Introduction
When buying a spearfishing wetsuit you must decide between getting a store bought (factory made) and custom (tailor made) The store bought variety is the easy way to go, you can try several wetsuits and choose the one that fits you best, looks good, etc. A custom made wetsuit is a more daunting experience as you must measure yourself correctly, order it and wait for it to be made and shipped to you.
The big difference is the fit of course, a custom made wetsuit will fit your body's real shape. This means that it is a lot warmer than a store bought wetsuit and you can get a thinner wetsuit. It also means you can choose how it looks, you can get different thicknesses in different parts, etc. One thing it does not mean however is that it will cost a lot more. In reality it costs often much less than a high end store bought wetsuit.
Another thing that scares people is that since it is custom made, it will not allow them to gain or lose weight. I would like to mention that this is the same with a store bought wetsuit, it will often either be tighter than necessary or bigger than necessary when you initially get it. This means in you are limited in the weight gain or loss too. Another thing is that Neoprene is stretchy so you can shift your weight a little. Either way, if you are expecting to gain or lose 10 kg then maybe wait before buying a wetsuit.
I decided to go down the custom made path and I do not regret it. There are several makers available:
I chose Elios Sub as they have a very good reputation.
Order process
The order process is a bit difficult IMO. I expected a nice up-to-date webpage where you just choose the options, give your measurements and pay but it was not like that. While they do have a sort of order form, it does not work. I had to email them and they confirmed this is how it should be done (by email). Communication is difficult at times because their English is not the best and neither is my Italian; we ended up exchanging at least 10 emails. You basically describe what you want, how you hunt, the thickness, the options (see below), open cell or lined, etc and they then send you a list of the available types (with pictures if you want camo). Once you have chosen everything you send them the measurements, pay by credit card on their site and you wait about 40 days.
The options
You have the following options/parameters to choose from:
- Neoprene type/brand
- Neoprene thickness
- Open cell or a lining inside. If you want Open Cell do you want a metallic spray-on lining? If you want a fabric lining which type?
- Open cell or camo outside. If you want camo which pattern?
- Hood: Integrated hood, no hood, detachable hood (long neck shirt + short hood)?
- Knee pads?
- Chest pad?
- Pants type: high waist or long johns?
- Do you want a reversible wetsuit or not?
In reality you cannot mix and match everything as it depends on which Neoprenes they have in stock (this is the list they send you).
Measurements
This is the hard part, I actually had myself measured professionally and when I sent Elios the measurements they asked me to double check some of the numbers. I then measured myself using some videos they sent me and and then had a friend double check. It turns out that the professionally done measurements were wrong, a big thank you to Elios, this impressed me quite a bit that they had noticed this. The measurements they need (and the videos links) are the following (in centimeters):
- Overall Height
- Shoulder Breadth
- Arm length
- Chest: man / woman
- Shoulder-blade/Crotch Length
- Waist
- Pelvis
- Thigh
- Calf
- Inside leg
- Head
- Neck
- Neck type: normal or short
- Biceps
- Forearm
- Wrist
- Ankle
Fit & Build
When I got my wetsuit I was impressed by the fit, it was right on. The build is very good, they glue and stitch the seams & they use a special protection on the edges:
I have almost no water coming in and what little does does not flush out (this would make you lose heat).
Remarks
The only issue I have is how good the insulation actually is, I ordered a 5mm with hood and even with the hood off I overheat in temperatures where I did not with a different wetsuit. I ended up ordering a second one but in 3mm with a detachable hood this time. The 3mm keeps me warm in places where I wore a 5mm before, I use it when the surface temperature is about 20°C and above. The 5mm I use when the surface temperature is below 20°C (I have not tried it yet with a surface temperature lower than 15°C). I usually get cold fast as I don't have much body fat, to give an indication. Another remark is that my 5mm is stretchier than the 3mm so it is much easier to take off. This is due to the linings used and probably the Neoprene type itself. See below for more info on my order.
My orders
Elios 3mm Wetsuit
 |
| (Not me) |
- 3mm Nam Liong Neoprene
- Nylon elastic green inside
- Nylon Camouflage yellow-Green outside ("New Mimic")
- Chest pad
- Knee pads
- Closed jacket with high neck
- Detached hood
- High waist pants
- Reversible
Elios 5mm Wetsuit
 |
| (Not me) |
- 5mm Sheico Neoprene
- Superelastic lining inside
- Lycra Camouflage Red-Green outside ("Camo Reef")
- Chest pad
- Knee pads
- Closed jacket with incorporated hood
- High waist pants
- Non-Reversible (the inside is bright purple)
Misc Pictures
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| High neck (3mm) |
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| Detachable hood (3mm) |
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| Knee pads (3mm top, 5mm bottom) |
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| High waist (5mm) |
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| Attached hood (5mm) |
Conclusion
Elios custom made wetsuits are of high quality build and material, they are considered by some the Rolls Royce of Freediving/spearfishing wetsuits for a reason. I am very happy with my wetsuits and recommend Elios Sub.
As always, if you have any questions or comments don hesitate to write in the comment box below!
As always, if you have any questions or comments don hesitate to write in the comment box below!
