuzz will provide more info. The above is just my input.

Before that I had a Xcel scuba wetsuit, I purchased used, it was fine for my first year as it was cheap. But I was getting cold. I now never even feel the water.

Good luck! What day you diving?

I can only speak for one open cell wetsuit. I only had $300 to spend too, i spent just under that and got the Mako 7mm. Love it, never, ever cold. Price was right.

Rick and Fuzz will provide more info. The above is just my input.

Before that I had a Xcel scuba wetsuit, I purchased used, it was fine for my first year as it was cheap. But I was getting cold. I now never even feel the water.

Good luck! What day you diving?

Theres so many makes of suits I'm not sure where to start. I heard its best to try them on. I dove the american river today and water temp. was 54 degrees and i was still kinda cold..my body got kinda of used to it but my face was a taking a beating and got nummed! ...I was saying to my gf after i got out of the water, I'm not sure I'm cut out for this!!! I hope i find my comfort zone quick on this dive shit!

Ultimately, the best suit is the suit that fits you best. That will prove to be the biggest factor in your warmth, movement, and overall comfort. A suit with a ton of great/extra features that doesn't fit you will will pale in comparison to a more simple/lesser suit that does fit you well.

For your price range of <300, a Mako is a good option. I've never used one, but I know many people that have/do, and for the most part they like them a lot. My initial concern upon observing the suit was the velcro beaver-tail, but no one I've talked to seems to mind it much (whether or not that's just because the suits were new remains to be seen). Mako does have notable customer service, as well. The only catch with one of these suits is that you don't get a chance to try it on before ordering it.

To have an opportunity to try on several different brands/models locally (or at least in Norcal), I would recommend going to the Freedive Shop in Sacramento. While the majority of the suits may fall outside your price range, they do carry used suits, and they have a season-ending sale each November where the savings are considerable. Just be careful; if you're like me, it's like being a kid in a candy shop with all the gear they carry there. 

And in a freediving suit, 54 will be nothing to you. Hell, I could even stand high-40 degree water in a 5mm for 5-6 hours last year (though that was probably attributed to competitive drive and determination more than anything else  ).

I've used a Yazbeck "Snyper" and an Omer 3-D, and I like both suits in terms of comfort, warmth, movement, and durability (the Omer is of softer neoprene and slightly more fragile and colder after a while... granted, the one I have is a 5mm, while the Yaz is a 7mm)

Go to Freedive shop out there and do try them on.

If your core was feeling cold, it may have made your face feel worse. Usually if your warm, you may only feel slight chill on your face, right when you get in, but that goes away quickly, a cold face will not be a problem.

Again, a open cell dive suit makes a HUGE difference in mobility and warmth. You won't feel the water, its really amazing.

Go out there with the understanding that there is a learning curve and you may get frustrated, but with each trip you will improve from your first trip. You will likely inhale some water through your mouth and snorkle, flounder in the kelp, get tangeled in your shooting line and so on. Just be patient, relax and go with the flow. Fuzz has great tips for navigating kelp. I'm no pro, my first few days were hell, in crappy conditions, Taking in lots of water, not enough weight. I hated my first day. It wasnt what I expected, but I kept trying, now im not only comfortable but addicted. Something exciting about searching holes underwater with a light, it never gets old.


If you love your first dive day, go again.
If you hate your first dive day, go again, and again. just give it time to all come together.

Fuzz has great tips for navigating kelp


oh, and Rick is a BEAST! Smart kid too

All the above ( got mine at free dive in sac. )Picasso open cell 7 mm never get cold longest in water was last Sunday 3.5 hrs love it do much couldn't get out. My feet go numb after a couple hrs. Otherwise all good. Get a belt fish stringer and a descent light . Also float line for gun is priceless.
Can't wait to dive with you. If you want to come play in a lake up here I'll help you with your weight balance. Then you can dial it in at ocean.


Sent from my iPod touch because my computer is crap

Rick, Brent, and Brian, thank you all, thats all good info and much appreacited..I checked out those mako's and they look really nice for the money..they got a sale right now for them for like $214..thats awesome..I like the fact they come with everything I'm looking for! The only concern I have tho on thier sizing chart, a small suit is rated for 5'4"-5'6"/145-160 guy, and thier medium is rated for 5'7"-5'9"/160-170 pound guy! I'm 5'9" and only weigh 150/152, if u cant try them on, How would I know which size is best for me??...I think I'm gonna rent a suit from freedive for the upcoming weekend. They only charge $10 a day. cant beat that!

I hate these size charts. Each manufacturer has a different sizing chart. My piccaso is Med. My Pursuit is XL. They both fit about the same. These suits stretch a whole bunch. If you're borderline in the size chart like me, I would recommend get the bigger size. Since the Freediveshop is in your turf, you should just go try them out to get a feel for what size you need.

 Ricci,I was just going to post up how awesome the free dive shop is in West Sac. everyone there was so helpful, Russ helped me and was very informative. went  about 4 hours ago  for a new dive suit that I could also paddle in,so it needed to be a farmer john. I walked with the Cressi Tecnica  for 379.95 and a ton of info.
 I thanked them and told them I would pass my excellent  experience along to the NCKA, its nice to have that resource in the Sacramento area.

 so + 1 more for the free dive shop! and tell them your NCKA.

i had a closed cell first, i would get cold pretty quick, then i switched to the mako and love it, last dive the water temp was 46 and i was warm, (this is comming from a kid who turned blue in hawaii). i'm about 5"9 5"10 and 160ish, the mako farmer john fits nice and there is a tiny bit of room when i put on the jacket, but it hasn't been an issue, hope this helps

Fishworks, call Dano @ Mako   and talk to him tell him your body size  and im sure that will be better info then the size charts.

i had a closed cell first, i would get cold pretty quick, then i switched to the mako and love it, last dive the water temp was 46 and i was warm, (this is comming from a kid who turned blue in hawaii). i'm about 5"9 5"10 and 160ish, the mako farmer john fits nice and there is a tiny bit of room when i put on the jacket, but it hasn't been an issue, hope this helps

What size did you get? I'm about the same size and weight  as you and also was thinking about getting a mako open cell.