Fourth Element's Proteus 7mm wetsuit is a one-peice suit with a back zip and no attached hood. According to the company's literature, the suit's long glideskin seals at the wrist and ankles make it easier to don and create a better seal, its neck seal system prevents water entry, and its thermal bib, which starts at the back and comes up over the neck, minimizes water flow through the zipper. Sales material also seems to state that the suit is good for temperatures down to 57 degrees, possibly 55 degrees, although I'm not 100% certain of this, even after speaker to a company rep.

I wore the suit on 14 dives, in water temperatures ranging from 51 to 61 degrees. My experiences with it were somewhat variable, particularly in the first few dives -- and there seemed to be little correlation with water temperature. Some times I came out feeling comfortable, even after multiple dives. Other dives I came out feeling far less so. On those dives, I can't tell you how annoyed I felt at the suit, at the sales literature describing it as semi-dry (wait a second, isn't that basically the definition of a wetsuit?), and at the divers I knew who owned the suit and swore by it.

At some point, I realized it all depended on how well I'd set the neck seal.When I set it poorly, water would flow in and out, following a straight path down my spine. When I set it well, water would come in but its flow would be minimized to the point where I still felt fine.

This might seem like a simple matter but I found the neck seal to be pretty finnicky, complicated by a somewhat difficult donning process (the suit comes with a full page of donning and doffing instructions). By the 8th or 9th dive, though,I had it down and this was no longer an issue.

Would I recommend the suit for New England diving? Yes. I wouldn't call it the warmest I've ever worn, but it's up there. And on a side note, for what it's worth, the Proteus is far and away the best looking suit I've ever worn -- definitely the Pierre Cardin of wetsuits.

Jerry Shineco