Pinnacle wetsuits

I need to buy a new wetsuit and was looking for some input.

I was thinking about the Pinnacle Elastiprene 3mm jumpsuit. Any thoughts on this one?

I would really like a 3mm jumpsuit with a front zip. Any suggestions?

I just ordered a new 3mm Merino Elastiprene. I had a 3mm Seal which I used for over 150 dives....was still in good shape but wanted a stretchier suit and ankle zippers....

I am really happy with Pinnacle and have no complaints about my current suit.....just want more features and am willing to pay for it.....

I got the 3 mm merino elastoprene. Great suit. So good that I went out and got the 5 mm as well. Then the Kodiak as well for cold water.

Very comfortable and warm as well. Great for me as I get rashes from neoprene. The 3 mm is as warm as 5 mm from other manufactures and the 5 mm is warm enough for So. Cal beach dives in the summer.

Have you checked out "Waterproof" wetsuits? I have seen them, but don't own one yet. They seem to be really well made with zippers on wrists & legs. I don't think they have a front zip. I have 2 Pinnacle suits, 7mm & 7/5 and like the both. They have held up quite well with several hundreds of dives on each.

I purchased a 3mm Breaker three days ago. The retailer only had a 3mm Breaker and 3mm Elastiprene to choose between, I liked the Breaker fit slightly better. I haven't used it yet, but I'm very impressed with the build quality, especially for the price. Even though I'm in a tight time frame for the next trip, I was going to order a Breaker with Merino, but the dealer said he had let his stock dwindle somewhat as Pinnacle will be out with new model of that wetsuit soon, for what it's worth to you... He also mentioned the Merino might fit slightly tighter than without...

Have you checked out "Waterproof" wetsuits? I have seen them, but don't own one yet. They seem to be really well made with zippers on wrists & legs. I don't think they have a front zip. I have 2 Pinnacle suits, 7mm & 7/5 and like the both. They have held up quite well with several hundreds of dives on each.

For warmth, both the Pinnacle and Waterproof suits are top notch. The feedback on these two brands has been consistently marvelous, especially for the thicker suits in temperate waters.

My next suit will be one of these two brands, whichever one doesn't make my ass look fat.

Thanks for all the feedback. Looks like I cant go wrong with the Pinnacle.

Michael

I'm planning to buy a 7/5 this week. My last was a Henderson Gold Core. Any thoughts on how Pinnacle and Waterproof compare to Henderson?

I had several no warmth Henderson suits in decent condition. I gave them away to buy Pinnacle. Best decision I've ever made.

I'm planning to buy a 7/5 this week. My last was a Henderson Gold Core. Any thoughts on how Pinnacle and Waterproof compare to Henderson?

Not even close. I've sworn off Hendersons. They always fit well, but never held up well, nor do they have the comparable warmth of the Pinnacles or Waterproofs.

Buddy

Buy the Pinnacle . I had several Gold Core and also Instadry from Henderson and Pinnacle is waaay better , i have the 5 mm elastiprene and a hooded vest and use it extensively in SA also here for cave diving and is definitely is the best wet suit i ever had.

Regards

JA

I'm planning to buy a 7/5 this week. My last was a Henderson Gold Core. Any thoughts on how Pinnacle and Waterproof compare to Henderson?

Thanks for all the feedback.

I purchased a Pinnacle Elastiprene 3mm yesterday and it really seems to be a high quality suit. It's very stretchy and comfortable and looks like it has reinforcements in all the right areas.

Also the price was very reasonable.

I have an insta dry, gold core and merino elastiprene in 3 mm. The insta dry is the warmest followed by both the elastiprene and gold core which are warmer than most suits. All three are great suits, my only complaint is that both the gold core and elastiprene pills from any velcro contact from your BCD.

I'm about to buy a 5mm suit for the Red Sea. I tried on an Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 5mm XL locally and liked it pretty well, but even with the flexier material I'd like ankle zippers or velcro. It's been six months since the last post in this thread -- is the Pinnacle still a top choice? The Pinnacle 5mm Merino-Elastiprene Super-Stretch Jumpsuit has 8" ankle zippers, so looks good -- except I have to go on trust, buy it sight unseen and no chance to check fit...

I'm about to buy a 5mm suit for the Red Sea. I tried on an Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 5mm XL locally and liked it pretty well, but even with the flexier material I'd like ankle zippers or velcro. It's been six months since the last post in this thread -- is the Pinnacle still a top choice? The Pinnacle 5mm Merino-Elastiprene Super-Stretch Jumpsuit has 8" ankle zippers, so looks good -- except I have to go on trust, buy it sight unseen and no chance to check fit...

I ditched by old Henson 5/3 gold on my last trip. I hope one of the DMs is enjoying it. Lots of yadeda-yadeda-yada about the Pinnacle suits. How durable are they? Also, don't super stretchy suits compress more at depth and lose their thickness sooner than more conventional neoprene?

Bob

We have the 3 mm Pinnacle Seal with over 250 dives on them. Still have a lot of life in them and they show no significnt wear. A back zip will fit and seal better than a front zip.

I think it depends on your budget and needs.

Pinnacle makes great suits, no doubt. I bought a 3mm seal merino elastiprene recently, and it was wonderfully made, but unfortunately the sizing charts were all wrong and the fit was terrible. Instead I returned it and picked up a 5mm InstaDry which was stupendously warm on my recent dive trip. The only problem with InstaDry (I also have owned a 7mm for years) is that they don't last very long, by comparison (the coating they use to dry fast, and raw neoprene interior, is not as durable as the usual nylon-bonded neoprene is), and they're usually incredibly expensive. I got a crazy deal on the 5mm, else I would have tried again with the Pinnacle.

If you need warmth and budget is not a huge concern, and you're ok with a little more effort in donning/doffing the suit, I DO recommend the instadry suits. Nothing else comes close for warmth, and they really do dry very fast compared to other suits. (The merino lining takes an especially long time to dry, in my limited experience with them, which can be a real concern if you're trying to get your wetsuit dry for packing to go home after a tropical dive trip, and your weight allowances are close.) They also don't stink, no matter what you do in them, since they are easy to wash and rinse clean: There's no fabric whatsoever to retain odor.

If budget is a big concern, and you need a suit that will last a long time and are willing to have a little less warmth in return, the Pinnacles are great.

I'm about to buy a 5mm suit for the Red Sea. I tried on an Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 5mm XL locally and liked it pretty well, but even with the flexier material I'd like ankle zippers or velcro. It's been six months since the last post in this thread -- is the Pinnacle still a top choice? The Pinnacle 5mm Merino-Elastiprene Super-Stretch Jumpsuit has 8" ankle zippers, so looks good -- except I have to go on trust, buy it sight unseen and no chance to check fit...

I have a complete set of Aqua Lung Flex suits, 3mm, 5mm, and 7mm, thanks to a special deal on Aqua Lung gear a few years ago. They are good suits, better than the Hendersons I used to have, but a 5mm Aqua Flex does not compare to a Pinnacle or Waterproof 5mm. They do not keep you as warm.

Buy the Pinnacle, you will be very happy.

Bought my wife a Waterproof 5 mil recently. I have to say, although I wasn't the one wearing it, I did check it out pretty thoroughly and that has to be the best built wetsuit I've ever seen. The forearm and calf 'semidry' cuffs were almost the full joint length, and my wife said the seal was so good she had to intentionally flood the suit when she got in or else it maintained a bubble all the way thru the dive. The lining helped it slip on easily and the exterior covering was really solid - the knee guard went down the whole calf, the shoulders were reinforced so both BC straps and hangars weren't likely to end up damaging it over time. And most of all for her, she really liked the neck gusset.

I only have a Bare so-called 'semi-dry' 5 mil, but the difference between my wetsuit and hers was night and day. I was jealous as hell, frankly. I was with her at Scubatoys when she tried on Henderson, Pinnacle, Bare, and Mares (she's hard to fit), and the Waterproof clearly had them all beat out in build quality and features. I can't speak personally for relative warmth, but she had no complaints. Of course, they ain't cheap.... Aside from the aid of the liner it didn't seem "easy" to put on in the "stretchy" sense, but given the anatomic styling, if you can find one that fits you well, the lack of comparative stretchiness shouldn't be a big downer.

I bought a Pinnacle 5mil Merino Elastiprene last summer. I also bought one for my son. I had a seam problem in one leg. Otherwise the suit seem good. I'm not sure how I feel about the wool liner. It definitely adds some warmth but it holds a lot of water and doesn't dry fast. On the whole, I like Scubapro Everflex suits better. They're well made. Stretchy enough without being overly compressible.