Im in a bind and need a very large size immersion suit. I’ve tried every US brand including Viking, Mustang, Kent and a few others. Its impossible for me to get both arms in any of these suits.
I’m 6’-5” tall, 350# and have a 64” chest and 76” around my shoulders. I’m not petite but can’t believe I’m the biggest guy going to sea.
Found one company that can get a custom suit made for me but its 10-12 months minimum. I need to re-take my STCW by 7 Jan 23 so time is critical.
I’m willing to rent a suit to pass the test or buy it if necessary. Any other big people out there able to help me out? Thanks in advance!
The mates on my ship keep my immersion suit in tip top shape & it can pass USCG/PSC easily. But the immersion suits in all the schools I’ve been to have been ragged out beyond repair. If you can’t find a real suit big enough for you perhaps you can buy 2 old used ones & get a custom one made from the material? Most medium to large size cities still have alteration shops with seamstresses & tailors to do that kind of stuff. As long as it has a half legible USCG print on it, a zipper that works & doesn’t bust at the seams while putting it on in the water it would probably be better than most suits offered from a school.
I wanted to close out this thread with some info that may help other folks in a similar situation. As it turns out, no standard made suit from any of the major makers would fit me in the chest area. Currently, no major maker will provide a custom made immersion suit due to a shortage of material. All material is being used for standard sized suits.
I did find a new maker of a very unique immersion suit, one that meets the new Polar Code along with USCG, MED, SOLAS, etc. If you suffer from claustrophobia this is a winner. The suit is made by White Glacier Immersion Suits in Puerto Rico. This company has been making bio-hazard and chem warfare suits for the USGov for some time and a few years ago got into survival suits. This suit won’t waterlog like neoprene and keeps you dry and warm in extreme cold conditions. It is a bit higher priced than other suits but provides superior protection in extreme situations.