SDG Product Review: Aqualung SolAfx Wetsuit
Posted By admin on November 10, 2009
As promised, the Scuba Diver Girls will start to do product reviews! These reviews will be written as our opinion and are the result of us trying out a piece of gear. At times the gear will be provided to us by the manufacturer to try but other times it will just be something we bought and used. Either way, we will offer you our honest opinion about that item. Keep in mind, scuba gear is many times a personal thing and you may like something that I didn’t like so much or visa-versa. We welcome your comments as it only makes this blog more valuable to all the Scuba Diver Girls when they are researching gear options!
Aqualung SolAfx Wetsuit
Product Information
- Torso is made with 8mm 4 way stretch Aqua Flex neoprene
- Legs and arms are made with 7mm 4 way stretch Aqua Flex neoprene.
- The attached hood not only prevents cold water from entering the neck, it is also much more comfortable in the neck area compared to traditional jumpsuit + hooded vest combinations.
- Hood features “Vent G2″ technology that allows trapped air to exit while still keeping cold water out
- The Plasmaloc zipper has tighter tolerances eliminating gaps between the zipper teeth which reduces the amount of water that can flow through the zipper
- Water Dam covers the neck and shoulders adds another level of thermal protection against any water ingress through the zipper.
- Skin-In Gasket seals in forearms and calves minimize water entry through sleeves and legs while allowing for easy donning
- 10 Ladies sizes available including shorts and longs.
- MSRP $499.00
SDG Review
I was excited to try this product because I am always the one you see making the “I’m Cold” sign to my buddies halfway through the dive! There is nothing more uncomfortable than being cold while diving. It distracts you from everything…yes…including that cute octopus SDG Karma is pointing at and even the Giant Sea Bass that SDG’s Stephanie and Occhi are jumping up and down about. Instead of enjoying the dive and the marine life, I was the one saying “yeah, yeah, yeah nice…now lets get out”. I had been asking around a lot to find out how I can stay warm and still dive wet. I finally asked the right person and ended up with a beautiful Aqualung SolAfx wetsuit to take for a test drive. During our trial period, both SDG Stephanie and myself were able to use it in pretty chilly temperatures (55-60 degrees) diving deep at the Yukon and La Jolla Shores canyon. Here is our opinion on this suit.
Overall fit
The overall fit of the wetsuit is great. I think if I would have went into the dive shop to try one on, I would have started with a bigger size based on the size chart attached to the suit. I was given an 8L and this seemed to be the right size for me. The arms felt a bit snug the first time I put it on but after I donned it a couple times I came to realize that this is probably more a factor of the design than the actual fit. Because this suit has an attached hood, slipping your arms in is a little different process and feeling than a suit without a hood. So once I got used to that…I didn’t feel the arms were too tight anymore. The hood fit great and was very comfortable.
Putting it on
The wetsuit is stretchy and easy to get into with a skin. Steph tried it without a skin and found it difficult to get on…but that is pretty much the case with any wetsuit and she did say this one was a bit easier than typical! Remember girls…a skin is a girl’s best friend! The suit zips across the front from the middle of your left arm to the middle of your right. You need a buddy to get into this suit as the zipper is not easy to do on your own. Also, there is a thin layer of neoprene that you pull over your head before pulling your hood on. If that is not laying flat across your shoulders when you zip up, it can feel a bit uncomfortable. Another job for the buddy! But once you are zipped in with the hood on…you are in a sweet cocoon.
Getting it wet
The absolute best part about this wetsuit is the moment you step into that chilly water and the water DOESN’T rush in!!! OMG I love it! This is the first wetsuit I have worn that let the water in super slow to the point that it did not feel like a cold shock. WONDERFUL! I have to attribute a lot of this to the attached hood. Now at first, I was apprehensive about the hood…I didn’t think I would like it…but now it is my selling point or should I say buying point…well whatever…it’s my favorite part. The other important factor here is that it keeps you warm on your dive and even on multiple dives. I finally enjoyed a canyon dive recently. It was 102 feet and 55 degrees and I just wanted to keep diving…
Look and flexibility
The day Steph was wearing the SolAfx the other ladies diving with us made comments about how great it looks on! My husband saw me in it and gave me that ooo la la look…enough said. This is an extremely flattering wetsuit for all body types. The “skin-in” gasket seals are short and very comfortable with the gloves and computer at the wrists, and the booties fit well under the wetsuit, without trapping water in the booties at the end of the dive like wetsuits with long seals that go into the booties. Even while doing the normal SDG diving….over, under, around, upside down, and twisting, not once did I have to pat my hood to remove air from the bubbles I collect from the regulator exhaust.
SDG Stephanie’s Insights on “Girls Buying Wetsuits”
This seemed an appropriate place to talk about the mindset of girls buying wetsuits. SDG Stephanie does a nice job of giving a little insight that some may find useful…and maybe come up with ideas to make it a better experience.
Trying on wetsuits for many women is intimidating in a shop for a few reasons:
- The salesman is usually a guy, maybe a young guy; this can put a women in a difficult spot if she need assistance getting in or out of wetsuit.
- Being in a dressing room in a wetsuit is a different mind set than being on a boat or shore in that same wetsuit.
- Ladies want to look good in the wetsuit and may for go comfort (and end up hating it later).
- The size charts on wetsuits put women in really big sizes (to my and Margo’s surprise our weight would put us in maybe a 12L-14, but this would be too big now that we have dove in the 8L).
- I usually grab 3 to 4 sizes to try on when buying a wetsuit, because I don’t follow the size charts and I don’t know my measurements off the top of my head, and I don’t expect a dive shop to have a fitting tape measure on hand nor would I want to be measured by the average dive shop owner or worker.
- Most women will shop on line for their dive gear (especially wetsuits) because dive shops are still so male dominated and not female friendly for trying on gear (I have talked with many girl divers that order gear or will purchase from a shop try it at home either keep it or send it back, but do not want to put it on in the shop).
I hope you all enjoyed our review. Please feel free to ask questions, give feedback, or just tell us about your experience with this product. If you have a product you would like us to review…let us know what it is and we will put it on our list to get into the blog!
Hugs and Happy Diving,
Scuba Diver Girls
Margo and Stephanie
Here is a video of us diving the Yukon. I am wearing the SolAfx!
**SOL AFX wetsuit provided to Scuba Diver Girls for product trial
Tags: aqualung, diver girl, Our Reviews, scuba diver girl, scuba diver girls, scuba diving women, scuba girl, solafx, wetsuit
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