newb diver suit found,any feedback?

This maybe should go in gearing up threads,but anyways

has anyone ever bought  a wetsuit from Wetwear-dotcom?
Custom wet suits of Rubatex Neoprene
this is what I so far am going  to have made for me, 5mm custom built to measure..

oversize spine pad
over lapped hood
expanding pocket able to hold camera etc

470.00 wet suit
195.00 oversize custom work/material
40.00 5mm hood
55.00 oversize spine pad
60.00 seal set
40.00 lycra expanding pocket

measure per site instructions -send in-suit measurements- -its made and half way weld/sewn-sent to me for fit-sent back and final sewn job-warranty and able to add to and modify later as I need

sound reasonable?
any help would be great I have 0% experience here and the dive shop on the coast guard pier where I'm training has nothing near my size and no leads on a huge suit maker...I found Wetwear.com by reading a blog on a online chat/dive board site
Thanks
Craig

should I be looking here local...It totals 860.00 before tax and shipping...any help here would be great

fwiw the gal on the phone at this place in Florida was super cool and helpful...owner /maker/answers the phone etc...I tried excel in Hawaii

and got no where on the phone

That's a ton of $ dude...

Are you sure you want to drop that much cash on a diving wetsuit? Have you been out diving enough times that you are sure you're into it and willing to make that big of a financial commitment?

I only ask cuz I have seen people buy all kinds of really nice expensive dive gear...and then realize they don't like diving...and then have to sell all their gear and that's a real bummer... 

I remember you have said you are a real big guy...none of the rental places have any suits that fit you so you can go out and dive and make sure you are super into it before buying??

If not and for sure you want to buy a suit (and you can't find any freedive or SCUBA suits that fit you) you may want to call heatwave custom wetuits in Santa Cruz and at least compare prices for a locally made suit.

http://www.heatwavewetsuits.com/Contact.php

You could also call freedive shop and see what are the biggest ones they have...they got me a size 60 yazbeck (I'm 6 '4" and 240ish) and it fits great...they might have ideas about where and how to get you bigger suits as well....

http://www.freediveshop.com/

Best of luck!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

FWIW I have no experience with wetwear.com but it just seems like a crap load of $ for a suit....

http://www.otterbaysuits.com/

I believe I gave you this link before it's in Monterey.

lost that thread thanks ...checking there now...

just got off the phone with Cricket @
Otter Bay Wetsuits
201 Hoffman Ave., #1
Monterey, CA 93940
888-220-1453
[email protected]

she said she can totally hook me up and the cost is almost half of the florida place...I did like the gal in florida a lot,but I like everyone I talk to,and I like Cricket more if she can save me the money I could buy the other gear with...great point made above, about first time buying and the unknown like diving factor thanks guys...going Sunday to put down money and get measured here locally...awesome...just had my first spear gun given to me this week...have not even read my book yet...

Get a 7mm open cell wetsuit.

http://www.polosub.com/index_en.php

A few guys on this site have polosub suits. I have heard good things about them.

I forgot to mention that each polosub wetsuit is custom made/fitted for the customer.

just got off the phone with Cricket @
Otter Bay Wetsuits
201 Hoffman Ave., #1
Monterey, CA 93940
888-220-1453
[email protected]

she said she can totally hook me up and the cost is almost half of the florida place...I did like the gal in florida a lot,but I like everyone I talk to,and I like Cricket more if she can save me the money I could buy the other gear with...great point made above, about first time buying and the unknown like diving factor thanks guys...going Sunday to put down money and get measured here locally...awesome...just had my first spear gun given to me this week...have not even read my book yet...

If diving isn't your cup of tea you could always use the suit while kayaking. Quite a few people on here wear farmer johns while on there yak............Myself included.

I have a nrs grizzly 5 xl farmer john with strap extenders and NRS boots already for paddle work...the guys on this site would not let me off the hook until I got a suit... ...

Thanks for the link..I am going to go with the gal in monterey for my first suit and 5 or 6.5 is what she and I discussed, Although I have to think that I would rather be too hot than too cold.what do I know though.....this is something I will discuss with her when we do the measuring Sunday....there is of course no way to know if I will like diving...but I am almost sure I will ...we shall see...getting the suit squared away is one of the first hurdles...Thank everyone for the help...I am sure there will be more questions as I go...thanks
again
Craig

Get a 7mm open cell wetsuit.

http://www.polosub.com/index_en.php

A few guys on this site have polosub suits. I have heard good things about them.

No hyperbole: don't mess around with anything less than 7, especially in a lined scuba style suit. You may be able to do a quick dive in SoCal in a 5mm, but even in the middle of the summer I was perfectly happy in a 7mm in Orange County. The only time I've ever been too hot in a wetsuit is in a 4mm in Thailand, and even that was fine when deeper than 50ft.

Wetsuits also degrade over time. They get creases in the joints and anywhere you leave them folded for a while which reduces their effectiveness. The pressure crushes them at depth which gives you less thermal protection the deeper you go, and this may make them thinner over time. What was a 5mm may become a 4.5 or 4 after a season, though I don't know much about that.

7mm, 7mm, 7mm. I can't imagine someone in Monterey/Santa Cruz selling anything thinner, especially when they'll turn around and sell a dry suit to someone else!

as mentioned I will mention this to the person who makes all the custom suits here in Monterey...they may know a bit about wet suits too
thanks for the input....
Craig

as a 5XL you already have some good insulation, but I'd still go for the 6.5 that she offered. It's real easy to cool down while your out -- just let a little water in to the suit every now and then -- but it's really tough to get warm once the chill sets in.

welcome to the sport.

cheers