Interview with Andy Torbet #scuba @ScubaDiverMagazine @AndyTorbetOfficial

@Living in Billings Montana apart from being comfortable … It’s more flexible because only the outside has fabric lining unless you get a smooth skin suit from a company like Polosub and in that case there is no fabric lining restricting movement at all, but I think scuba gear might damage these smoothskin suits so maybe don’t go that route at first. The neoprene also tends to be higher quality than a common scuba suit so it doesn’t compress as rapidly and is less likely to permanently compress. This is better for buoyancy and longevity of the suit.

Typically they’re two-piece wetsuits and you end up with two layers over your core. Open cell insulates better and then you also have two layers of it over your core without restricting movement of your arms like traditional thick wetsuits. So in colder climates if you don’t want a drysuit then this is the way to go. Spearfishers can dive the Artic circle (on breath holds) because these wetsuits work that well.

I’m in Queensland Australia so warmth usually doesn’t matter. You can take the top off a 2 piece wetsuit to catch a cool breeze between dives if you need to. Another trick I do is that if I am getting a bit warm I can take advantage of the flexibility of the suit by “gulping” some fresh cool water down the front of the suit by stretching the neck area out to catch water. You can also cut some neoprene off the bottom half and turn them into what looks like normal pants to reduce it to a single layer over your core to help keep you cooler. They have a crotch strap on the upper half so they won’t fall down even if cut the shoulder straps off. They pretty much always come with an attached hood so I find the sun protection *extremely* useful.

I use a 3.5mm, but if you’re north of Brisbane you’d probably want to go 2mm.

@Living in Billings Montana you’ll fly into Brisbane first. We have Adreno here and they have a good selection for you to try on. Ask for advice on how to put it on without lube (and be patient! But with a little bit of hair conditioner and water they slip on very easily). The store is mainly staffed by active spearfishers so if you have questions about the suits they actually know what they’re talking about (not so much for scuba, ha ha).