Finding a wetsuit that fits well is often one of the first obstacles women face when first getting into scuba diving -- and frequently remains a challenge even for experienced divers. This is especially true for women who are shorter, and/or curvier or wider than average. When I did my open water certification, I had to dive in a wetsuit that didn't fit well at all, resulting in a much colder, more frustrating experience than it would have been if the dive shop had had some wetsuits with a better sizing system for women divers.
Usually the problem we supposedly "non-standard" women encounter when trying on wetsuits is this: Wetsuits that are large enough to accommodate our curvier areas (read: hips, butt, chest) are way too long in the arms and legs. Wetsuits that are the right length are too small or too straight to fit our curves. This applies to most wetsuits that are designed for women...trying to fit into a men's wetsuit is even worse.
Fortunately, despite the excessive cold brought on by my ill-fitting wetsuit, the beauty and excitement of the underwater world (along with the benefit of a good instructor) outweighed the thermal discomfort enough that by the end of my open water scuba certification, I was hooked on scuba diving anyway. Knowing that I wanted to keep diving for a long time, I set out to find a suit that would actually fit.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
SeaSoft SeaWolf Weight Harness - great for women & men!
I really like the SeaSoft SeaWolf SCUBA Weight harness. I definitely think it's a vast improvement over SeaSoft's other weight systems, as well as over any other weight harness I've ever tried. Seasoft Scuba is well known for making those soft weightbelts, which many scuba divers (men & women alike) find to be extremely comfortable.
WHY A HARNESS?
If you are diving in cold-water, are personally very buoyant (as I am), or are wearing certain specialized gear for technical-diving, using a weight harness can help distribute the larger amount of weight required, resulting in better trim, better buoyancy control, and less soreness for our hips. You can also change the weights in your harness as often as you need to. The problem with many (most) weight harnesses is that they are often made of flat webbing that cuts into the diver's shoulders. For women, the harness straps may also compress or cut into the sides of the chest in a way that causes discomfort. Smaller women divers also sometimes have trouble finding a weight harness that can adjust down enough in size to fit their frame.
Fortunately, the SeaSoft SeaWolf weight harness solves these problems.
WHY A HARNESS?
If you are diving in cold-water, are personally very buoyant (as I am), or are wearing certain specialized gear for technical-diving, using a weight harness can help distribute the larger amount of weight required, resulting in better trim, better buoyancy control, and less soreness for our hips. You can also change the weights in your harness as often as you need to. The problem with many (most) weight harnesses is that they are often made of flat webbing that cuts into the diver's shoulders. For women, the harness straps may also compress or cut into the sides of the chest in a way that causes discomfort. Smaller women divers also sometimes have trouble finding a weight harness that can adjust down enough in size to fit their frame.
Fortunately, the SeaSoft SeaWolf weight harness solves these problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)