I am pondering buying a custom wetsuit from Aquaflite. Has anyone done business with them or have one of their suits? Would be interested in hearing if so.

I have an Aquaflite and have been happy with it, except that since my wife got one of those super-stretchy suits, I wish mine was like that. Also, I have seen ankle zippers on the outside of the leg which look much easier to use than zippers behind the ankle like mine.

Oh, and skip the key pocket, mine fell off about the third time I took the suit off.

JD, what kind of super-stretchy suit did you wife get? Just curious, as I had tried the Henderson ones, not long enough in the arms and legs. Thanks for the heads up on where the zippers are on the Aquaflite.

i just bought a 3mm henderson hyperstretch for our upcomming trip to boanaire 1n 3 weeks. i bought in on line and was worried about the length since i am 5'9", but i lucked out and it is perfect. i love how easy it is to get on and off. i just got it today,tried it on and o.k. i am ready for bonaire. debbie just curious how tall or you if you don't mind me asking?

Hi Theresa, I am 5'7 and half and my leg inseam is 36 inches, so not sure height really plays into this as my legs are quite long. I have tried a Henderson Microprene hyperstretch and had the same problems with length of legs and arms, had to return it.

Bought a Tilo's velvet light suit and legs were o.k, but arms not good, way too tight, takes forever to put on, like the suit, but a real PITA to get my arms into. Shame, brand new too. Trying to avoid getting a collection of wetsuits like Goldilocks that don't fit right.

So now, I am back in the market for a 2 mil. and a 3/2 wetsuit full. I don't wear shorties. I am thinking I should patent a women's wetsuit and make lots of money for "real" women. One style does not fit all. Women are short, tall, some have actual biceps in their arms (like me) that skinny sleeves dont' work, some are blessed on top, others are not as blessed, women have lots of curves that the basic wetsuit does not seem to work right. Fits one place, but baggy in other areas.

debbie,just notice i spelled bonaire incorrectly in my last post,sorry it was a typo. yes you could make a fortune selling real women wetsuits. my henderson is a titanium hyperstretch,so easy to get on and off,but my inseam is 33 1/2. it is just a fraction too short in the arms,but i think once it is wet it will stretch that fraction. plenty long in the legs. i can't believe how much it stretches. no more fighting to get in my old wet suit.good luck .there has to be the perfect wetsuit out there somewhere.

Yup, just gotta find it.

Hey Debbie...I also use a titanium hyperstretch and LOVE my Henderson. Is there some company out there that could alter the Henderson for you?

Debbie:

My wife got a custom suit from Liquidfit. I can't recall what the material is called, but it is their version of the "hyperstretch" superstretch" kind of stuff. I imagine Aquaflite has it too, I just didn't get it. It is amazing how much more quickly she can pull the wetsuit on/take it off. It probably isn't quite as warm, but we pretty much only dive warm water anyway.

Thanks, JD. I will look into them and see what they got.

Tribs, I just go word that Henderson can semi-custom some of their wetsuits, so maybe an option, have to go back and check their website for that option, I didn't see it before, but wasn't looking for it.

I guess I should explain that my wife and I are not "standard" size, and so we both do the custom suit thing. Otherwise, inseam and arms are way too long. That means our suits are a lot more expensive than "off the rack" (though not much more than Henderson!) but they fit well. You might want to check out Liquidfit in addition to Aquaflite.

Hi Debbie,
I also have to chime in on Liquidfit. Both my hubby and I have custom 3mils from them. I love mine. It fits a woman's body very well. We are nonstandard sizes too. (My hubby is 6'4 and I was a size 22 when I had my suit made.) Wetsuits can be altered for life, handy for me since I have lost 2 sizes since I had mine made last year. Just be aware that it takes a while to get them. Carolyn, the owner calls you and walks you through measurements. She will bend over backwards to help you out. She is a diver herself.

Trish

I'm 5'11" and fatter than I should be, but I still fit in a stock Henderson Hyperstretch, size 8T, so they're pretty stretchy! I guess the legs could be a couple inches longer if I wanted them to reach my ankle bones, but who cares in tropical water? And I'm cheap, so I like that I don't have to pay for a custom suit.

I actually got a size 10 first, used it in the pool, and discovered that it just ballooned on me in the water. So I swapped for an 8.

I was warned that it would lose a little thickness after I dived it a bit, so I actually got a 7ml. After the forty dives I put on it last trip, I had dropped four pounds off my belt, so I believe that it lost thickness, but not warmth particularly. I figure I have a 5ml now.

I had bought a Henderson Microprene Tall full suit and the legs were not long enough at all, arms were way short and nope, they didn't stretch after a dive trip and using it a lot either, so I am pretty leary of Henderson due to that. Right now, I got 19 pounds to lose to get to my normal weight, not a lot, but enough to make me a size up from my "norm" size I think. I never bought a custom suit, but I now have two wetsuits that I can't wear, one my LDS took back for store credit, the other on bought online, so no good on returning, I keep hoping that one will stretch in the arms and legs to I try to wear it every other dive.

But, I would love to find a suit that fits right, thanks for all your replies and suggestions, will keep on trying, I might have to go south where there is lots of selection to try on suits than guess a mate here and hope for the best. I have found some custom made suits for $200-, so not that pricey. Then some are real pricey.

Debbie, do you come home with that dark tanned ring around you ankles, where your suit and your booties don't meet? It's a nice look, don't you think? Mine's almost permanent, I think.

And I have wetsuits the way I have jeans, for skinny days and husky girl days...oh my...

CB, no tanned ring with my old and trusty suit, that is probably worn down to a 1mm or .5 by now, has stir ups and booties cover them. But, alas, the other ones do give the ring, I like full coverage to the ankles, even the Henderson I had did not make it to the ankle.

Like your last comment about suits for skinny days and husky girls days!

Oh, Hubby and Brandon wear shorties and yes, they have a year round ring!

I have two suits, a 3mil aquaflite with ocean liner and a 3mil aqualung aqua flex, which is very comfortable and very flexible.
The aquaflight is definitely warmer but stiff by comparison. Using the aquaflex with ocean liner and a little water enables the aquaflite however, to slide on easily and it also drys quickly. It is however, heavier and bulkier by comparison for traveling. It's almost too hot for Bonaire during the summer. The construction is ok and I love the front zipper for those necessary times (probably nothing for you to order Debbie)Definitely a good idea to get the other extra zippers to ease putting on

I went shopping at some dive shops in my area today, got lost even with my GPS, but in the end, got a new 3mil wetsuit! It is an Aqualung Sport, Quantum Stretch 3mm Full Suit. Length is awesome, as is the arms, was easy to get on and off as well, ended up my LDS had this in stock too! Had tried some Henderson's at other dive shops, but only had two types to try on, both the legs and arms were not as long or comfortable as the Aqualung.

Now, all I have to do is fine a 1mil or a 2mil for warmer months in a full suit. Will check Aqualung's website to see what they have as I know my sizing in that now!

Barbara and I have the same suit in the same size!! I tryed the 10 also, but I could tell it would get baggy diving. Yep I was pretty dang excited to get the 8!!
It is a little short in the legs (I'm 6'), but my booties cover my ankles so I don't have the cool tan ring!!LOL
VERY easy on and off!!!

hmmmm, hubby just suggested that I make a shortie out of the one full suit I don't fit the arm and legs right, not right for a full, but a shortie, you betcha, now to find a place to sew seams where I want them cut off at... gee, this diving thing is getting to be work!

yippee debbie the perfect wetsuit. sooo...it can be done.(:

Gave a model demonstration of my new wetsuit for hubby and he and just got back from the dive shop. He got one too!

o.k. typed too fast, it is supposed to say, he and I just got back from the dive shop.