TESTCENTRE
When wet works wonders
Xenos 7mm Wetsuit
COMPANY : FOURTH ELEMENT TEL : 01326 330230 PRICE : £ 299 WEB : FOURTHELEMENT . COM
With foreign travel still subject to restrictions for the foreseeable future , there ’ s never been a better time to explore our rich home waters . For those who are primarily boat divers there ’ s a whole world of shore diving that is often overlooked . While I much prefer wetsuit or semidry diving during the summer months , many of my peers prefer to huff and puff in their drysuits and undersuits when a good-fitting wetsuit is a far easier proposition . It ’ s fair to say that that the 3mm suit you use in the Red Sea won ’ t cut the mustard in UK conditions , but with the right choice of kit it ’ s more than possible to enjoy the benefits that only a wetsuit can bring .
Fourth Element have a reputation for stylish , well-designed divewear and their new Xenos 7mm wetsuit is no exception . Manufactured from a 90 % neoprene and 10 % nylon mix , the Xenos is designated as a ‘ fast transition ’ product , inspired by the easy-don , easy-doff style of triathlon suits .
The black / grey colour scheme with white flashes is good on the eye and nicely tailored to fit . If you don ’ t quite have an Adonis-like figure , this suit is very flattering . The women ’ s version has its own attractive-looking cut .
Unlike the rigid , hard-to-don wetsuits of yesteryear , it really is a pleasure to slip on the pleasingly flexible Xenos . Featuring watertight glued and blind-stitched seams , plus a Thermoflex lining for extra torso warmth , the suit also benefits from Glideskin wrist and cutaway ankle seals .
My personal preference for the perfect wetsuit neck seal is one with a drysuitstyle shoulder zip . This ensures that the neck seal pulls up over the head , reducing the flushing and the trickle of cold water that can be felt with a straight up-anddown zip , where the seal isn ’ t quite as effective .
The Xenos utilises the latter design , and while its adjustable Velcro fastening is very good , I was aware of the occasional ingress as I twisted and turned my head while taking photographs . Tucking my hood under - rather than over - the neck seal soon solved this minor irritation . A few minutes after descending , my body soon warmed the thin layer of water between skin and suit and I could enjoy the comfort and freedom that only a wetsuit gives . With no changes in the buoyancy – such as you experience with drysuits – I could simply add the occasional burst of air to my BCD when needs dictated . It was far removed from what I ’ d expect a 7mm suit to feel like , and surprisingly little lead was required to attain neutral buoyancy . The Xenos provided excellent flexibility both in the water and out of it . Leaping salmon-like back into the RIB was a far cry from clambering up in dry kit . On subsequent dives , this time from the shore ,
I teamed the Xenos with Fourth Element ’ s
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