A wetsuit to brag about
Hey Guys! One of the core members of the Sarah Shark team, Seanna Cronin, went on an unreal 10-day dive trip for the 2011 Underwater Festival. So she turned to the guys at Adreno for a new wetsuit, and here are her thoughts....
I have been in need of a new mid-season wetsuit for a while.
For a couple of years I limped along between summer and winter but I got tired of freezing my butt of in my 3mm and 2mm hooded vest and there was no way I was going to break out the dry suit for a water temp in the upper teens.
So before my and Sarah Shark cameraman/director Kieren Curry’s big road trip from Sydney to Port Douglas for the recent Underwater Festival, I paid a visit to the guys at Adreno.
I had my eye on a 5mm Beuchat and found the short length version of the Focea ‘Comfort 2’ fit me perfectly.
I hate trying on wetsuits at the shops but the Beuchat was so flexible that I found it easier to get on than many 3mm suits I’ve tried.
I was sold, well the wetsuit was actually, and a week later I was taking the suit for its first spin off Manly Beach in Sydney.
These were the coldest conditions we were going to see during the road trip and after a short surface swim I found I didn’t get cold during the 45-minute dive despite the 15C water temperature - pretty cold for a Queenslander!
The wetsuit, which isn’t a true semi-dry but still kept most of the water out, kept me comfortable in Nelson Bay, South West Rocks and Byron Bay. I was going to trade it out for a 3mm once we crossed the border but with the water temp still in the low 20's at the HMAS Brisbane I still needed that insulation.
Even up in north Queensland I was comfortable in the 5mm, granted it was September and not in the heat of summer.
Overall, I find the hood clip on the side of the suit really useful for keeping track of the hood before and after a dive and for hanging the suit up to dry.
The zips at the wrists and ankles make putting on gloves and boots really easy and the neck zip can be left open or close with the hood tucked in.
The best feature of the suit for me is the ease of getting it on and off. After a few months diving with it I’m considering going with a Beuchat for my next 3mm too.
Seanna Cronin Sarah Shark Team
More info:www.sarahshark.com and www.seannacronin.com
A TIP from Adreno Scuba Diving Centre: The Beuchat 'Focea 2' in size XS is NOW ON SALE FOR JUST $99 (the original retail price was $695!!). You can buy the wetsuit online here (hurry: offer ends this week and we're running out fast!). For all other sizes, check out the improved version of this wetsuit, which is the Beuchat 'Focea 3'.
