Mark Evans: Wetsuits have always traditionally been made from neoprene, but over the years, a few companies, including Fourth Element and Henderson, have started utilising new technologies to move away from petroleumbased products that can’t be recycled and be more ecofriendly.
Scubapro has now got on board with their new Yulex range of Everflex suits.
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Yulex is a plant-based foam made from FSC-certified natural rubber, and is 100 percent neoprene-free. Some other brands have Yulex in their line-up, but this is just surface grade – Scubapro are the only manufacturer using dive-grade Yulex, which is specifically formulated to resist compression during diving activities.
All the Yulex suits use Scubapro’s Pure Design Concept, which uses fewer seams and panels for maximum range of motion.
They feature multi-thickness panels for a combination of warmth and flexibility, blind-stitched outer seams for durability, single blind-stitched inner seams for comfort, Blue Diamond Span interior fleece lining to enhance cold-water protection, abrasion resistant linings on the seat and shoulder areas, printed pads on the knees and shoulders for additional abrasion protection, and a polyester lining made from recycled plastic bottles.
They are also assembled using a solvent-free glue.
The Everflex range comprises steamer suits in 7.5/5mm (£585), 5/4mm (£470) and 3/2mm (£405), as well as a selection of two-piece suits (top £240 and pants £205), hooded vests (5/3mm £240 and 2mm £132), and even a sleeveless swimsuit (£120).
I got the 5/4mm steamer on test, and took it on assignment on a liveaboard in the Red Sea in May.
Scubapro say the 5/4mm is rated for water temperatures from 10-18 degrees C, but I was using it in 24 degrees C.
I was properly toasty warm in the water, and could have got away with the 3/2mm variant for the diving side of things, but was glad of the extra thickness during long zodiac transfers back to the mothership after dives, and as the week wore on and my core temperature was dropping.
I would always much rather be warm than cold, and you can always cool yourself down with the odd neck flush of water while on a dive in tropical waters.
Given the temperatures the suit was rated for, I also shunned my usual British diving wear – afull drysuit and thermal undersuit – and went for a couple of shore dives in the Yulex suit.
The water temperature was only 13 degrees C, so towards the lower end of its rating, and I was feeling a bit chilly at the end of the dive, but still, for me to withstand 50 minutes diving in UK waters in a wetsuit is testament to the warmth of this suit!
There is enough flex in the arms and it is comfortable enough to wear for long periods that I also took the Yulex suit for a few kayak and SUP excursions.
The short comfort zip on the front of the suit is a nice feature – zipping this down while I was doing the surface watersports reduced any tightness around my neck and made it very comfy.
The 5/4mm steamer was equipped with YKK brass zippers on the ankles to aid donning, and these did make it easier to get on and off your legs.
I have an old neoprene 5mm Scubapro Everflex suit and that is more stretchy and easier to get on than this new Yulex version, but having said that, as the week on the liveaboard wore on, the suit became more flexible after every dive, and even straight out of the bag, it is more supple than some neoprene suits I have tried.
I am also a fan of the i-Safe straps on the arms – you slot your computer strap through them and it prevents your unit for sliding off, or moving around on your wrist/forearm.
There is one on both arms, so whichever side you prefer to wear your computer, Scubapro have got you covered.
Diving wetsuits in general seem to be getting ever more expensive, and £470 for a 5/4mm is a solid amount, but for your money you do get an extremely well-made, goodlooking (in a subtle fashion) and durable suit that can be used for diving and other water activities, with the added bonus that you get that warm, fuzzy feeling that you are being environmentally friendly.
NB: All the Everflex Yulex suits comes in mens and womens cuts (apart from the swimsuit), visit ScubaPro website for more information.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver UK #76.
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