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09-07-2020, 07:45 PM | #1 |
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Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Anyone know of any companies that sell smooth skin wetsuits besides the custom companies like Elios and Polo Sub? I love the idea of a custom suit but I need a suit in a relatively short amount of time and I want to go smooth skin. Looking for a company who has smooth skins in standard sizes (S, M, L, XL, etc). If anyone knows of any please let me know. Thanks.
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09-08-2020, 06:43 PM | #2 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Every major company has a line of smooth skin wetsuits. Thing is that their distributors don't sell them in the USA. Just 5 years ago nobody wanted to try open cell wetsuits...
But either Beuchat, Picasso, Cressi, Pathos, etc. have a smoothskin wetsuit line. What I'm not sure is if they start from 5 mm thickness.
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Marco A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work |
09-08-2020, 09:30 PM | #3 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
You talking smooth skin In...or Out...or Both?
And Why? |
09-09-2020, 03:04 PM | #4 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Me? Both. Is what I understood he's looking for. It is way more flexible and dries faster, which makes it better for cold weather (not Forida case, but there's for everyone).
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09-10-2020, 06:37 AM | #5 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
The problem is strength & durability. Without nylon or lycra bonded to at least One side, there is only the glue holding it together. Blind stitching adds a TON to the strength/durability/longevity of a suit ( and you cant blind stitch bare neoprene, well...yes you can, and I have seen it done, but it lessens the integrity of the seam rather than strengthening it)
The other thing is resistance to abrasion and UV exposure, bare neoprene doesn't fare well if it is on the outside of the suit. |
09-10-2020, 07:40 AM | #6 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
They have been using them in Europe for decades. Of course there's a compromise, but they last 2-3 years maybe and if you divide the price (which in Europe is way less than here) by the number of days out, maybe could be interesting to wear one of those. I myself considered one for December-January here in South Florida.
As for abrasion resistance, they have lined reinforcements in the knees, lower back, etc. If you see all the European champions, is what they use. They are not stitched, btw. Just glued.
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Marco A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work Last edited by Marco; 09-10-2020 at 08:00 AM. |
09-10-2020, 01:46 PM | #7 | |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Quote:
As for "lined reinforcements in the knees and lower back" Lined indicates Inside the suit, and that would do little to protect the suit. And who wears out the lower back? A better compromise would be a Light Nylon in and skin out. Then it can be blind stitched and it will still have allot of stretch and comfort. |
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09-10-2020, 02:19 PM | #8 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Well, you can have all fun you want. I just remember you that only 5 years ago, nobody in the USA wanted to use open cell wetsuits "because they were difficult to wear".
By lined I meant outside lycra. Sorry about that. English is not my mother language. Now, I don't know a serious freediver that doesn't wear one. Same thing with carbon fins, etc... Italy, Spain, Greece and France are 10 years ahead of us regarding freediving/spearfishing. Like it or not. This is the Beuchat smooth skin with the reinforcements I was talking about: Here's the Pathos: Here's the Omer/Spora: And Picasso: None of them are stitched. Just glued.
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09-10-2020, 10:12 PM | #9 | |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Quote:
One thing is true, they are sticky and will catch around the boat on a screw or any sharp point but it will only get minor cuts and small ters. I have a PoloSub Forza Tre for over 5yrs and it just started to dry a little from being in the boat with the sun on my back. It has very few small cuts but nothing else. The key is to find out if indeed the suit has nylon in the middle and to inspect the durability of the outside rubber, the best way to test it is to pull gently and get a sense weather they outher wall might tear. My suit is built to last and is not much more expensive than a top of the line brand. But it is a little stiff on 5 Mil. Anyone who might tell you that they do not make a difference for freediving/spearing (not for scuba at all) doesn't know what they are talking about. The gliding feeling when going deeper is obvious on a smooth suit. Cheers. |
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09-11-2020, 07:05 AM | #10 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Even if the smooth skin suits are fragile (non-sandwich), you can fix them very easy with some neoprene adhesive. Sandwich is another different story. But they're a little less stretchy than smooth skin.
I fixed one that was all teared appart in the back. I'm talking totally teared! It came together we'll and I kept using it for a couple years. I have the pictures somewhere. If I find them, I'll post here.
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09-11-2020, 09:01 AM | #11 | |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Quote:
I also see suits that are smooth on the outside, but it is not neoprene, they coat the neoprene with another harder stronger material, so you pick up abrasion resistance, but sacrifice stretch. I don't know how that material is affected by UV. |
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09-11-2020, 09:46 AM | #12 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Sandwich wetsuits are stitched, but most of them are custom made. Check Polosub Forza 3. You need to catch up!
Here: https://www.polosub.com/eng/catalog/cat-2-forza-tre
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Marco A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work Last edited by Marco; 09-11-2020 at 10:06 AM. |
09-11-2020, 09:51 AM | #13 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Found the pictures of the smootskin wetsuit that I repared!
It was a Spetton
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09-11-2020, 09:54 AM | #14 |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
And here in use after repairing it...
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Marco A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work |
09-11-2020, 10:17 AM | #15 | |
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Re: Smooth Skin Wetsuits
Quote:
But thanks for the info and link. The stitching ( at first glance) looks to be thru stitched with a zig zag machine, which isn't so great, things tend to tear on those dotted lines, just like a pad of perforated paper. But then I noticed the zig zags didn't go all the way thru the 3 layers. I would like to see an actual picture of the inside surface of stitching, I'm gonna bet that it is indeed a type of blind stitch, of which there are Several. But Hey..you found something you like, and it works for you...All is Good! |
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