Wet Suit Advice

I've been talked into getting a wetsuit from a few different good folks on this board and if I want to venture out into the ocean I'll take all the good advice I can.

So I'm going with a farmer john - I think I'm going to get an NRS 'Ultra'

My question stems from the fact that I am exactly between sizes. I could go for a XL or XXL in this suit - not having any experience in wet suits at all, show I go for the tighter or looser fit? Will the suit still function correctly if I have a little extra room, or do I need as tight a fit as I can manage for it to work right (thermally). If I had to error in one direction, which way should I go.

Sorry for my ignorance (I did search the archived posts looking for info and only found a post talking about a snug fit) , and thanks for your help.

-Murf

I'd go snug vs loose.  An Ultrajohn in 3 mil will only give you so much heat retention.  I sometimes wear one with a liner under it and other layers, but that may not be enough on cold and wet days, and I'm not sure how long you could last in the ocean water with that setup.  Good luck, and I'm glad you're prepping up for ocean time.   

Considering I'm only getting this suit for ocean, maybe I should go with another suit. I liked the NRS 'Ultra' because of its layered underskin...

What I would like to do is be able to take a swell to the side, flip, get my ass back on my yak and keep fishing...if the 3mil isn't enough for that then I need to rethink this purchase.

Any suggestions?

-Murf

3 mil is the "standard" in fj suits.  Anything more and you are looking at a divesuit.  I found the 3 mil to be the most comfortable to move in.  You could always base layer under the suit?  I usually wore something over the suit on cold mornings.

I'd go a little loose, heat retention is not optimal but that's what my extra 25lbs. are for. Seriously, extra length is more of a problem. Consider wetsuit alteration if you must. A problem is difficulty finding someone who knows how. What dive shops know someone who can alter a wetsuit for you that's the question you might want to ask. The bottom line is avoiding hypothermia but, the thing has got to fit. Only Zen masters can have a good time in a ill-fitting wetsuit
                       I feel your pain, Amos (5'11 240lbs)

What I would like to do is be able to take a swell to the side, flip, get my ass back on my yak and keep fishing...if the 3mil isn't enough for that then I need to rethink this purchase.

A big part of this would be your ability to reboard your kayak in deep water. Practice, practice, practice, when you have that down do it a few more times. 3 mil is the preferred thickness for yak fishing as it allows the most movement. but if you can't reboard your kayak quickly it's not going to help you much.

I'm glad to see a few people fess up to the idea that a 3mil doesn't offer all that much thermal protection if you end up in 53F water for more than a few minutes. 

I have a 5mil FJ that I put a relief zipper in that I've worn for a couple years, I recently bought a 7mil FJ and it will be my go to suit for the salt this year once I get that zipper installed.  Installing a relief zipper can be a DIY job or you can have a shop do it (I've never seen anything thicker than a 3mil with one off the rack). Last yer I also added a 2mil longsleeve jacket to my attire, thin enough not to restrict movement but would really help in case of a dunking.

There have been a few cases where NCKA members have had really serious incidents due to near hypothermia even with 3 mil suits.

The thing you want to minimize with a wetsuit is how fast water moves in and out of the suit, so loose is not good, but on the other hand too tight will restrict movement and restrict blood flow so thats not good either.  Most of the time (but not always) a suit will loosen up a bit after you've been in it for awhile.  This is especially true if you're in the water but hopefully for this discussion you're not.

Good discussion here, and I think the bottom line needs stating:  dress for immersion.  Even if we figure we could get back on our kayak most of the time (true), we really should be planning for the times that we can't - like when it blows away, it sinks, you get knocked the F#%@ off of it in open water and swells!...   Knowing of different levels of safety, and making decisions like "I'll just wear my boardshorts and a PFD when playing 1/2 mile out in Tahoe in the summer" and "I'll always wear immersion gear, PFD and have other basic safety gear on the ocean" - these are the products of experience and learning from one another here and in person.  The bottom line here is dress for immersion or live in the world of planning for multiple redundant safety features that MIGHT save your ass if you're immersed and waiting for a rescue.

- and I'm sorry that doesn't make it any easier to figure out what to do!  I do feel safe in my 3 mil ultrajohn with the liner under it (I'll have to check the specs on that liner) and other layers, so maybe think about making a multiple component system?...

I wear a fj 3ml under my splash pants and a long sleeve rash guard or shirt under my jacket and it is comfy all day, a 5 ml would be warmer, maybe check a scuba shop, craigslist or e bay and see if they have a fj used for sale for a good deal.
you may end up having to get more than one depending on the weather or location you are fishing that week

+1 for Dale & Eric's posts. I rented a dive suit for Albion last year. It was a little loose and I constantly had cold water shooting down my back, BTW I was ab diving. However the point was made plan to be IN the water, but hope you never end up in it. Not sure on the 3mm vs5mm, but may be adding a "dry" paddling jacket over the wet suit would keep your core dry if you went for a swim??? One thing to keep in mind is, if you get hot you can splash water on youself, if you get cold you might be going back to shore; thats is if you can make it!

Re-read the original question, I agree with those who say less than 5 mil provides very little benefit for cold water safety. Be safe
     -Amos

A little snug is better than a little loose.  3mils allow for good movement if a bit on the snug side.  Consider layering...  you could get a long sleeve wetsuit top to wear when it is extra cold out, so you can strip it off if it gets warm and sunny so you don't broil in your suit.  Most importantly... don't go out alone until you are 100% comfortable in your abilities, and even then... don't go out alone. 

It also comes down to what you are comfortable in. I mean from both  physical and safety aspects.
I don't believe you can ever cover all the risks, after all you are on the ocean in a small plastic craft. Even being on the ocean at all (or any water) has a risk factor to it. Some people kayak alone and some would never. Some go out miles offshore and some never more than a few hundred yards..all depends on their sense of comfort based on their experience (hopefully).  I don't mean to say not to cover yourself with adequate gear but remember you can not carry or wear enough to eliminate all the risk. You will find that place where you feel best all the way around and it might not agree with others. Good advice from all on here and a great place to sort some things out before you spend too much.

I like the thought of layering. I think going with the tighter size NRS Ultra farmer john (3mil with inner lining) and then wearing my dry pants and dry jacket over that will give me lots of options through the year. For cold weather I can wear both in the ocean and the dry pants and jacket for cold lake use. When things warm up I can just go with either Farmer John or the Dry pants/jacket....maybe more bang for the buck.

-Murf

FWIW, I've got an XL NRS farmer john that I'd be willing to part with.  Worn maybe 4 times.