[Incredible]

Ok, while it is important to understand the answers to your questions are going to vary from one person to another there are some things to consider while making the choice that is right for you. First off you need to consider the activity. If you are scuba diving, a full suit is great but try paddling in one. If you plan on diving more than 100 yards from your launch I don’t think that will work. The same applies to the dry suit. It will be difficult to zip in aboard the yak and it will be hot to paddle in Even on a cool day you will be wet from the body heat and moisture that goes with it. I dive off my kayak in a two piece suit. It is comfortable enough to paddle in. and it is easy to get into my jacket ,on the days I use one, once I am ready to suit up. As for the thickness of the suit that will again depend on your plans. If you plan to scuba and free dive in the same suit you will need the thicker one to accommodate both activities. As far as being between sizes this is the thing, if the suit is the slightest bit too tight it will become difficult to breath under physical stress such as swimming against a current for instance. This will cause a problem at some point. If the suit is loose it will not insulate properly anyway. My recommendation is to check out a dive retailer like Pacific wilderness and talk to them about mixing sizes. They will often work with you to get you into a proper suit. If you are intent on a custom suit I recommend M&B wetsuits in Long Beach or The Wetsuit Factory in Santa Barbara. I dove suits by both companies during my professional days and was happy with both companies. I currently dive a cross between a sport suit and a commercial suit that Don at M&B made me last winter. I never wear a hood so I had him add a neck dam to my jacket. If you are planning on diving only occasionally you can rent a suit for around ten bucks and it is usually not a problem to mix sizes there either. I noticed Perry has a Kayak diving book for sale in the classified ads by Mark Theobald. I recommend it to anyone planning on Kayak diving. I have the disk version and it is full of great advice on everything from rigging the boat to equipment and technique. I hope some of this is useful. Just remember it will come down to what works for you. If you are not comfortable your experience will not be an enjoyable one, and that is the point isn’t it?

Chuck