A little wetsuit help please

[Iceaxe]

Shrinkage? What's that?

......... Vagina Boy

[Millcreek 3640]

RE Wetsuits:
Scott - If have not yet bought that 5mm you are/were talking about?

If you want a beater - one that you can tear up and not worry about:
go with just about anything you can find/best fit and cost.
Neo sport or a S cal dive shop. Should fit fairly tight in the dry,
for when wet it will expand.

If you want something that is functionally efficient -works well
in real cold water - early Imlay and early Heaps; then I'd go with
a semi-dry wetsuit - (Austrian) Camaro is the only brand I'm aware of;
(I'm certain there are others.) Suit is found at Sierra Trader,
and I believe semi dry is listed as hydroponic - or something
like that. Camaro also has a website - click english.

I have both a 3mm and a 5mm semi dry Camaro suit.
2 of my partners have the same - it's been a eureka buy - I
wish I'd known about them from the start. Has gaskets
at neck, arms and legs. In my case I have to tape the leg gaskets.
(I do the same on my dry suit)
There is some influx of water on back upper zipper
and some comes through the neck if the body goes under water,
but otherwise, they work well - very little influx of water.
But I baby those suits,often wearing a lite pair of pants over, or even a shirt.
Depending on the canyon and circumstances of course.

Last time in Imlay I wore the 3mm semi with nothing covering it.
I wear a thin long sleeve capiline top under the suit. A lite weight beater
gore tex jacket can be worn - cinched tight at the waist with harness
and - it really does a double job of keeping out water and protecting the
suit.

Personally I find a 3mm more than meets most of my needs;
Unless it's off summer season or special circumstance, 5 is too much.
I most often use a 2mm beater/or/3-2 beater and supplement the bunch
with a) a 2mm neo shirt, b) 2mm shortee or c) 2mm vest hood combo.

Wet suit/dry suit/semi dry? Right now I have all three. First two times
through Imlay - "we" all used dry suits. My last two visits - wet and
semi dry. Heaps - with a semi dry and with a dry suit - function of
how cold and water levels. Kolob - if I'm exiting MIA - I use a dry suit
or 3mm semi dry - but not a 5mm semi dry. 5mm is 5 pounds, plus
if wet. I think 5mm for most is a niche item, not a main course deal.
But then early April or May in Heaps or Choprock, it's 5mm plus.
And there were times this Spring that Pine Ck. was "deep & cold."

So counselor - you may wish to get your hands on both a 3 & a 5mm suit.
And then you can swing on a star. Or play polygamy with the
wetsuit suitors and have a full quiver - it's the Utah way.
Or travel to sportsmans wharehouse, get a cheap 2mm suit and see how that goes.
Were you my size, I'd let you demo the gear. Best to you in Provo/Mapleton.

SL in SLC

[Iceaxe]

I agree that 5mm is probably overkill for some. I don't even own a 5mm wetsuit and I probably do as many canyons in as many different seasons as anyone. But I also don't get cold easy.....

I do own a dry suit for late season Imlay, Heaps and Kolob. But I've also done those canyons in summer wearing a 3/2 full and been plenty warm.