Vikki H How is the vest suppose to fit? Tight or fairly tight....?
LINDA P hope this is not too late, just went diving in Belize & wore the vest. I wear mine over my wetsuit, my daughter wears hers under the wetsuit. So it depends how it fits once you actually get it it needs to be tight or it will not keep you warm!!
IDA GIANINE B It should fit tight, snug.
KENNETH S Moderately tight but not constricting. You don't want water to circulate under the vest
LIZ J it is neoprene - designed to let a small layer of water get between you and the neoprene, not be watertight. The water warms and you get the benefit of the insulation.
You want it to be snug, but not so tight that you cannot breath or that it is uncomfortable. On the other hand, you do not want a "sloppy" fit that allows water to flood through every time you move.
I have 2 vests. One that just goes over a diveskin, as if there is nothing under it. One that goes over a fleece (thicker material) so that I can just wear the fleece and vest if the water is "cooling", but not so cold that I have to justify a wetsuit.
DENISE D Vest fits true to size, but I needed to alter the area on top of my shoulder blades since it was letting in too much water.
TERESA L it needs to be very snug to keep water out
BEVERLY B If you're going to wear it under a wetsuit, you would want it fairly tight. I prefer to wear my over the wetsuit. It still keeps me warm but is easier to wear this way.
MARIA Y supposed to fit tightly, especially f you're wearing it under a wetsuit, which is what I do in the cold waters of the coast of New England!
Vikki H Maria, thank you so much for your response. I've never worn a wet suit in my life. I live in San Diego, CA and I'm in a water aerobics class. This is the first time I've done it in an outdoor pool and it is quite cold right now. (I'm sure not as cold as back there!) but cold by our standards. However, I've received a few helpful answers and I get the impression that this is not an actual wet suit (vest). Is it or isn't it?I like the look of it with no sleeves and that it covers just my torso AND the zipper is in the front. My legs are fine. During my class (10 - 11:30 am) the temp is about 50 and the water is 83 degrees. Would that suffice or should I get an actual wet suit vest?
MARIA Y HI Vicki,
Yeah, the ocean is about 34 degrees right now here! Wetsuits are made of neoprene, which is a rubber material bonded to fabric. The makeup of the rubber can vary (some can have special coatings, some have properties allowing for maximum stretch or even improved insulation) but they're all basically the same and provide warmth. The vest is the same material as a wetsuit except this item is only a vest, whereas a wetsuit usually has sleeves & pants (long or short) but they are the same only difference is how much of your body it covers.
For the purpose of what you will use it, the vest may be a good option. The thing to remember is neoprene is buoyant... it floats. This lightweight vest should work for you. Anything covering more of your body will have an effect on your buoyancy and I don't know how that will affect your aerobics...
Dive shops rent all kinds of gear (you can rent a full wetsuit for about $10) so you can always see if you can rent a vest to try it out. But you will be surprised how much just the vest will keep you warm. I really like the vest you're looking at, and I get a lot of use out of it. Good luck!
Maria
DONNA R Hi -
The vest should be what I would call "comfortably snug". You wouldn't want it to be so tight that it's constricting but it should be tight enough to fit snugly to your torso and won't allow airpockets underwater. Air pockets are what allow you to get cold. Hope this helps!
DOROTHY T If you are wearing it over a wet suit, then the fit should be not so tight. If wearing it under, then tighter. If wearing over a bathing suit, then tighter. I love mine!
DAWN B mine is fairly tight.............i am big busted so tight is uncomfortable for me............hope this helps
Vikki H Thank you, Dawn, I don't have to worry about that problem :-)
I appreciate your taking the time to answer my question. ~ vikki
JULIA H it was a bit big, and the neoprene has not worn well.
DEB R It should be tight. The more snug the fit the better it will keep you warm.
Vikki H Deb, thank you for your input. I appreciate your time. ~ vikki