Buy Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal Medium/Large/Long from Leisure Pro

Description Features Specification Accessories Reviews (24)Q&A

Questions about this item:

Shopper Why Did You Choose This?

ROBERT M 40 degree water. No more cold

PAUL D Becuase it is just a tremendous suit for the money and it keeps me plenty warm in 50 degree water. Wonderful suit!

Shopper is this suit consider semi-dry suit ? thank

Steve S Yes, that is correct. This is a Semi-Dry suit.

PAUL D Yes this is a semi-dry suit. I get out of the water, take this suit off and I am hardly wet at all. It is awesome!

KEVIN B Yes it is a semi dry suit. Most times i dont get wet until i get to 20 feet.

JONG S absolutely. perfect choice

EDWARD R Not really. It has baffles in the sleeves, cuffs, and neck, but it is a full wetsuit and VERY comfortable. I dive in it everyday for my business.

DAVID R I would say that is is kind of semi dry. I am not sure what the criteria make a suit seni-dry. It does have wrist and ankle seals and the integral hood stops the cold trickle down the back when you first get in the water. I loved mine, but it finally gave up the the ghost at about 150 dives.

KEITH L The suit does keep you dryer than a standard wet suit, but you are still going to get wet. Not totally soaked all over, but definitely damp.

TERRY W Yes,you need to treat it like a dry for when you adjust buoyancy.

MATT M Yes , definitely !! Best suit I have worn next to a dry suit. Has a lot less maintenance then a dry suit. No regrets with suit.

WILLIAM T Yes. A semi-dry suit has seals in mid-calf, forearm and in this case around the integrated hood to minimize internal water exchange. I have found them to be very effective, there is no water entry shock with this suit.

ROBERT P Not sure if its considered a semi dry. However, I've owned my suit for 3 years and it is very warm. I dive in northern calif. where the water is very cold. If you like repetative scuba dives in N.C. I would suggest a dry suit. however I can free dive all day on the north coast with this suit. However in all other waters south of me especially at cortez bank, channel islands, SLO I can dive all day and night without ever getting chilled. Hope this helps.

HENRY B Yes, you cant wee in this suit as it will not flush out.

KYLE K Technically it is a semi-dry for the 2012-2013 models. The older models are labeled as semi-dry, but they don't have sealed threading. Try and get the newer line.

FRANK D Yes. Water is very slow to seep in. It is a nice suit but if you're going to be diving colder than 54 degrees fahrenheit at 60 ft (compression and all) you will get cold on your second dive. Then again, I am kind of wimpy.

Shopper I am 5'11'' , wt 210 pounds, waist 40 chest 42. What size should I consider? thank you.

JOSEPH C SolAfx is very soft & stretchy. I think you might take the size Large. If too tight, then X-large. You need to try your fitting. I usually prefer a bit tight rather than loose.

PAUL D I am 6'0", 235 waist 40 chest 46 and I wear a XXL. It is very comfortable and works perfectly for me. You might want to try just an XL first, and then if it doesn't work for you...send it back, going up one size. Happy diving!

KEITH L I purchased the XLARGE and it fits perfect. I'm 5'10", 205lbs, 36" waist, 42" chest. This is an awesome multi-season suit! I've used in waters as cold as 39 degrees for as long as 45 mins under!

JOHN S I am same size, bought an XL and fit is good. Can always exchange with LeisurePro if you are not happy with fit.

STEVE H According to the chart what size does it recommend?

DAVID R Agua Lung has a good sizing chart on their website. I am 6'1" and 220 lbs and the XL Long is perfect for me.

Shopper How do I make the torso measurement for the size chart?

EDWARD R this suit is extremely flexible, so if you are a little long or short the suit will fit. Large is usually 150-190 lbs. Good suit; I dive every day commercially in water 65+ degrees.

PAUL D Measure your chest then your waist then your hips in inches. That should get you very close. Then it is just a matter of leg length.

JOSEPH C The max. width of the waist. For better measurement and informative, the circumferences of the chest ( 1" below armpit) & the hip need to be shown.

Shopper I am 6'1, 182lbs, waist: 36, chest 41. Which size would you suggest? XLarge or Large/long?

DANIEL L They run small and short. My brother and I both had to send ours back for larger size. I would go for the larger

KEITH L I went with the XLarge and it fits perfectly. I'm 5'10"', 205lbs, 36" waist, chest 43. I hope this helps.

ROBERT P Im 5'9 180 and wear and extra large short. I would guess you would need an extralarge or extra large long depending on your chest and arm size. I went to sport chalet tried it on then bought from Leisure pro. Good luck. FYI the new material seems to be superior to the older suit that I own 2-3 years old. You need to make sure you don't just pull this suit on as it is very supple and will tear with abuse.

TERRY W i am 6-2 215lbs. and the 2xl was great. i lost about 15lbs. still fits well however the hood is loose. I hope this helps

BRENTON T I bought the XL and I am 6'1", 200lbs, waist 38, chest 44. It fits me great, so I would buy the large/long if I were you. I have been very happy with the wetsuit.

PAUL D Large Long probably would work great for you. If not, send it back to Leisure Pro and they will send you the next size. No problem. They are awesome! It sure is a great semi-dry suit. You are going to love it! I love mine!

WILLIAM T I am 5'11", 210lbs, waist 38 chest 40, inseam 31". The XLarge fits me perfectly, still plenty of room in the crotch. You are more slender than I, so it is very likely that the XLarge would be OK. Long/Short refers to inseam. Basically if you have longer legs and a shorter torso you get long. It appears that you are at the top of XLarge but kind of small for XXLarge. Given what you have told me, and I am no expert by any means, I would give the XLarge a shot. LeisurePro has the perfect fit guarantee, so it is hard to go wrong, just time consuming...

STEVE H Hi my name is Steve, I'm 6'2 185 pounds and I purchased a large long. And it fits perfectly I tried on the extra large and it was a little bit loose. My suggestion would be go with the large long.

MATT M Should , I am 6'-3" 222lbs an I have a SolFx xxl , love this suit!! Good luck.

Matt B Can the hood be removed?

ERIK L The hood is attached, and can not be removed. I find this to be a huge advantage when diving in colder water. I have had this suit for about 2 years. I dove last spring in 38 degree water. My hands were the only part of me that was cold! I typically dive in water that ranges from 45-65 degrees. I am never uncomfortable and find this to be a great all purpose wetsuit. I like the zippered front.

ERIC D No the hood cannot be removed

Shopper I dive in Monterey year round. Is this suit sufficient or will I need an additional vest? LDS recommended a 5mm vest underneath it.

GREGORY R We used the suits in la jolla and were quite warm. I do not think you will need a vest, but I am always warm.

EDWARD R This is a very good, warm suit. I'm a commercial diver and dive year round in Southern CA. I would buy the vest for added warmth. I'm in my late 50's and don't like the cold, but for a one hour dive this suit should be fine.

Shopper Is this a semi-dry suit? How does it compare in warmth to the Bare Velocity?

BRIAN V Great suit.. I don't know how it would compare to a bare velocity, but i wold expect it to be warmer seeing that this suit is a semi dry and the bare is not. Attached hood keeps out the cold and the cross chest zipper works well . Very comfortable. Be sur to to order the correct size, a loose or larger suit would be leaky and cold. I dive with this suit in 40-45 degree water for 45 minutes and keep nice and warm. I have even used it in 36 degree temps and ok for 30 minutes. Hope this helps! good luck. Oh yeah, Henderson makes a version of the same suit which I like even better, but it is only available in a few sizes. If your a common size I would go with the Henderson. It is easier to get on with the longer zipper. It also has zippers on the sleeves which help with getting gloves on and off.

RAE A No, this is not a semi-dry suit . This suit was used for the early part of training for commercial diving certification and does an exceptional job at keeping warm. Have no experience with the Bare Velocity suit, so I'm unable to give an accurate comparison.

DANIEL H yes it is a simi-dry suit and i dont know about comparing it to the bare because i dont have one but about a hour in 68 degree water is about all i can stay in though

MARRISSA K Yes it is a semi-dry suit. As to how it compares to the bare velocity I don't know but I was diving in water that was 48 degrees and I was warm I little cooler on the second dive but still warm and get cold easy.

NICHOLAS O I don't know anything about the bare velocity, but I heard from several divers that this is a good, warm suit. I've taken about a dozen dives in it, and it is great in Northern CA waters, huge improvement over my former 7 mm and I'm real glad I bought it. It is semi-dry and the seals work maybe too well....anyway I highly recommend the suit, love it.

CALEB D I can't speak on the Bare Velocity, but this is what i can tell you. It is a semi-dry wetsuit, in that regards it will not keep your body dry, what it does offer is gaskets at the forearm and calfs that keep the water that gets next to you body warmer then the surrounding water, and lets less of the warm water flow out, thus increasing your ability to stay warm in colder waters. I've used this to dive in lake Michigan as well as in the Seattle area. In Michigan it was very comfortable in water in the 60 degree range, after you get past the termalcline and started hitting water in the 38-42 degree range you had about 15 to 20 minutes of bottom time before you started to really feel the chill. When i wore it diving in seattle, water temp was a solid 52 degrees and managed to have a full hours dive at that temp, but came up a bit chilled. Over all a great purchase and would buy another if i had to in a heart beat. Don't expect it to keep you dry, but do expect it to keep you warm. (also a side note, i'm 6 feet and 155 pounds so not alot of extra insulation to begin with on me but thats about what I experienced from wearing it)

AARON K Not sure about the bare velocity, but this is by far the best wetsuit I have used. It is comfortable, warm, easy to get on/off. I am not usually into an integrated hood, but the one on this wetsuit is very nice. If you are looking for a new wetsuit to keep you warm in very cold temps (like Monterey), this is a great choice.

ROBERT B Six dives so far at Monterey Bay water in northern California kept me very warm & my body don't have much of a natural insulation. My suit fit me very well so once you get in the water & the initial water flow into the suit settles, surrounding cold water doesn't seems to flow in & out. Over all I am very pleased with it, make sure you order right size. I hope this info is helpful. Bob

SUSAN S The wet suit if for my husband. Back in February the crew at Jack's Diving Locker were wearing them. They gave them good recommendations. We only dive in Hawaii and have not given it a trial yet. Yes, it is suppose to be a semi-wet suit. My husband was diving off Kona in a 3mm and thought he needed a lot more warmth. Neither of us are familiar with Bare Velocity.

MARK G Yes...the SolAfx is a semi-dry...whatever that means anymore. I just know that it is warm and that I use it in 60 degree temp (I am an instructor who is in the water a lot). I have two dry suits...but use this semi-dry more often than not and I have two dry suits. Most of my diving is in the cold water of Utah and Southern Cal. In terms of the Bare...I have no experience with it.

JERRY R I would say it is a slight semi dry. I dive in So. CAL in water that is about 50-65 degrees and this suit is amazing. I highly recommend it! I would not buy it from leisure pro though because they are not an authorized dealer. I returned mine to them because it had a hole and Aqua lung would not repair it because leasure pro is not autherized. I ended up returning it and buying it from sport chalet.

VITALIK V This is a semi dry suit. I can't compare it to another suit but I know that the SolaFX is a great suit. I dive in Gloucester ma and it keeps me warm right through November. It is also flexible and easy to put on and take off. It's very comfortable and I would definitely reccomend it. All my dive buddies are jealous or are planning to buy one soon.

Shopper Is this suit semi-dry? How does it compare in warmth to the Bare Velocity?

TERRY W The suit is very warm. I have used it in water at 52-58 degrees F with no issues. Be advised because of the thickness and semi dry characteristics, you must treat this suit like a dry suit when trying to submerge It will need to burped several times.

ROBERT P I dive in northern calif. and sometimes in southern cal. I get cold easily but with this suit I can do back to back dives with no issues. This is a great suit. My only complaint is the fabric itself.It balls up and does not seem to hold up to abrasion. I saw the new version of this suit and it seems better made. I would buy the new version. But for warmth I give it a 9/10.

WILLIAM Y I bought the suit to dive in Lake Winnipesaukee in NH and off the coast of New Jersey. The suit stays almost 100% dry. I've been in water at 42 degrees for 30 minuted and felt no cold. In fact I was so warm the cold on my face felt almost good. You will need a skin to wear under this suit in order to get it on. In 60 degree water I was too warm so watch where you wear it.

TONY P Yes it is a "semi-dry" suit. I have never used the Bare Velocity suit, however I only used the Aqua Lung SolAfx suit on one dive before returning it. The zipper broke on the first dive so the suit was no warmer than a normal suit. The design/placement of the zipper is terrible, and puts a lot of stress on the zipper causing it to fail. Any wetsuit you purchase you will get wet, that is how it keeps you warm. I now dive with a viking x-treme dry suit and love it.

MICHAEL L This is a semi-dry suit. I used it this year in New England, in temperatures below 50 degrees F and it kept me very warm. I do not know how it compares to Bare Velocity, but I would highly recommend this suit.

PAUL D Yes, this is a semi-dry suit but a whole lot more! I really get very little water in the suit. It is as comfortable a suit as you'll ever find. I've personally never worn a Bare Velocity, but I have seen them in the shop and the Aqua Lung is a better suit, in my personal opinion. I've worn lots of suits. I've been diving since 1977. I wouldn't trade the Aqua Lung for any semi-dry suit out there. The price is great, too.

PHILIP A Not sure if I had the bare velocity but I did have a bare suit before I bought this one. The bare had gasket like rubber on the legs and arms. This too has the same. I guess you would call it a semi dry but more it just eliminates alot of the water transfer. It's as warm as my Bare but much more comfortable. It's very easy to put on and take off. I am very happy with it.

HENRY B I would say its more like semi wet. You get an initial layer of water in, but then it stops, So you cant wee in it.

CHARLES W Yes, the suit is considered a semi-dry. I think it's kind of silly term though, you either get wet or you don't. In this suit, you definitely get wet. I love the suit, it's kept me warm and comfortable down to around 50 degrees with short stints below 50 in Northern CA waters. Never tried the Bare Velocity.

STEVE H I'm not familiar with the Bare Velocity. I can say that the SolAfx is the most comfortable and warmest wetsuit that I have owned. I have been in 47 degree water and stayed warm in my core. Hands & feet were cold... I give this wetsuit 4.75 stars out of 5.

DANIEL L I have not used the Bare Velocity, but have used other semidry suits. I love this suit. I would consider it semi-dry although possibly not as dry as others like the Mares. This may just be just a size fitment issue. My suit is just a slight bit bigger than I would like. I originally bought a med(too tight) returned for a ML. My brother bought a ML and had to return for a large. So I would say they run small, however the next step up seems a bit loose in spots. I would probably get a lot less water flow with a med- but was too hard to get on and off. Other than that -the suit is still very warm and comfortable and well made. My brother also loves his suit and we both are staying warm on double dives in 39 degree water.

WILLIAM T I have had this suit for 2 years and I absolutely love it. All I dive is cold water: Quarries and the Pacific Northwest, I used it this May in 46 degree water. I rented a Bare sealed wetsuit in Lake Michigan in 2008, it was OK but not as good as this Aqua Lung. The combination of the arm/leg seals, across-the-chest zip (shorter, very good zipper sealing) and integrated hood makes for a very warm suit. Very little water transfers, there is virtually zero entry shock, the hood has smooth neoprene that does a better-than-expected job of keeping flow down. The suit is also tough. The zippers work smoothly, I don't need any help putting it on. The knee and shin guards are generous. Frankly, I have nothing bad to say about it after over 40 dives in it. I'd buy another one.

Shopper I am 5'11, 215lb, 42 inch waist, 47inch chest and 31inch inseam. What size should I order?

LeisurePro S I would recommend the 2XL.

Shopper I am 5'6'. about 135lb, waist is 32", chest is 36" insime 27". What size should I order?

LeisurePro S I would recommend a small.

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

AqualungAqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal

4.9

(based on 24 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Warm (23)
Comfortable (19)
Easy to put on and off (16)
Dries quickly (8)
Durable (6)

Cons

Best Uses

Colder water (21)
Diving (17)

- Chest Size:
- Feels too small
  
  Feels true to size
  
  100%
  (23 reviews)
  Feels too big
- Length:
- Feels too short
  
  Feels true to length
  
  100%
  (23 reviews)
  Feels too long

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual user (15), Professional (7)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (9)

Reviewed by 24 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-5

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6/3/2013

5.0

Great Wetsuit

By Northwest Diver

from Seattle, WA

About Me Casual User

Pros

Comfortable
Durable
Warm

Cons

Dries slowly
Hard To Put On Or Off

Best Uses

Colder Water
Diving

Comments about Aqualung Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal:

Great wetsuit. I am warm while my diving buddies are cold. Little difficult to get on and off and takes a while to dry fully.

Highly recommended

Comment on this review

5/8/2013

4.0

Great product and excellent price!

By Larry W.

from Virginia Beach, VA

About Me Casual User

Pros

Comfortable
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Colder Water

Comments about Aqualung Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal:

This is a great suit for colder water. The sealing is excellent and the integrated hood eliminates the possibility of the dreaded "shot of cold water down the back of the neck" that we all get with regular wet suits.

The ONLY drawback that I've been able to find so far is that it is tough to get my arms out if I do not wear a rash guard under it. My solution is to ALWAYS wear a rash guard!

Not only did I recommend this to a friend, my regular dive buddy has also purchased on and another person that we dive with will probably do the same.

It is a GREAT product at an excellent price.

Comment on this review

1/27/2013

5.0

Really Works

By seatech

from Alexandria, VA

About Me Professional

Pros

Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Colder Water

Comments about Aqualung Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal:

I am a instructor.
It really works.(40-50DEGREE)
That's it.

Comment on this review

11/7/2012

5.0

Warm as advertised.

By ThePolarBear

from San Diego

About Me Casual User

Pros

Warm

Cons

Zipper Catches/Breaks

Best Uses

Colder Water

Comments about Aqualung Aqua Lung SolAfx 8/7 mm Men's Wetsuit, Black/Charcoal:

At my first try, the zipper was really tight to pull, and after I got it zipped it split open. Really, a brand new wetsuit that got a busted zipper??? I got the wetsuit off and inspected the zipper carefully and saw that it was not broken. At my second fitting I pulled up the wetsuit as high up as possible and now the zipper glided to a smooth close. Lesson learned, if the zipper is hard to pull then the wetsuit is not on correctly.

On my first dive (California), I felt very warm all the way down to 80 ft. Then I could feel the cold coming through but I was never freezing. My buddy had a regular wetsuit (7mm) and he was freezing.

Easy to get in to, but not so easy to take off. Pull it down as much as you can and then work on pulling down the arms behind your back to avoid popping a shoulder.