Spearfishing Wetsuit Reviews

[chris oak]

I am constantly trying different wetsuits as some suits change styles, country made etc. I'm going to add to this thread as I try different suits, if you have a suit that you like, list your height, weight and suit size to hopefully help guys down the road. This way it will show up in search engines. Here's an old thread I found that I wrote on custom wetsuits: http://www.spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2485. I usually get custom suits for work since work pays for them but we are doing a lot of collecting on scuba which is hard on suits.

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs, I typically fit off the rack without alterations on most suits.

First up is the Spetton 7mm (fishman, dark camo etc). Spetton has sizes closer to american sizes from what I can tell as euro suits tend to run one to two sizes smaller than listed. I wear a size 3 or Medium in a Spetton. The cheaper fishman and camo spettons are made of some sort of soft neoprene, it's not yamamoto but feels as soft as yamamoto 41. In fact both Hughes and I notice that this suit tears fairly easy, I had the same problem with my yamamotos. I'll have to look up the write up I did on neoprenes, but basically the soft Sheico stuff is as soft as yamamoto 41 imo. Soft neoprene compresses easier than other types and after a season of deep water you might find your suit has compressed to the thickness of a 5mm.

The spetton fishman and camo versions have cuffs to seal out water, and I can't remember about the fishman but the dark camo has knee pads and elbow pads and of course a chest loading pad. They are farmer john style, not high waist and have a beavertail clip. These suits last me about 2/3 years but I am hard on my suits because I do a lot of shore dives and it is lobster diving that tears them to shidt. The camo spettons are made a little better than the fishman IMO.

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
Mako 7mm camo suit. I cannot give this suit a fair review, my buddy bought this suit and he is close to my size and wanted me to sell it. It is a size ML and yamamoto 39. The sizing is incorrect for 7mm, probably due to it being yamamoto 39, I tried it on once and it was tight so you should consider ordering one size up on this suit.

The suit has knee and elbow pads as well as a chest loading pad and appears to be well made. Keep in mind there is a world of difference between yamamoto 39 and 41, a lot of suits are going to be 39 as they hold up better and do not compress as easily, on the flip side they are not as stretchy either in 7mm hence why I believe the sizing is off ie I bet the 5mm would fit ML fine.

btw if anyone is looking for a Mako 7mm that has not been in the water lmk, you would need to be probably in the 140-155 lb range and shorter than 5'11.

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
Yazbeck 7.5mm Carbone suit. Size XL (suits seem euro sized and one run size smaller than posted and even the XL is a tad bit tight on me) Farmer john bottom and beavertail top. I got this suit for work mainly, but freedive in it a couple of times a season. Yamamoto 39. This is probably the warmest suit I've tried yet but the face cut out is very small so you will either have to live with it (it lets in less cold water to your face) or you will have to get it altered. This was a common complaint I heard from others who used this suit. Again, a 5mm might fit off the rack with the measurements, but the 7mm is made of yamamoto 39 which isn't as stretchy as yamamoto 41.

The suit is well made, shoulders are a bit tight on me and I'm wondering if I should have gone up two sizes to a XXL. The knee and elbow pads are not as abrasion resistant as I would have liked as again I do a lot of shore dives. Suit has not compressed from what i can tell.

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
Immersion wetsuit, size XXL. I cannot remember the make of this suit but it was camo and different from the ones they sell now. Keep in mind this was a suit I bought probably ten years ago and they may have improved in sizes.

This was by far the worst fitting wetsuit I have ever bought and I won't be buying immersion again until they fix it. Even in the XXL the material was so stiff I could barely move my arms and I immediately sold it. The material seemed to be either yamamoto 39 or some sort of stiff sheico.

[NaClAddict]

I’m 5’10 185 and barrely. I bought a cheap Picasso 7mm. It was terrible, much smaller than advertised. Some super skinny guy was stoked.

[grometito]

5’9” 160-175 lol

Pathos thira 5mm M
Lasted 2+ years before I started to get cold with it early last wsb season
Farmer John probably helps
Overall good suit would buy again, pretty comfortable

Epsealon shadow 7mm M
Allegedly not as stretchy as the fusion
Sometimes it lets water in via the front even with my belt on tight
Wish it was a farmer John or more fitted at the bottom of the jacket


Yazbeck dark tactical 5mm 50
I don’t think this one is as warm as the pathos 5mm. Seems like non core areas of the suit are more like 3mm. Has anyone else noticed this on yazbeck 5mm?
Fits snug but good stretch


Mako 7mm M
I ordered a M but it was too tight. I probably should have gotten an ML. I liked the full thickness farmer john. Neck and jaw were super tight. Only dove it once.

Has anyone tried a polo sub custom w?

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
SEAC T Black 5 mm Black XL
I have not dove with this one yet, but it fits decent. Arms are a little short which I find on a lot of euro suits.

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
Seac Tattoo 5mm
Size L

This suit came with high waist pants, neoprene is not yamamoto but feels like yamamoto 39 opencell neoprene.

Suit is nice for a 5mm, but again pants and arms are a bit short. I do not have this problem with spettons but have had it with almost every single other euro suit I have bought. The large fits well, surprising because the other seac suit I bought needed an XL and it was also a 5mm. I use this suit a lot from temps of 65 to about 70. Has supratex knee and elbow pads which I love because they get worked on beach dives.

[chris oak]

Has anyone tried a polo sub custom w?

I have not but I think Dam has, I've heard very good things about this suit.

[scorpaenichthys]

Has anyone tried a polo sub custom w?

I have not but I think Dam has, I've heard very good things about this suit.

I have one on order. Will update with a post here after I get a change to dive it. FWIW, my buddy has one that replaced an old Yazbeck, the latter of which I sold to him after putting ~4 years worth of diving into it. He said the PoloSub was significantly warmer and also significantly more buoyant (I think he added 4 pounds to his belt?). Not sure how much of that has to do with the fact that the Yazzy was old and compressed, though.

I'm 6'1" and ~185lbs. I've had a Yazbeck Snyper and a Yazbeck Hamour, both size 56/XL. In 7mm they both fit perfectly off the rack.

I also have a 3mm Rob Allen that I believe is also XL. The length is fine, but it's a little too big around the torso.

[grometito]

Has anyone tried a polo sub custom w?

I have not but I think Dam has, I've heard very good things about this suit.

I have one on order. Will update with a post here after I get a change to dive it. FWIW, my buddy has one that replaced an old Yazbeck, the latter of which I sold to him after putting ~4 years worth of diving into it. He said the PoloSub was significantly warmer and also significantly more buoyant (I think he added 4 pounds to his belt?). Not sure how much of that has to do with the fact that the Yazzy was old and compressed, though.

I'm 6'1" and ~185lbs. I've had a Yazbeck Snyper and a Yazbeck Hamour, both size 56/XL. In 7mm they both fit perfectly off the rack.

I also have a 3mm Rob Allen that I believe is also XL. The length is fine, but it's a little too big around the torso.

Cool I think it could be a good investment. Is it true you have to pay more for knee and elbow reinforcements? Out the door is it in the $500 range?

[Srbradley]

Riffe 5mm 52ML - not the digitek, the older version. Fit was amazing. I’m 5’11 175lb and it was perfect. Titanium lined - best suit I e ever had and it lasted about 7yrs - but it’s literally melting/rotting at this point.

Jakboeno - 7mm. Had to reorder twice and suit fits but top has almost been an awkward fit. Neck is so tight makes it very hard to get on/off. The reinforced areas on exterior seemed to be glued on the inside. That lasted about 2 dives but hasn’t degraded the suit. Still works but it seems pretty bulky compared to other 7mm.

Yazbeck Snyper 5mm ML -spoke w/ rep who told me what size to buy. After 6 gallons on lube I decided I need to lose another 15lbs to fit into a ML. The large appears to be too large. Suit is very soft and appears very well made. Bottom line is you need to be about 2 inches shorter than advertised and at least 10-15lbs lighter.

[chris oak]

Jakboeno - 7mm. Had to reorder twice and suit fits but top has almost been an awkward fit. Neck is so tight makes it very hard to get on/off. The reinforced areas on exterior seemed to be glued on the inside. That lasted about 2 dives but hasn’t degraded the suit. Still works but it seems pretty bulky compared to other 7mm.

What size was the jackboeno? at 5'11 165 I had to order a XXL if I remember correctly and I also had to reorder it twice to get the right fit on a 7mm

[Srbradley]

I don’t remember but I just kept ordering one till it fit (sort of)

The neck and head are way too small. It’s been a tough suit for lobster diving but that’s it.

[Alex Ray]

Yazbeck dark tactical 5mm 50
I don’t think this one is as warm as the pathos 5mm. Seems like non core areas of the suit are more like 3mm. Has anyone else noticed this on yazbeck 5mm?
Fits snug but good stretch

I’ve noticed this in Yazbeck 5mm suits as well. Stretchy, comfortable, but when I pinch it side-by-side with my 3+ seasons (or more) old compressed JBL ghillie suit it seems thinner right out of the box. I’ve been chalking up feeling colder due to getting older but to read this same observation from someone else tells me it might be partly the suit. Great suit, good price esp when on sale, and it generally fits me well, but it certainly feels/performs thinner.

If only I could find a box of the old JBL ghillie suits in my size...that suit was/is my favorite I’ve ever had and it’s not even close.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dam]

Yeah, I got a 7mm polosub last year. It is really well fitting except for the neck. I only read after that you were supposed to take the neck measurement with 2 fingers against your neck. I didn't and it feels a little tight there. The bigger deal was having to wear extra extra weights. Man, that stuff is buoyant!

[Bill McIntyre]

Yeah, I got a 7mm polosub last year. It is really well fitting except for the neck. I only read after that you were supposed to take the neck measurement with 2 fingers against your neck. I didn't and it feels a little tight there. The bigger deal was having to wear extra extra weights. Man, that stuff is buoyant!

I hear you. I got a 5 mm Polosub and had to wear the same weight I wear with my 7 mm JMJ. If I get a 7 mm Polosub I don't think I'll be able to pick up my weight belt.

[chris oak]

Bill and Dam would you say that it is the warmest wetsuit you've ever worn? Or is it on par with other suits you've had?

[Srbradley]

Yazbeck dark tactical 5mm 50
I don’t think this one is as warm as the pathos 5mm. Seems like non core areas of the suit are more like 3mm. Has anyone else noticed this on yazbeck 5mm?
Fits snug but good stretch

I’ve noticed this in Yazbeck 5mm suits as well. Stretchy, comfortable, but when I pinch it side-by-side with my 3+ seasons (or more) old compressed JBL ghillie suit it seems thinner right out of the box. I’ve been chalking up feeling colder due to getting older but to read this same observation from someone else tells me it might be partly the suit. Great suit, good price esp when on sale, and it generally fits me well, but it certainly feels/performs thinner.

If only I could find a box of the old JBL ghillie suits in my size...that suit was/is my favorite I’ve ever had and it’s not even close.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The new JBL “Vertigo” suits look like they were designed by Mugatu from Zoolander. I liked the Ghillie suits and the standard knife pocket but not a fan of the Mugatu Vertigo suits.

[grometito]

The jbl vertigos are pretty bad. I know a bunch of guys that got them for cheap and they all fit really weird and loose especially the top and they tear so easily. I know two guys that had massive tears the first time they wore them out of nowhere

[dam]

Bill and Dam would you say that it is the warmest wetsuit you've ever worn? Or is it on par with other suits you've had?

Warmest for sure.

[Bill McIntyre]

Bill and Dam would you say that it is the warmest wetsuit you've ever worn? Or is it on par with other suits you've had?

Its very warm.

[Avenues]

Yeah, I got a 7mm polosub last year. It is really well fitting except for the neck. I only read after that you were supposed to take the neck measurement with 2 fingers against your neck. I didn't and it feels a little tight there. The bigger deal was having to wear extra extra weights. Man, that stuff is buoyant!

Hey Dam, you have the polosub with nylon outside open cell inside right? How would you say the flexibility is comparing to a standard Yamamoto 39 riffe/yazbeck/seasniper?

[dam]

No, I got that forza tre material with sandwiched nylon and smooth skin outside. I think stiffness is the same. But it's hard to tell because my old suit is several years old.

[chris oak]

I am 5'11, 160-165 lbs
My new spetton came in yesterday and I'm a bit disappointed. They were out of the gray camo I normally order so I paid a little more for their dark camo version. The new suit is a size 3 which is the same as my older gray camo. The dark camo pattern is really cool, I like it a lot although it looks very much like a wet harbor seal pattern which makes me a little nervous.

Neoprene is super soft and they use a full 7mm on the farmer john chest area which I like (most companies drop to 3mm in the chest area which I don't understand). The suit is a tiny bit smaller than my old suit, it's shorter in the arms by a cm or so and shorter in length by a full inch at least. I can tell because the suit fits, but when I tried to take it off the material in the front is shorter and I had a hard time putting my elbow there to roll it up. the part I really am disappointed in was in the old suit they used rhinohyde or supatex for the knee pads. Rhinohyde is similar to kevlar without the price and although it's not as strong it holds up well. This works great for reef entries on rocks and my old suit has not torn there the entire time I used it. This new version is regular neoprene with just some plastic silkscreen stuff on it like a lot of suits use. That sucks for reef entry as it tears up easily. It is still better quality than the spetton fishman which I consider their entry level suit but not as good as the gray came I had before.

Suit makers take note, I'd rather have soft neoprene like the spettons (I prefer the soft sheico over yamamoto 39 because I change suits every 3 years), Like having a full 7mm farmer john vs 3-5mm on chest, and rhinohyde covers on the knees and elbows as well as a good chest loading pad. I know it cost a little more to add these features but it's worth it in the price because the suit lasts longer and is more functional for shore dives.

[John Hughes]

Those new knee pads are no bueno Chris, sorry to see that.

I ordered new 5 and 7 mil suits earlier last year and they are the same cut and materials as always. They have been hanging in my garage all year. Also as always, the suits are incredibly warm and insanely buoyant. I took my last 7 mil that I've worn 10 months out of the year (I'm a puss) for the last 4 years and turned it into my lobster suit. Those suits hold up so well.

I'll preface the next paragraph by saying whoever picks up my weight belt over the course of the year can never believe how much lead I wear. It's ridiculous and not the safest but I like being quiet off the top and I hunt shallow. I also insist on being warm which is why I wear those Spettons.

I did my first dive a week ago in 56 degree water with the new full 7. I wore 30 lbs!! of lead and was neutral at 21' and at 19' I screamed to the surface. Since I typically like to be neutral at around 16 and since I was definitely not adding more weight, for the first time I tried going for the 5/7 in the Spring. I tried the 7 mil bottoms and 5mil top and went with 25lbs of lead. I was neutral at 19 and still screamed to the surface when I'd come up a foot or two. Also, I was so buoyant on my tail end, my ass stuck up in the air and I couldn't keep my fins in the water. WOW. I went out a 3rd day and put the new 5 mil bottoms on with the 7 mil top and leveled out on the surface as far as how I was swimming. I went with 25 lbs of lead and was still neutral at 19 and screaming up from 17. The water was still 56 and I never felt it except in my hands and feet. Those suits are warm AF but it looks like I'll have to wear 27lbs with a 5/7 combo till I can do some deeper drops to get it compressed. For me that means about 1000 drops to 25-30' before I can drop a pound or two on the belt.

I LOVE those suits but MY GOD the amount of lead you have to wear is a backbreaker.

Here's a picture of the suit I wore the last 4 years. The new ones I have are the same model (standard green camo) and pattern as this one.

IMG_2270.jpg (209.69 KiB) Viewed 244 times

[chris oak]

John where did you get that knife pocket, did you have it installed professionally or is it one of those glued on versions?

The spettons are super bouyant when new, I think that's because they use a full 7mm on the chest area instead of 3mm like other makers. On 55 degree temps though its toasty and I love it. I had a talk with Dave Freeman last night about weight and I'm going to start a thread on that soon, I just sent a pm to Lance Davis to see what his thoughts are as he teaches freediving classes.

[grometito]

Good info on the spetton, anyone aware of other full thickness farmer John wetsuits out there? Especially 7mm

[John Hughes]

Just FYI on the Spetton suits. It's one of the only suits that actually fit me off the racks. I'm tall and thin (and handsome ) with extremely long arms. Most suits come up short in the arms and legs for me. At least the ones I've bought (Spetton) seem to be cut better for guys like me that are tall. If you're shorter and more square with shorter arms, the suits like Beauchat are cut a little better for your body style.

I have Don at M&B sew the knife pockets on. I tried sewing it myself one time and will never do that again LOL. Unfortunately, he's gone up from $20-$40 on those so it eats up what savings I get when I buy the suits on the cheap. Even with that, and the shipping from Europe I still got my last two Spettons for around $220. With the knife pockets call it $260. Still a smoking deal for that kind of quality suit especially when compared to a lot of suits like Riffe that are pushing $4-500 and although soft and comfortable, don't hold up nearly as long.

[chris oak]

Good info on the spetton, anyone aware of other full thickness farmer John wetsuits out there? Especially 7mm

Usually the description on the sites that list the suit will say something like "7mm top, 7mm/3mm farmer john) so you have to look it up. I think the mako was also full 7mm on the farmer john, for sure the yazbek had a thinner farmer john upper which is very common in euro suits.

John I just checked both of my spettons and saw exactly why the fit was different on the new one. Spetton used a smaller cuff for both the legs as well as the upper arms on the dark camo, they are a full cm shorter. Lets hope the gray camo sticks with the other cuffs they used to use.

[grometito]

I think I’m gonna grab a spetton for seabass season now. I’m 5’ 9” and 160 right now, sounds like M from the size chart. Looks like oak is a M in spetton but XL in other brands so that’s throwing me off a bit. All my other suits are M

[chris oak]

Yah you sound like you are a size 3 in spetton which is medium. I'm normally a Large in clothes and most wetsuits with the exception of the spetton.

[grometito]

Cool thanks Chris. Looks like Spetton is from Spain. I looked at their catalog and in Spanish it pretty clearly says they dark camo has supratex on the bottom of the jacket and that the knees are printed “LS”. The green camo says it has the supratex/powertex on knees, elbow, and bottom of the jacket. The English translation though is not correct which is misleading

[John Hughes]

Cool thanks Chris. Looks like Spetton is from Spain. I looked at their catalog and in Spanish it pretty clearly says they dark camo has supratex on the bottom of the jacket and that the knees are printed “LS”. The green camo says it has the supratex/powertex on knees, elbow, and bottom of the jacket. The English translation though is not correct which is misleading

not sure where you are picking these suits up, but I usually order from here.....https://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving ... 499-209/sm

The prices vary dependent on the Euro so I watch for a few months when I'm getting ready to buy it and can usually catch it cheap. The last time I bought my 7 mil I think the 7mil camo was $157 and I had the shipping was around $60. I also usually try to buy with a friend so we can split the shipping. Thinking about it now, I got my last 7 mil for around $190 which is pretty unbelievable. The same suit is currently $201 on that site. Even paying for shipping yourself you should still get a pretty good price.

Just don't forget that I warned you on the amount of lead you'll have to wear

[dam]

Those new knee pads are no bueno Chris, sorry to see that.

I ordered new 5 and 7 mil suits earlier last year and they are the same cut and materials as always. They have been hanging in my garage all year. Also as always, the suits are incredibly warm and insanely buoyant. I took my last 7 mil that I've worn 10 months out of the year (I'm a puss) for the last 4 years and turned it into my lobster suit. Those suits hold up so well.

I'll preface the next paragraph by saying whoever picks up my weight belt over the course of the year can never believe how much lead I wear. It's ridiculous and not the safest but I like being quiet off the top and I hunt shallow. I also insist on being warm which is why I wear those Spettons.

I did my first dive a week ago in 56 degree water with the new full 7. I wore 30 lbs!! of lead and was neutral at 21' and at 19' I screamed to the surface. Since I typically like to be neutral at around 16 and since I was definitely not adding more weight, for the first time I tried going for the 5/7 in the Spring. I tried the 7 mil bottoms and 5mil top and went with 25lbs of lead. I was neutral at 19 and still screamed to the surface when I'd come up a foot or two. Also, I was so buoyant on my tail end, my ass stuck up in the air and I couldn't keep my fins in the water. WOW. I went out a 3rd day and put the new 5 mil bottoms on with the 7 mil top and leveled out on the surface as far as how I was swimming. I went with 25 lbs of lead and was still neutral at 19 and screaming up from 17. The water was still 56 and I never felt it except in my hands and feet. Those suits are warm AF but it looks like I'll have to wear 27lbs with a 5/7 combo till I can do some deeper drops to get it compressed. For me that means about 1000 drops to 25-30' before I can drop a pound or two on the belt.

I LOVE those suits but MY GOD the amount of lead you have to wear is a backbreaker.

Here's a picture of the suit I wore the last 4 years. The new ones I have are the same model (standard green camo) and pattern as this one.

IMG_2270.jpg

Your experience with an ultra buoyant suit is hilarious.

[NaClAddict]

I’m 5’10, 185-195. I got so hosed on my last online purchase that I wanted to get one that I knew would fit. I haven’t been super impressed with some of the custom suits I’ve been seeing lately, especially the price.

I dropped in at Spear America South Bay. I discussed what I wanted with Dave. He suggested the Thira model since it is more durable than other suits, I need my gear to last. The suit fit a bit snug. As soon as I got it fully immersed it fit like a glove, as well as my custom suits.

I was worried about wintertime temps since it was a 5 mm and I’m used to longjohn bottoms. The suit has been warm and held up well.

On a side, Dave has a shower, lube, and towels at his shop. Trying the suit on was an amazing experience. It’s the only way I’m going to do it if I can from here on out. Dave also is able to mix and match some suits for a better fit. Luckily I didn’t have to.