Wetsuit for a fat bloke ;-)

[Kamikuza]

You gotta get one arm out first. Work the upper arm on one side down bit by bit until you can get your elbow out. Roll that sleeve off, then roll the rest of the suit down. Basically the reverse of putting it on, except getting the elbow out first is a fight.

I loathe back zip suits, the zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

[Exal]

Sounds awesome and those drip wettys are not that expensive either. The frontzip or no zip wettys need some practice, it gets easier and I am not sure how fast you returned that one. I was trapped inside a 5/4 xcel drylock in my appartment and almost freaked out, know the feeling!

[alexeyga]

Well could put it on and Waist was not a problem but could not take it off by myself because of the fz.

That's what I've been saying all along. Front Zips only work for skinny shnores with no shoulders. Totally idiotic idea which is getting pushed by manufacturers probably because it's a bit cheaper to make than a proper Back-Zipper.

Thanks for the update Serge.

You gotta get one arm out first. Work the upper arm on one side down bit by bit until you can get your elbow out. Roll that sleeve off, then roll the rest of the suit down. Basically the reverse of putting it on, except getting the elbow out first is a fight.

Why bother at all if you can just get a suit which is easy to remove and easy to get in... by your-self!!!! ????

[Kamikuza]

Why bother at all if you can just get a suit which is easy to remove and easy to get in... by your-self!!!! ????

The zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

Front zips fit better, especially around the neck.

So there's no Velcro flap to scratch the hell out of my neck.

It's easy enough to remove chest zip, even my full hood 6/5. Just a bit of a wiggle, if you're not a double-jointed stick insect

[alexeyga]

The zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

Never seen that happening since 2003 - that's when i've got my first steamer for spearfishing and I took on kiting around 2006. Perhaps you weren't zipping it all the way to the end? And the leash is supposed to be wrapped over the velcro tab.

What does make a difference in back-zippers - it's the full back membrane that (if i'm not mistaking) Oneil started using on their Psycho series - which effectively makes the zipper leak-proof.

My 2/3 is falling apart, so I'm also shopping around.

[Kamikuza]

The zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

Never seen that happening since 2003 - that's when i've got my first steamer for spearfishing and I took on kiting around 2006. Perhaps you weren't zipping it all the way to the end? And the leash is supposed to be wrapped over the velcro tab.

What does make a difference in back-zippers - it's the full back membrane that (if i'm not mistaking) Oneil started using on their Psycho series - which effectively makes the zipper leak-proof.

My 2/3 is falling apart, so I'm also shopping around.

Maybe I fall on my back hard and the water drags on the strap, or it's getting caught in the harness or my armpit or something.

Had a suit with the flap Uber the zipper and a loop over the neck, and it happened with that suit too.

Over? Really? I'll try it but I've never seen anyone do that...

And there's still the Velcro flap to deal with. Chest zip is just so much nicer fit.

[windfreak74]

hello,
www.nrsweb.com makes wetsuits grizzly model i think for heftier blokes!!

[sergei Scotland]

You gotta get one arm out first. Work the upper arm on one side down bit by bit until you can get your elbow out. Roll that sleeve off, then roll the rest of the suit down. Basically the reverse of putting it on, except getting the elbow out first is a fight.

I loathe back zip suits, the zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

Thanks, I did like the FZ mystic Drip - although it does only have taping in some places not everywhere. It also felt as a better fit - in the same size XL somehow. I tried putting it on 3 times (with my wife around just in case ).
All 3 times I could not take it off by myself - tried different strategies like having one shoulder on and trying to take the other arm out and other shoulder or both shoulders off at the same time. I was getting close sometimes but in the end had to ask my wife to every time. I did not like the idea of having to struggle like this every time-even if I did learn to take it off eventually.
I think my main problem is long arms because I am tall. The shoulder is long enough to make it tricky to pull the first elbow out - the stretch needed was more than wetsuit is capable off.
IMHO front zip works best for short people as their arms and shoulders are shorter relative to the width of the shoulders so much less neopren streatch is required.
I bet you are not very tall Kamikuza?

[Kamikuza]

You gotta get one arm out first. Work the upper arm on one side down bit by bit until you can get your elbow out. Roll that sleeve off, then roll the rest of the suit down. Basically the reverse of putting it on, except getting the elbow out first is a fight.

I loathe back zip suits, the zip always works its way down and the zipper draw cord flaps around too much.

Thanks, I did like the FZ mystic Drip - although it does only have taping in some places not everywhere. It also felt as a better fit - in the same size XL somehow. I tried putting it on 3 times (with my wife around just in case ).
All 3 times I could not take it off by myself - tried different strategies like having one shoulder on and trying to take the other arm out and other shoulder or both shoulders off at the same time. I was getting close sometimes but in the end had to ask my wife to every time. I did not like the idea of having to struggle like this every time-even if I did learn to take it off eventually.
I think my main problem is long arms because I am tall. The shoulder is long enough to make it tricky to pull the first elbow out - the stretch needed was more than wetsuit is capable off.
IMHO front zip works best for short people as their arms and shoulders are shorter relative to the width of the shoulders so much less neopren streatch is required.
I bet you are not very tall Kamikuza?

6'1"...and probably fatter than you.

Have to move handfuls of material down to your hand, to get the elbow near the shoulder hole. Then pull the edge of the material over the outside of your elbow and you're out.

Really hard if it's hot and dry, the suit sticks to your skin. Easiest way is to fill the arm up with water, if you have access to a shower (we do) and then you can just pull it down over the elbow straight away.

First time I tried to get out of the 6/5 I was worried I might be stuck too.

[Dave_5280]

What about a drysuit?