September 2003
By John Brumm
Photography by Mitch Mandel

Wetsuits Reviewed

The days of diving in a rigid rubber suit are gone. No more gasping and wheezing as you battle friction to pull on an unforgiving wetsuit. No more straining to lift arms or flex at your knees. Today, the catch phrase is "elasticity," and the nine super-pliable wetsuits reviewed here all allow you to squat and turn, bend over to kiss your own backside and literally reach for the sky, all without the slightest hint of resistance.

The secret to all this flexibility is in the material. Henderson pioneered the concept in the summer of 2000 when it introduced Hyperstretch, neoprene that expands in four directions. Since then, other manufacturers have followed suit with their own creations. The result is some of the most comfortable and flexible wetsuits ever made.

Since choosing a wetsuit is so personal and subjective, we decided not to assign Testers' Choices in this review. The only way to find the best suit for you--taking into consideration your body shape, size, height, weight and general physical condition--is to try them all on.

Henderson Titanium Hyperstretch Jumpsuit

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| Henderson Titanium Hyperstretch Jumpsuit|
Henderson's popular 3mm Jumpsuit is made of Hyperstretch, a four-way stretch neoprene that provides a custom fit. The wrists and ankles are Lycra-trimmed and the neck has an adjustable overflap. The suit is easy to put on and take off and provides excellent range of motion, even in the knee area with its molded kneepads.

SeaQuest X-Flex 3.2

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| SeaQuest X-Flex 3.2|
This brand-new wetsuit uses "X-Flex," a four-way-stretch material that provides superb range of motion. Primary panels are 3mm for warmth, while 2mm is used in the lower legs, shoulders and arms for added flexibility. A skin-out (bare neoprene side facing outward from your body) torso provides more warmth on the surface, and O-ring wrist and ankle seals minimize water flow. The skin-in neck seal is adjustable. Abrasion-resistant kneepads do not compromise flexibility. The X-Flex is constructed with flatlock-stitched seams.

O'Neill 3000X Full Suit

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| O'Neill 3000X Full Suit|
The newly redesigned 3000X has a "Firewall" chest panel to improve warmth. To improve flexibility, the suit uses Ultraflex DS high-stretch neoprene in shoulder, arm and lumbar areas. It's an effective combination, and we found no resistance to body movements. With flatlock-stitched seams, the suit provides a skin-in (bare neoprene side facing inward) neck seal and O-ring-style "Glideskin" rolled-edge wrist and ankle seals.

Parkway 3.2 Pyrostretch Full Suit

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| Parkway 3.2 Pyrostretch Full Suit|
Parkway's pliable wetsuit uses four-way-stretch Pyrostretch titanium neoprene covered with flexible nylon. The suit provides excellent range of motion. It has sharkskin-in neck and wrist seals. There's a thumb loop at the base of the zipper and a Velcro zipper lock on top.

Tilos 3.2 Super Stretch

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| Tilos 3.2 Super Stretch|
Tilos's version of elastic neoprene is called "Super Stretch." The material provides a great feel and total range of motion. The suit offers a skin-out chest panel that sheds water. The neck seal is skin-in and has a zipper lock for security. Wrist and ankle cuffs are rolled nylon. Molded rubber kneepads reach down far enough to protect your shins.

Bare Velocity Full Suit

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| Bare Velocity Full Suit|
Using flat-seamed "Hydrostretch" panels to achieve flexibility, Bare's Velocity also has a "Lumbar-X-Tender" sewn into the lower back, which greatly increases range of motion. Wrists and ankles are rolled-edge O-ring seals using Bare's Glideskin gasket-type material. The neck seal is also Glideskin and has a Velcro overflap. Knees are pre-formed with Durashin pads. The suit provides good range of motion.

Oceanic Titan 3.0

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| Oceanic Titan 3.0|
Oceanic's Titan derives its stretch by double-gluing and blind-stitching 23 separate panels, providing very good range of motion as well as comfort. It features a slick titanium lining that cuts down on water flow. It makes it a bit harder to put the suit on, but easier to remove. A skin-in neck seal minimizes water flow. Wrist and ankle cuffs are rolled nylon. Molded rubber pads provide shin and knee protection.

XS Scuba Men's Ti-Full Suit

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| XS Scuba Men's Ti-Full Suit|
The Ti-Full Suit is a great basic suit made of titanium-coated neoprene with Super Stretch panels sewn into selected areas to increase comfort and flexibility. The skin-in neck seal is adjustable, and wrist and ankle cuffs are rolled nylon. The molded rubber kneepads are efficient, though a little stiff. The suit offers good stretch; no resistance to movement was noted.

Camaro Genesis 3 (Not pictured)

The Genesis combines standard neoprene with special high-stretch "Microskin-X-Tend" panels around the waist, in back and behind the knees, although range of motion is not as good as what's offered by other suits. All seals, including the neck seal, are rolled-edge, but neither wrist nor ankle seals are very snug. Molded rubber knee pads provide good protection, but inhibit leg bending.

Wetsuit Manufacturers

Bare Sportswear
www.bare-wetsuits.com

Camaro
www.camaro.att

Henderson
www.hendersonusa.com

Oceanic
www.oceanicworldwide.com

O'Neill
www.oneill.com

Parkway Scuba
www.parkwayscuba.com

SeaQuest
www.sea-quest.com

Tilos
www.tilos.com

XS Scuba
www.xsscuba.com