Scubapro Definition Steamer 5mm Men's

ScubaPro's official CE ratings: the Definition 3mm Steamer is a Class D suit rated for water above 72°F (22°C); the 5mm Steamer is a Class B suit rated for 50–64.5°F (10–18°C). The 2.5mm Shorty is the tropical option for the warmest water. In-between temperatures come down to your cold tolerance — adding a hooded vest under a 3mm is a popular way to bridge the gap.

The Definition suits use ScubaPro's X-Foam — a petroleum-free, limestone-based neoprene — with an infrared interior lining on the torso (3mm and 5mm), glued and blind-stitched seams, solvent-free adhesives, a Body Map System 3D cut, and a diagonal rear YKK zipper. The 5mm adds an Ultraspan chest panel, double-zippered wrist and ankle seals, and a spine pad for cold-water comfort.

Use ScubaPro's official size chart, which maps chest, waist, hip, height, and weight per size — men's sizes run XS through 3XL, with Short and Tall variants on the 5mm for divers between standard proportions, and there is a full women's Definition line as well. Measure yourself wearing whatever you will wear under the suit. Wetsuits should fit snug with no gaps at the lower back or armpits; if you are between sizes, send us your measurements and we will pick the right one.

A wetsuit should feel snug everywhere, with no loose pockets at the lower back, armpits, or behind the knees where water can collect and flush. It will feel tighter than normal clothing on land, which is expected, because the suit works by holding a thin layer of water that your body warms. If you cannot take a full breath or the neck chokes you it is too small, and if you can pinch loose folds of neoprene it is too big.

Most divers wear a swimsuit, a rash guard, or a thin dive-specific base layer under a wetsuit. A slick base layer makes a tight suit much easier to pull on and cuts down chafing at the neck, shoulders, and underarms. Avoid thick cotton clothing, which soaks up water, bunches, and makes you colder rather than warmer.

Work upward in small sections, pulling a little neoprene at a time rather than yanking on one spot, and get the suit fully seated at the ankles and knees before working on the hips and shoulders. A plastic bag over each foot and hand, or wetting the suit first, helps it slide into place. Grip with flat palms rather than fingertips, since fingernails are the most common cause of torn neoprene.

As a general rule, thicker neoprene insulates more, so a higher millimeter rating is warmer in the same conditions. Warmth also depends heavily on fit, suit style, seam construction, whether you add a hood, boots, and gloves, how long the dive is, and your own cold tolerance, so two divers in identical suits can feel very differently. Use thickness as a starting point and refine it against your local conditions and personal experience.

Rinse it inside and out in fresh water after every dive day, and use a wetsuit-specific wash occasionally to control odor. Dry it inside-out first and then flip it, always out of direct sunlight, because UV and heat break down neoprene faster than anything else. Store it hanging on a wide-shouldered hanger or laid flat rather than folded, so you do not set permanent creases.

Lifespan depends far more on use and care than on age, so a suit dived hard in sun and chlorine may soften within a couple of seasons while a well-rinsed occasional-use suit can last many years. Signs a suit is finished include compressed neoprene that no longer feels buoyant or warm, splitting seams, and looseness in areas that used to be snug. Repairing small cuts and seam separations early adds meaningfully to a suit's life.

A full suit covers arms and legs, a shorty stops at the upper arms and thighs, and separates such as tops, bottoms, and hooded vests layer to add warmth where you want it. Layering a vest or top under a full suit adds core warmth and can extend the range of a suit you already own. Choose based on how much coverage you want, both for warmth and for protection against stings and abrasion.

Both are built from ScubaPro's petroleum-free X-Foam limestone neoprene, but they are tuned differently. Everflex follows ScubaPro's Pure Design Concept — fewer seams and panels for stretch — with a Blue Diamond Span fleece lining and a YKK rear zipper, and it is also the line that offers the neoprene-free Yulex version. The Definition is the more built-up suit: a Body Map System 3D cut, an infrared torso lining on the 3mm and 5mm, a diagonal rear zipper, and on the 5mm an Ultraspan chest panel, double-zippered wrist and ankle seals and a spine pad.

X-Foam is ScubaPro's petroleum-free neoprene, made on a limestone base rather than from oil, and it is used across their wetsuit range from the entry-level Sport Steamer up to the Definition. In the Definition suits it is combined with solvent-free adhesives and glued, blind-stitched seams. You get the same stretch and warmth you expect from good neoprene with a materially lower petroleum footprint.

Beyond the extra neoprene, the 5mm gets cold-water features the 3mm does not: an Ultraspan chest panel, double-zippered wrist and ankle seals, and a spine pad. It is also the thickness ScubaPro offers in Short and Tall variants for divers between standard proportions. Both thicknesses share the infrared torso lining, the Body Map System cut and the diagonal rear YKK zipper.