Camaro 3mm Mono Voltage Super-Stretch Front Zip Shorty Wetsuit for 2012

Customer Reviews for Camaro 3mm Mono Voltage Super-Stretch Front Zip Shorty Wetsuit for 2012:



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Average Customer Review: based on 1 reviews.

Rating: Pretty nice, with some minor flaws
Reviewer: Richard R., Sunday, February 12, 2012  
first off, i read a lot of reviews here and elsewhere before purchasing that camaro wetsuits run small. based on their size chart (im 61.5", 230#, 38 waist, 46 chest) i shouldnt even have fit the xxl although i fit an xl in most other wetsuits ive tried (mostly bare, up to 5mm thickness). so i was torn between going one size up and two sizes up, based on size charts and other customer feedback. but the 2xl was perfect, so perhaps theyre either getting stretchier or slowly conforming a bit closer to u.s. sizing with the 2012 model. bottom line, if your measurements are within an inch or so of the sizing chart, and thats suggesting one size larger than you normally wear, you should be okay. ignore the max weight - i dont know where the heck they pulled that from but theres no way its right as i was perfectly comfortable in the 2xl even at 230#. the overall wetsuit fit and proportions are very good. tricep seals were snug but not overly tight, thighs the same (and ive got fairly big legs used to do a lot of cycling). im still kind of mixed about the front zip: the picture doesnt make it clear but the neck essentially has a double layer: the side under the zipper has a soft glideseal layer which extends out in a kind of tab at the neck that has outward facing velcro to attach to the inner surface of the overlapping outer layer on the other side of the zipper. the other side (that ends up on top of the glideseal layer when zipped up) then has the more typical outer neck tab to top off, just like in a back zip wetsuit but of course coming from the front instead. the upside of this is that it results in something like an extra glideseal layer at the neck to help reduce water ingress. the downside is getting these two perfect (so the inner layer isnt too loose and buckles under the outer, or too tight across your throat) can be a bit finicky and i found i had to mess with it a couple times as i finished the zip-up to get comfortable. the inner layer is also kind of tall at the throat and could use a bit of a notch for the larynx....sometimes standing in the boat with my bcd on and tank dragging at it i kind of felt like it was near to triggering a gag reflex, and i dont normally get that feeling from wetsuits (or even drysuit seals). overall the construction seems good, although the zipper pull-tab (not the zipper handle - just the cord-and-rubber-blob that gives you a bit better grip) did fail on me after the 20th dive. still, the zipper handle itself is plenty since this is after all a front zip and easily visible. there is a nice wide soft overlapping layer beneath the zipper that helps form a nice seal and keep the zipper from rubbing the skin, but that layer could almost use a bit more stiffness right against the zipper itself - it kept wanting to migrate into the zipper teeth as i pulled it up, so you kind of have to run a finger along the zipper pull as youre zipping in to keep that from happening. because of this and the double-collar thing mentioned earlier im not sure this would be a good wetsuit if you need to get into it in a hurry...but triathalons are usually swim-first, right? its not that bad to get out of if youve got reasonable shoulder mobility. unzip, do a reverse shrug (like trying to get your shoulder blades to touch behind you), and you can get a hand up to the opposite arms tricep cuff to pull it off, then swap hands and repeat. getting into it is also not too bad - made better if you wear a lycra skin of some kind as a shirt under it (i find the "compression gear" type fitness shirts from either nike combat or under armor work perfect as under-wetsuit layers.) its rather nice not to have a back-zip leash dangling around or getting tangled in your bcd, hoses, and regs. i did find myself following habit and putting my legs into the bottom with the zip to the back a time or two at first, to the laughter and jeers of my dive buddy (wife). the style of the 2012 model is pretty good, kind of "tron"-like with the blue stitching and black, and theres a nice heavyweight imprint on the back around the shoulder blades that should both help it not get hangar bumps or wear too badly from even a rather heavy bcd/tank setup. it was as warm if not warmer than other 2-2 shorties ive worn. tricep and thigh glideseal edging was nicer than in bare wetsuits ive worn before, fully seamed without a big round roll cross-section that would pinch (but not as nice as in my wifes henderson t2, although thats a $250 shorty compared to the $100 or so i paid for this, so no worries. deducting one star for the zipper strap early casualty and the minor issues with neck and keeping from pinching the inner layer while zipping up. otherwise, very satisfied. did 29 dives over about 11 dive days and never felt any rubbing or chafing at typical points like back of neck, hamstrings, or crotch (from internal seams). i think on the whole, yes, id buy one again if i were in the market for another shorty and didnt want to pay the superpremium henderson-type prices, but wanted something a little nicer than the "cheap" suits.

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