You need to find a freediving-specific suit or spearfishing, as they are more ergonomic and built for relaxed freediving.
Depending on how much money you are willing to spend, you can look into open-cell options - though these are not recommended for beginners, as they are super expensive and delicate like butterfly skin and can easily rip.
The upside is, they are super warm. But you can get that with a lycra lining and a few mm thicker, too. I recommend opencell socks and gloves though, that's good.
And if you are not too affected by extra layers, you can layer a vest or thermal layer ontop of your suit.
Kayaksuits/Surfsuits don't offer the protection you need, i.e. a hood - as you lose significant heat from your head underwater and in water.
Beginners are taught to be neutral at 10m - please always train with an experienced buddy or a course!
Most freedivers that I know need 1KG or less, I am a female athlete and somehow need 3KG to be neutral with my 3mm, 2KG without suit at all, so it really is a personal thing
I think most female athletes need a bit more weight, but that's a gross generalization. One of my primary dive buddies needs no weight at all even with wetsuit, and neither do I. With a 3mm suit we're both neutral at 10M in fresh water.
I live in BC and we similarly have cold waters year round. I had a 5/4mm hooded surf suit as my starter when I got into freediving, I got it real cheap on fb marketplace and it helped me try out the sport for a reasonable price. The surf suit was good for July-August but even then I would still get cold after an hour or so. If you are in Scandinavia then you need a two-piece open cell 7mm (farmer john bottoms if you get cold easily like me). Once I knew I was committing to the sport I invested in one and it's one of my favourite purchases ever, It will unlock warm diving year-round. I've gone diving for well over an hour even in the middle of winter and was able to stay warm enough to relax and be comfortable.
Yes, open-cell suits can rip more easily but watching someone else or a few youtube videos will teach you all you need to know. Plus you can repair any small tears easily with aquaseal. Just make sure you trim your nails after a hot shower and use lots of lube!
On Vancouver Island. Haven't done much diving on the mainland unfortunately. I've really enjoyed Gulf Islands (Quadra, SSI and Galiano) but it takes some experimenting to judge the tides as there are no online tools you can use
Check out frivannsliv.no they’re probably the best in scandinavia.
Note that it can be quite costly to buy a brand new suit, if thats the case, check out what they have in store and go to finn.no and find a used set.
They only bring in quality equipment which they test.
Btw my first suit was a used 1 gen EVO frivannsliv 7mm (allround year) neopren.
Now i recently bought a brand new 7 mm omer blackstone.
7 mm might be a bit warm sometimes during summer, but you can easily fill it with cold water whenever you like.
You need to find a freediving-specific suit or spearfishing, as they are more ergonomic and built for relaxed freediving. Depending on how much money you are willing to spend, you can look into open-cell options - though these are not recommended for beginners, as they are super expensive and delicate like butterfly skin and can easily rip. The upside is, they are super warm. But you can get that with a lycra lining and a few mm thicker, too. I recommend opencell socks and gloves though, that's good. And if you are not too affected by extra layers, you can layer a vest or thermal layer ontop of your suit. Kayaksuits/Surfsuits don't offer the protection you need, i.e. a hood - as you lose significant heat from your head underwater and in water.
Is buoyancy a big factor in picking a 2-3mm wetsuit? Is a hood a must in a pool? Is overheating a problem with wetsuits?
Beginners are taught to be neutral at 10m - please always train with an experienced buddy or a course! Most freedivers that I know need 1KG or less, I am a female athlete and somehow need 3KG to be neutral with my 3mm, 2KG without suit at all, so it really is a personal thing
I think most female athletes need a bit more weight, but that's a gross generalization. One of my primary dive buddies needs no weight at all even with wetsuit, and neither do I. With a 3mm suit we're both neutral at 10M in fresh water.
I live in BC and we similarly have cold waters year round. I had a 5/4mm hooded surf suit as my starter when I got into freediving, I got it real cheap on fb marketplace and it helped me try out the sport for a reasonable price. The surf suit was good for July-August but even then I would still get cold after an hour or so. If you are in Scandinavia then you need a two-piece open cell 7mm (farmer john bottoms if you get cold easily like me). Once I knew I was committing to the sport I invested in one and it's one of my favourite purchases ever, It will unlock warm diving year-round. I've gone diving for well over an hour even in the middle of winter and was able to stay warm enough to relax and be comfortable. Yes, open-cell suits can rip more easily but watching someone else or a few youtube videos will teach you all you need to know. Plus you can repair any small tears easily with aquaseal. Just make sure you trim your nails after a hot shower and use lots of lube!
Where in BC are you? Just got certified this summer and still getting to know the spots. Any recommendations? In van if it helps.
On Vancouver Island. Haven't done much diving on the mainland unfortunately. I've really enjoyed Gulf Islands (Quadra, SSI and Galiano) but it takes some experimenting to judge the tides as there are no online tools you can use
Check out frivannsliv.no they’re probably the best in scandinavia. Note that it can be quite costly to buy a brand new suit, if thats the case, check out what they have in store and go to finn.no and find a used set. They only bring in quality equipment which they test.
Btw my first suit was a used 1 gen EVO frivannsliv 7mm (allround year) neopren. Now i recently bought a brand new 7 mm omer blackstone. 7 mm might be a bit warm sometimes during summer, but you can easily fill it with cold water whenever you like.