Best wetsuit for caving?

Ian Ball

Well-known member
As someone who has always worn undersuit and oversuit not a wetsuit, and looked at wetsuit wearers as harking back to the golden age of the 60's and 70s, I'm slightly disappointed that the Warmbac Speleo-Pro isn't the top of the tree.

 

Benfool

Member
The Speleo-Pro is okay, however its very stiff. I can be a bit of a pain to get on and since it is so stiff, it can be uncomfortable to wear for a long period.  On the other-hand, its pretty tough so will last for ages.

I'm also currently looking for a new wetsuit as my current Speleo-Pro has seen better days, so I'm reading this thread with interest. I was going to splash out and set something from Fourth-Element (which are amazing, but very expensive), but might try a Decathlon one before I do that.

B
 
My warmbac suit is warm and bombproof. It is also like donning a suit of armour; heavy, stiff and its quite uncomfortable at the joints when worn for long periods.

I am a warm person and I think the dream suit would be a 5mm chest and then 2mm for the rest. Enough reinforcement without making it super stiff and a front zip.  I did wear a long john / jacket combo for caving / diving in mexico which I might try (in a thicker neoprene) for the UK.
 

alexchien

Member
Fourth Element Proteus II

3mm or 5mm (if for diving also) , very warm and supple, although I suspect it won't last long dry caving, hence better to wear an oversuit aswell.
It's got a weird neck seal arrangement (stops all neck flush), but once you get used to it, it's no bother.
Only issue I have with the back zip, is you need to remove the top half down to a least waist level (male) to have a pee, unless
you are hung like a donkey and then just to chest level !
 

Fishes

New member
The best wetsuit I had for general caving was a 3mm wetsuit designed for jet skiing. Even better is that it only cost me a tenner from a bloke in a pub.

I would were a 5mm jacket over the top if I was in deep water for a prolonged time or for diving .
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
alexchien said:
Fourth Element Proteus II

3mm or 5mm (if for diving also) , very warm and supple, although I suspect it won't last long dry caving, hence better to wear an oversuit aswell.
It's got a weird neck seal arrangement (stops all neck flush), but once you get used to it, it's no bother.
Only issue I have with the back zip, is you need to remove the top half down to a least waist level (male) to have a pee, unless
you are hung like a donkey and then just to chest level !

:LOL:

Thanks for that info; it'd be interesting to know how that Gul "EASY-P" system works though, as I'm sure it'd be possible to make something along those lines.
 

maxf

New member
Glad to see diving manufacturers finally joining the times, i think I had my first decent wetsuit of 'zipless'  (has a zip but it only closes off the neck so is very warm) design around 2006 so it's only taken a few years.

The surfing suits don't take well to repeated diving, I took one abroad and dove it twice daily for two weeks to about 60m in the morning and 30m in afternoon and the neoprene never recovered.

I didn't notice until I was home and in Swildons on a cold evening in December with Pete Hall and suddenly became very cold in sump 5 and beat a hasty retreat in what I later discovered to be about a 2mm suit that had started life as a 5mm. I find neoprene knee and elbow pads suffer the same fate after a while, the neoprene has suffered permanent compression after a season of diving so I now have a diving set and a caving set which both get descructed but for different reasons.

I think I have posted about it previously when the same question had been asked some years ago on here about wetsuit choice.

 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
topcat said:
Pitlamp said:
Yeah - my thoughts exactly. I wonder if it works with 2 or 3 sheets of thin, overlapping neoprene and some Velcro. Anyone out there got one?

Topcat - how do you go on when that drysuit zip gets gritty? From my experience of drysuit zips they don't take kindly to being coated in mud & sand etc.

There are two types of dry zips : the brass ones that look kind of like conventional zips, and those that are better shielded and look like a black plastic strip when closed. Mine is the latter type, and in any case under the over suit.  And in any case, surely wetsuit = wet cave; there must be somewhere to wash it clean??

TC, please could you tell me where you got your zip from? Thanks.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Next question; Warmbac used to make hood attached vests designed to be used over a one piece caving wetsuit but I can't find them on their website. Does anyone know where these can be found?
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Ah - thanks; I normally see ADS fairly often (we're in the same club of course). Any other time I've have consulted him by now but our paths haven't crossed for some time, obviously.

I'm still looking at one piece wetsuits; everything depends on whether I go for one which has a hood on already (as per those in Duncan Price's top tip).

Still no rain Benfool - this is torture!
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Pitlamp said:
Next question; Warmbac used to make hood attached vests designed to be used over a one piece caving wetsuit but I can't find them on their website. Does anyone know where these can be found?

Hmm, I could do with one of those too. Will have to speak to Warmbac or even get a measure up after this is all over.

I have found that a built-in hood is an absolute god-send in Swildon's Sump 6 bypass. There is a low gravelly puddle that you need to dig your way through on your back, to keep your face out of the water. Without a built-in hood, you need to strip right off in the streamway afterwards to wash all the grit out of the back of your wetsuit. With a built-in hood, it is a pleasure, but my jacket with a hood is a bit warm for the rest of the cave. A vest would be ideal; surprised I've never thought of this.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Any idea how tough it is Max?

My Warmbac jacket is like a suit of armour and stands up very well to caving, just a bit warm over a wetsuit for semi-dry caving!
 

topcat

Active member
Fitting your own hood is an easy job, so not a deal breaker .  However, many winter surfing wetsuits have them as standard.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Please can you tell me your height?

Just got the refund from the returned "LT" sized suit like yours so am just checking sizes before re-ordering. Ta!
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I just had to do it like a kid against the wall! With my regular boots on (not platforms!) it's 182cm, so say 180cm really.
 

Rob

Well-known member
Hyjacking this thread as it's kinda following on.

My 5mm surfing wetsuit is definitely not enjoying Cussey, especially as i don't use an oversuit (far too much flatout in wet mud to not enjoy the slide of neoprene). The suit has gotten so bad now that i'm pretty sure i'll need to replace it, and the above thread has been useful research.

If i do replace it, i'm looking to protect the new one better. I see the wear is 95% limited to arse and forearms/elbows. Small patches have helped but don't last long. Has anyone tried simply making big patches from old suits and protecting large sections, especially arse? Or even using a tougher protection, like supratex or kevlar? Gunna need a lot of glue i think!
 

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