Need a womans perspective

[RenaB]

Ok, so I have been reading a lot of things, and the largest thing I have been reading is that fit is everything. I know this to be true, but with so many options I would like to at the very least narrow down the amount of stuff I am trying on.

So, please give me your favorite fitting items, being of hour glass type figure, so I can start to narrow down my search for what I want to put on my wish list. My birthday is coming up and if I have items to choose from my wonderful husband will pick them up for me.

I bought a used Apex xtx 100 (which I am excited about). I have been reading some things on this forum about regulators and when I went to search on what appears to be many on this sites favorites I found this:

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=2 (about the scubapro MK20/25s). Which I thought people should be made aware. Sorry, if it is upsetting news.

Thank you in advance, looking forward to meeting up with some from the group.

[Gdog]

Sounds interesting from a mans perspective. However, Apex and Scubapro regs dont have much to do with an hourglass figure?
And your link is bad in your post.

Gotta say tho, I have an Apex reg and it works flawlessly. Nice choice.

[seattlepaul1975]

Ok, so I have been reading a lot of things, and the largest thing I have been reading is that fit is everything. I know this to be true, but with so many options I would like to at the very least narrow down the amount of stuff I am trying on.

So, please give me your favorite fitting items, being of hour glass type figure, so I can start to narrow down my search for what I want to put on my wish list. My birthday is coming up and if I have items to choose from my wonderful husband will pick them up for me.

I bought a used Apex xtx 100 (which I am excited about). I have been reading some things on this forum about regulators and when I went to search on what appears to be many on this sites favorites I found this:

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=2 (about the scubapro MK20/25s). Which I thought people should be made aware. Sorry, if it is upsetting news.

Thank you in advance, looking forward to meeting up with some from the group.

I have heard some good things about the new Whites Drysuit that is cut for women. Again only going on what I hear being a guy in a normal whites drysuit

[Paladin4Christ]

Sounds interesting from a mans perspective. However, Apex and Scubapro regs dont have much to do with an hourglass figure?
And your link is bad in your post.

Gotta say tho, I have an Apex reg and it works flawlessly. Nice choice.

I can see ScubaPro now researching a Reg set for "The Hourglass Figure" in pink or purple. The mouth piece would be made specifically for the women.

On a serious note: My wife, when she dove, used a ScubaPro Ladyhawk BC. It gave her more room for the "ladies", as she put it. We also went with custom fit DUI Drysuits of the 50/50 design. If I were to do it over (or when I get my next suit) I would get the CFX 200, custom fit.

[fmerkel]

About the only thing that has to fit is a suit and to a lesser extent a BC.
A manufacturer and designer of drysuits told me that in general he could fit 80% of men with stock suits off the shelf.
For women it was 20%.

Bag suits are kinda generic > too big for anyone to fit right, though there seems to be some improvement in this area. Biggest problem woman usually have is the feet and maybe the seals won't fit the suit that generally works for them. It may cost about as much to swap stuff out as go custom in the first place.

[Gdog]

+1 on the ladyhawk. Mrs Gdog won't give hers up either.

[LCF]

I really think a backplate with a continuous harness is ideal for women. There's nothing that crosses your chest, so you can be as busty as you want, and the harness can be adjusted to whatever dimensions work for your body. If you are very small across the shoulders, you can cross the straps behind you.

As far as dry suits go, Santi made-to-measures appear to fit (at least our n of 2 has been 100%). Whites Fusions don't HAVE to fit, as long as you are somewhere within the extremely generous range of height and weight that each size covers. The Fusions are way cheaper than the Santis but they are a bit more annoying to get into.

Masks have to fit, but nobody can tell you what kind of mask will work for your face. You just have to try on a lot of masks (and in my case, buy a bunch that turn out not to be the perfect one).

[RenaB]

Well I can say you guys are funny if nothing else.

Clearly the hourglass figure wasn't meant to be applied to the regulator. In my defense, we still make them look good.

Here is the link that I was trying to post: http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/dive_ ... 00508.html

Sorry for the total epic failure on that one. Please tell me what you think about the scubapro problems on the primary explosions.

Thank you for the replies to gear. I am very excited to be going to try on items that have been suggested. I am glad to see that all you men still like replying to post for a woman's perspective. I am making mental notes about who you are, as I question your secret lives.

Really thanks for the responses from what you know your other halves like to use as well. All the input is exactly what I needed, minus the regulator fitting my hourglass shape.

[seainggreen]

I will +1 to Lynne's comment about the continuous webbing and backplate setup. It is a winner in terms of flexibility and comfort regardless of your build. Don't judge it until you put one on! If you are shorter, a shorter plate might also be a consideration for you. Also +1 about masks being a very personal decision. I also went through a few different ones before finding a fit that worked for me.

For exposure wear, most wetsuit manufacturers are making women's cut suits. I have found the best ones these days are coming from 4th element.

For drysuits, you can't go wrong with a custom cut suit, although many "standard women's sizes" from both DUI and Santi seem to do the trick for most women I know. I have had a great experience with DUI over 10 years of diving their suits, and also know many friends who are very pleased with their Santi suits. It really comes down to how much you want to spend in that department; custom is spendier but in my opinion a perfectly fitting suit is invaluable, especially if you log a lot of dives in it.

DUI is having a demo day in Tacoma in April, where you can "try before you buy" for both the drysuit as well as many different kinds of baselayers/undergarments. It is a very worthwhile day if you are in the market for a drysuit. Info is on their website.

Hope this helps, and happy diving!
Laurynn

[Goodt_godiving]

As for masks my face is so narrow I can fit into a kids size mask so I always have to go with a smaller face version. I dive the HOGS Edge and love it! It was my first mask so I got totally lucky on fit. For my drysuit I wear the Whites Fusion Fit which was mentioned above as the women's fit. The inside like LCF said is still a big bag so donning it is a bit of a pain but once on it does fit pretty good. I will say it is not the warmest one on the market. I also know of some people that have a suit made to fit from a guy in Port Orchard (www.hightidedrysuits.com) and they love it. He custom cuts each piece of the suit for you and it is said to be pretty warm. I have the Whites Thermal Fusion undergarment but it's again a pain since it's a one piece for going to the little ladies room during dives! I have heard great things about the 4th element 2 piece but have not tried it. I use a wing and backplate now but started with a Mares Kaila BC and liked that one just fine. I find the wing is constantly coming off my right shoulder so am going to get some help from LCF next week when we dive to see what I can adjust on it. I use the HOGS regs and really like them but that is all I have dove since my OW class. They are a great reg and not too spendy in my opinion. Anything else you wanted input on? I LOVE my Cressi Reaction fins. I just cannot get into the "paddle" fins a lot of folks here wear and like. My Cressi's are bright white and I just love them. They have plenty of thrust and easily seen under the water

Hope that helps?

[RenaB]

Yes, that helps a lot. Thank you so much.

[Goodt_godiving]

Cool! Feel free to IM me and I will send you my number if you have any more ?'s I might be able to help with!

[oregondiver]

I had a great funny reply crafted and then computer shut down. So now you get one that is slightly more boring.

I dove a womans cut BC my first 7 years and then at a club dive, Grateful diver offered to help me try out a bp/w BC. So he loaned me one and then I had to get one. very comfy. lots of room for the ta-ta's. And by putting weight on my back (steel plate) and using a weight harness...I wouldn't bruise my hips by using a weight belt. Granted I have more padding now, but back then, I was bruised like I was learning to cage fight or something. When you use a jacket BC, I dont' htink you can use a harness (weight supported around shoulders like a backpack with hip support) so that means you use a weight belt which can bruise your lovely hourgalss shape

I will say...don't dive with LCF/Lynn. The last time I dove with her was at a girls only dive. She is a supplier. No, really. She will hook you up with expensive addictions that you will walk away glaze eyed. Distributors love her. She "offered" to bring a few can lights (Salvo/Light Monkey) to this girl dive. So of course we said yes! Unfortunately I had to come home, put on the big doe eyes and quivering lower lip and tell my husband how I couldn't see when diving unless I had one of them. Many scuba units later, her reputation was born. Dive light lady of the sea.

Maybe we need a new girl dive event so you can check out many female type setup's?

[RenaB]

That would be wonderful, actually. I would like to wait until April sometime, but if it's after March you plan it, I will show. Thanks for the insight, all of you have been very helpful.

I am looking at the Diverite XT for women for my BC, actually, I think I may have won one on Ebay today. I should go check....

[LCF]

Well, if you are around in April, ping me and we'll go diving and I'll put you in a backplate.

Yes, I am an enabler.

[RenaB]

I am only waiting until April because I do my OW certification dive at the end of March. I will be here, and diving regularly.

[RenaB]

Wait are you a supplier of those as well? Maybe we could talk Before I buy from someone else. I was looking at UK lights, my local shop swears by them.

[LCF]

Rena, where in the area are you? If you can get to Woodinville, come up one night and I'll show you our "scuba room". There are LOTS of mistakes in gear buying you can make, if you buy what the dive shops push on you. My favorite saying about dive gear is, "We dive the stuff we dive because it WORKS." Most people go through quite a few iterations of equipment before they settle on what works for them, and you can shortcircuit a lot of that expense and annoyance (or fun, if you like spending money) if you just check out what avid PNW divers tend to use. You may spend more up front, but you'll spend a lot less over time.

[CaptnJack]

Here is the link that I was trying to post: http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/dive_ ... 00508.html

Sorry for the total epic failure on that one. Please tell me what you think about the scubapro problems on the primary explosions.

This is pretty old news (happened >10yrs ago) and was mostly restricted to the NOAA regulators which were all serviced by the same people. They WAY overtighted the coupling and that cracked the brass body. Has not been a problem since Scubapro reminded technicians to torque fittings to recommended levels and that if tight is good, tighter is not always better...





of course sometimes it is

[RenaB]

OH, great to know. Thank you for the update.

[Nwbrewer]

You may spend more up front, but you'll spend a lot less over time.

This isn't necessarily true. The cost of regs set up the Hoarthian way, or "traditional" way is a wash. A simple B&G spg can be had for $50 or so, way cheaper than most consoles. Paddle fins are the same or cheaper than splits. And a HOG BP/W is typically far cheaper than most "BC's". It doesn't have t be more expensive to buy right the first time.

[LCF]

That was what the "may" was about . . . I was specifically thinking about lights, since the OP had mentioned she was looking at the UK lights. The really good ones (even the non-canister type) are more expensive than the UKs, but they're worth it.

The happy thing is that a lot of the other stuff CAN be cheaper than the stuff you are going to replace!

[Nwbrewer]

Good point on the lights, that's what I get for just skimming.

I don't have one of these, but several buddies do. http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog ... -3380.html and it matches or outperforms more expensive pistol grip lights. If you do decide to upgrade in the future to a canlight, they make awesome backup lights.

[RenaB]

Now I am confused again. . I am going to have to have some help from divers. Dris looks pretty good. I really like the light and the price they also have a back plate harness that looks very impressive

[GearHead]

The DRIS 1000 makes a good primary light until you decide to get a canister light. It's got enough light output for daytime use here in Puget Sound. Mine lives on my harness.

Can lights have better reach and longer battery life. Plus they are convenient place to hook your long hose.