Akona makes only one wetsuit I would consider suitable for diving in much of New England, and this suit is it. That sparcity of products, however, made me initially skeptical that the company had enough experience with cold-water suits to make them well. But the suit did manage to surprise me.

First, it's well constructed -- there's a pleasing heft to it and the seams strike me as very well done. Of course, how a suit fits one person has nothing to do with how it will fit another, but the cut of the suit seems also well done -- the back of the neck sits flush against me. I also like the kneepads. They aren't so stiff as to create a weak point in the suit around them, or to restrict the suit's ability to conform to the shape of your legs. But they are enough to provide a little extra protection for the suit when you're kneeling on the bottom. The little key pocket inside the jacket also seems a bit more substantial than I've seen on many suits.

The thing that intrigued me most about the suit is that it's designed more for thermal protection than ease of entry. In other words, it's stiffer than, say, the Henderson Hyperstretch. In theory, this should translate into extra warmth. And Akona has attempted to alleviate any entry and exit difficulties with what it calls its glideskin wrist, ankle and neck seals. The material of the suit at these points is supposedly slicker and more flexible than that of the rest of the suit, allowing these parts of the suit to be cut for a flusher fit. I'm not in a position right now to say how well these sections of the suit will hold up over time (a legitimate question) but on a new suit I found them to work exactly as advertised. I had no difficulty getting into the suit even though the wrist and ankles did seem to be cut a bit tighter than usual. I liked it.

The result: in water in the very low 50's I was comfortable for approximately one hour. And that's a lot for me -- I'm pretty thermally challenged.

That's not to say I like everything about the suit. I don't (what a shocker!). The bottom of the jacket extends quite far down the legs. Akona says this is to minimize water flow and keep you warmer. If that's true, I'm all for it. But I'm not sure I buy that those extra two or three inches make any practical difference and they do make it a bit awkward to set the zipper. And the zipper is located on the left leg, with the moving part of it set on the outside. In other words, you have to zip in, at least initially, with your left hand. Since the overwhelming majority of us are right-handed it begs the question, why. Of course, this is a small thing and the annoyance of it probably has more to do with the seeming lack of thought that went into it, rather than the actual degree of difficulty in using it.

These things aside, I like this suit better than most I've worn. Its price is quite nice, too, with a suggested retail of $260. I'll update this page as I put dives on the suit and see how well the glideskin sections age. In the meantime, I would recommend it as suitable for diving in New England.

Jerry Shine