The suit is about 5 years old and has a bunch of dives on it though it is in great condition. I took very good care of that suit. It has a brand new zipper and new seals. (both neck and wrist). The suit was sent out to a specialist in Florida two months ago to have all that work done. While the suite was there it was pressure and leak tested. The total cost of all that work was over 400 dollars. I have dove the suit about 15 times since the work was done and each time I have come out dry as a bone. The specialist did put one patch and patched it inside and out to ensure it would not leak. After each dive it was hosed off dry inside and out and then stored in its bag. The suit was a custom size. I purchased it when I was 5′ 10″ and weighed close to 300lbs. I have used that suite since and have been as low as 220 lbs and it was still a good fit especially with the under garment on. So you can see you have a range of room with this suit. The suit is heavy duty and has held up amazingly to many wreck diving adventures and classes I have taught. The suit is blue and black and has attached boots with hard bottom.

The suite comes with
1. Suit Bag
2. Suit
3. Weasel Extreme Plus undergarment.

The only reason I am selling the suit is I am buying a new suit through a great instructor promo and no longer need this suit. I am looking to let it all go for 350 + shipping. The suit is located in Lancaster PA. I can meet at Dutch Springs or Bainbrdige as well. Reasonable offers will be thought about. Pictures to come soon I have to unpack it and take some.

Any questions please feel free to ask.

BARE Gear Up For Adventure Sweepstakes Winner

Several weeks ago a friend of mind had a post on their Facebook wall advertising the Bare Gear Up for Adventure Sweepstakes. Entry into the sweepstakes qualified you for a chance to win a very nice package from Bare. This package included a Bare Velocity 3mm full wetsuit, Atomic SV2 snorkel, Atomic Full-Foot Split Fins, Zeagle Convert BCD, Atomic sub frame mask and a Stahlsac’s Curacao Clipper roller duffel travel bag. I decided to enter this sweepstakes with the full understanding the chances of winning were very low, though being a new PADI instructor I was extremely hopeful that I would win so I could have a new set of gear for working with students.

Several weeks passed and I had forgotten about this sweepstakes like many others, when I received an email from Luke at the Bonnier Corp Company stating I won. I was very skeptical at first because it requested my SS card number and other personal information. I work in the information security field so this through a red flag up for me at first so I decided to run several background checks on Luke and the Bonnier Corp Company. Once I felt confident I called Luke and talked to him verify he was who he said he was using some of the information I collected, it was at that time I felt confident enough to give my confidential personal information. I know over kill and a bit creepy, but if you freely hand out your SS number to everyone you deserve what happens to you. I see it daily in my line of work.

Once I sent my paper work in I was asked to choose colors and sizes. I went through the site like a little kid going through a toy store choosing the styles / colors and sizes I wanted. It still felt unreal to me. When I had my choices made I sent my information to Luke. He then worked with Bare to fulfill my choices. Several weeks later I arrived home to a box on my porch from them. It was filled with most of my items. I found out my BCD was on back order, this was not a concern and Luke just updated me today as I write this review that my BCD is in and will be shipping this week. I was still in shock as I opened the box and realized that I had actually won and the gear was actually in my possession.

The next evening I had several open water students so I decided to put the gear through some tests as I worked with my students. Nothing like being a walking billboard, my home shop carries all these lines of gear. The students were amazed at the colors and design and asked many questions about if after the class. Several have and other will be going to the shop to purchase the mask and snorkel. Others are thinking about the suit but of course in a 7mm for the cold lake waters here.

So let me give you my initial review of the gear:

Bare Velocity 3mm full wetsuit: This is the second new wet suit I have ever owned. I don’t dive wet a lot except while on vacation, shallow depths with students in the summer or in the pool. I also cannot stand how wet suits feel and how hard they are to get on, though after wearing the Bare Velocity suit for the first time I was amazed and very pleased. Bare uses a progressive full-stretch technology; they place this in key areas of the suit which improves fit, feel and comfort.  As their site says “The Right stretch in the right place” The knees come with a very protective material helping to avoid wear and tear as well, which is great for instructors. After an hour plus in the 75 degree temperature of the pool I was still very comfortable and did not feel cold at all. While diving it feels like you don’t even have a suit on it becomes like another skin. I felt very mobile in my movements and my trim is real good.

Atomic sub frame mask: I was nervous about this mask at first. I recently went to a frameless Dive Rite mask and loved it. Though I got to say this masked looked awesome and had a very low profile. I ordered the standard size one, if you have a medium to big face make sure you order that size. The first dive with it I treated it like I treat all my new masks with a tooth paste wash and it stayed fairly clear. It took two full scrubs with the toothpaste and fogging has now been eliminated fully. The mask is very compact and fits very comfortable, I have a full beard and it does not leak at all on me. The mask is also lighter than any mask I have ever owned or used. The view out of the lens is amazing and there is no view of the mask, skirt or frame while wearing. I can’t wait to try it in the local quarry.

Atomic SV2 snorkel: This snorkel is awesome. It is very sleek design and breathes very well; it also allows water to escape easily. The mouth piece on it is better than the one I currently have on my secondary reg. The one down fall about this snorkel is the attachment option to attach it to the mask. I fought with it for a while to get it on and off as I like to store my mask in the case when not in use. It takes time but once on it stays securely. The snorkel is also very light weight and can be bent in half to fit in my dry suit pocket when not needed.

Atomic Full-Foot Split Fins: These fins have some great power behind them. The split fin design has been a favorite of mine for years. They allow me to propel through the water with ease. I am able to frog kick, go in reverse, pivot, and of course do the standard flutter kick with them and have no issues doing them. Since they were full foot fins I was worried at first about their power. I can tell you there is no reason to worry. After several pool sessions with them I leave my full dive boots and fins at home and enjoy these awesome fins and a lighter dive bag.

Stahlsac’s Curacao Clipper roller duffel travel bag:  This bag is awesome. It weights around 7lbs empty though it is extremely rugged and has plenty of room for my cold water gear and probably enough room to fit several sets of warm water gear. The bag has no markings that make it easy identifiable as a dive bag, I love this feature as it does not stand out to thieves. The wheels on it are much more durable than the standard luggage bags and its handle makes dragging it around a piece of cake. The final comment on this bag is the life time warranty that is offered and the user replaceable parts in the event your bag gets damaged. I got to say this is the best dive bag I have ever owned, just wished I had it last year when I traveled to Jamaica.

Once my Zeagle Covert comes in I will add a review of that as well. So far I am more than happy with my gear and would recommend this gear to anyone from the snorkeler, open water student all the way up to the instructor. If you are local to Lancaster PA, stop by Lancaster scuba center to check this gear out and get a good deal on it.  As a instructor this gear will definitely be put through its paces so stay tuned for future updates and reviews.

Thanks again to Bare and Sport Diver Magazine