Scuba Gear Reviews by Bruce Matthews

Rating: Kept the Kids Warm 8/20/2007

Our kids are thin and small for their age (10 and 12) and no one make suits warm enough in small kid sizes for diving in the cold Pacific waters off California. We looked at all the dive/surf shops we could find in So. Calif to no avail. Everything that size was thin - aimed primarily at surfing. These suits were the perfect (and pretty much only) solution. The suit combo fit like a glove. For the cold water (62deg) off Santa Cruz Island, the kids wore a thin suit under this and with the integrated hood, less water seeped in the backside. The only down side was the wrap around chin fitting for the hood. It didnt quite fit right and as the kids have grown (we used it for a year now) they would rather have a separate hood. We chose the Farmer John/Jacket combo for flexibility. In warmer waters or while training in the pool, the kids just used the jacket or pants separately. It would be nice to have a stretchier version, but Im guessing that would drive the price higher than someone would want to spend for a growing kid.

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287 out of 555 people found this review helpful.

Rating: Versatile Suit with a Perfect Fit 8/20/2007

Love it! The only suit you need (other than a shorty). Slide in and out with ease. I tried on lots of single piece suits, but never completely satisfied (bulge in the back, tight legs, etc). The Farmer John/Jacket combo provides great flexibility in both fit and temp. For a perfect fit, Henderson allows you to buy separate Farmer John and Jacket. I ended up choosing a Medium Farmer John and a Large Jacket. Ive used it in the cold California waters and shed the jacket or farmer john for diving in warmer waters off West Africa. Very versatile - better than a one piece suit.

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183 out of 345 people found this review helpful.

Rating: Kept the Kids Warm 8/20/2007

Our kids are thin and small for their age (10 and 12) and no one make suits warm enough in small kid sizes for diving in the cold Pacific waters off California. We looked at all the dive/surf shops we could find in So. Calif to no avail. Everything that size was thin - aimed primarily at surfing. These suits were the perfect (and pretty much only) solution. The suit combo fit like a glove. For the cold water (62deg) off Santa Cruz Island, the kids wore a thin suit under this and with the integrated hood, less water seeped in. The only down side was the wrap around chin fitting for the hood. It didnt quite fit right and as the kids have grown (we used it for a year now) they would rather have a separate hood. We chose the Farmer John/Jacket combo for flexibility. In warmer waters or while training in the pool, the kids just used the jacket or pants separately. It would be nice to have a stretchier version, but Im guessing that would drive the price higher than someone would want to spend for a growing kid.

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252 out of 463 people found this review helpful.