By Josh from Sunny L.A. on 09/02/2008
Pros:
Comfortable, Dries Quickly, Durable
Cons:
Awkward Fit, Hard To Put On Or Off
Describe Yourself:
Casual User
Chest Size:
Feels too small
Length:
Feels true to length
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
First off, this is a great wetsuit although a bit tighter than those made by other companies. It could have something to do with the floodgate zipper shield, which is an entire flap of neoprene that covers the back. Instead of putting on the wetsuit by stepping in from behind, you literally have to wiggle yourself inside through the neck opening, like wearing a tube. As such, it takes twice as long, and a hardy struggle to put it on. The benefit is that the design plus the taped seams are virtually waterproof, so you don't get chilly water going in and out during your activities. That alone makes the suit worth the extra donning effort. However, the Body Glove size guide is a bit too generic. It only gives the height and weight recommendations for each size, but does not give chest/waist or other important measurements. Some wetsuit companies provide this information, since the most important fit about a wetsuit is having a snug torso area. Be careful not to size too small however. Since the rear neoprene zipper flap adds bulk and thickness to the rear of the suit, it will feel tighter than a typical wetsuit. After owning 5 different models of Body Glove wetsuits, and trying at least 5 other brands, I can say that Body Glove suits are generally better for skinny tall people. The chest area always feels a bit small, and the arms/legs are the proper length but also feel a bit too constricting even for a person without bulky extremeties. For instance, Camaro has wetsuits that have much larger torso areas, even as they are sized for shorter people according to their size charts. All in all however, the construction is very good, like most of the upper-end products made by Body Glove.
