MNScuba.com

Well, once again, here is another post from me.  As you guys might have figured out by now, I usually learn towards sporasub equiptment, because GUDC is a sporasub dealer.  Now, I want you all to be truthful (since this involves a lot of money for a 16 year old) and tell me what you think about the sporasub freediving wet suits.  I really want an elios suit, but if the sporasub's arent half bad, I'd like to save the money....


Be honest, I want all the info I can get!

Thanks again guys,
JOSH

Sporasub makes some really good gear, nothing second rate about it. I'm not sure if David Sipperly is still the rep, but he's a first rate guy with a lot on knowledge.

They make a variety of wetsuits that range from novice to spearo to competition diver. Elios suits are nice, as they are custom cut and the Sporasub's are not, but if you are just starting out you'll well served. Things to keep in mind is to buy a suit no thicker than 5mm. Freediving wetsuits are MUCH warmer than scuba suits and you won't need anything thicker than that- even if you scuba dive with it, like I do with mine. Make sure you get the suit that has either opencell or some kind of slick coating on the inside. Sporasub used to make a "novice" suit that was nylon on both sides- stay away from that one suit.

The Sporasub Samurai mask and snorkel used o be considered one of the "standards" in freediving. Now days the Sphera is the mask to get, but the sporasub snorkel is still first rate.

Make sure to buy one of their Marseillaise (sp?) rubber weight belts- it does make a big difference. They also make one of the best spearfishing knifes on the market- the Snake Dagger. 8)

I have always loved the Sporasub footpockets, and have them mounted onto my C4's and at least one of my monofins. They are far more comfortable, to me, than the OMER/Spetton/Picasso/Esclapez/Beuchat footpockets. Having said that, I understand that they just redesigned the whole fin. IF you can get a hold of any of their old footpockets they're almost Worth their weight in gold. The other nice thing about the older design was that you could swap out the blades. That way you could start out with a plastic blade and move up to a fiberglass one for a while and then up to a Carbon Fiber.

Stay away from the Sporasub Variant fins- they have had a very bad reputation for cracking. They are easy to spot as they are the ones that come apart for travel- and the blades all seem to crack at the attachment point.

You'll also want to get a pair of fin keepers for your fins, and wetsuit SOCKS to go with them. Fred has a nifty way of making fin keepers out of old truck inner tubes, but you can just buy new ones through your store- Trident sells them.

When you get the suit post it and we'll tell you how to get in, and out, of it. It's more art than science. ;D

As far as other Sporasub fins go. The Radicals were a great fin, one of the best spearing fins I ever owned. It was a carbon blade wrapped in a plastic coating to keep from cracking. I don't think that the are made anymore. Stay away from the PURE's as min broke on me- twice! Fred has had better luck with his but my experience with them has sworn me off them forever, plus the C4's are so much stronger, and have a much better warranty, that I don't need to go back.

Lot's of info in here so read through it a couple of times and post any questions that you might have.

Jon

Thank you Jon, that helps me out a lot.  And guess what, I'm already one step ahead of you in one area, I bought a black skirted Shepa mask yesterday, the last one in the shop!  I'll keep your post as a reference when I buy more of my gear.  I also purchased the new Instinct Polytech fins, so we'll see how those work out for me.


Thank you as always,
JOSH

Josh,

I was looking at the Mares/Sporasub website and it looks like  the wetsuit you want to buy is the "Elite", in a 5mm, with High Waisted pants- not Farmer Johns. In freediving, unlike scuba, the high waisted pant is preferred because it makes breathing up much easier.

Jon

for these lakes up here, would a 5 mm work best, because I've been calling sporasub and the only 5mm they have is the instinct camo wetsuit, which would be ok but that doesnt have a "slickskin" design, which i would want.  I do plan on ice diving w/ my wetsuit, but so far the only slickskin ones that sporasub has is the instinct, otherwise I can get a 3mm in the viper.


JOSH

Or, what about the new mares apneology?

You'll need to send me some links so I can see what your talking about.

3mm is fine for most of the year, but not really thick enough for ice diving. 5mm is fine for everything and 7mm will work but is overkill.

You want to get either opencell, which is cheaper, or some kind of slick skin on the INSIDE of the suit. Since this is your first suit you souled get nylon on the OUTSIDE of your suit. Later on, once you've worn the suit for a while and know how to get in and out of it, you can buy a fancier, but more fragile, suit with smoothskin rubber on the outside. I wouldn't recommend one for your first suit.

Jon

Here is the Apneology suit by Mares

And here is the Instinct, by sporasub.  Which is the only one that I would be able to get in a 5mm from them at this time...



#

Neither one tells what the inner lining is made of? ???

If you look on the Mares site at their Sporasub line I think you should take a  look at their Elite wetsuit in a 5mm:

You could also look at these suits:





I've owned suits from all of these companies and they are all good. Keep in mind that if you get a suit in the $250 range you could have a custom made Elios sent here from Elios for about the same price.

Jon