Henderson Thermoprene Pro 3mm Review: Warm for Its Thickness

Glued and sewn seams, a YKK #10 zip and a spine pad, in a suit that costs what many 5mm suits do.

Specifications

Specifications above come from Henderson's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Glued and sewn seams rather than simply stitched. Blind-stitched and glued construction lets far less water through the seam line, and seam flushing is where a suit's warmth actually goes.
• A YKK #10 zip is the specification to look for. Zip failure is the most common way a wetsuit dies, and cheap zips are the reason.
• The spine pad and zipper seal address the exact place a back zip suit flushes, which is the standing criticism of back zip suits generally.
• Duratex knee reinforcement matters more than it sounds. Kneeling on a boat deck or a sandy bottom is what wears neoprene through.
• Spandex trim at the wrists, ankles and neck seals better against skin than raw neoprene edges and is far more comfortable to pull on.

Where it falls short

• It is 3mm. That is a warm-water suit, and diving is colder than the same water feels while swimming, because you are still and submerged for the best part of an hour. Repeated dives compound it.
• Back zip suits flush more at the neck and spine than a front zip or a chest zip suit, and this one mitigates that without eliminating it.
• Neoprene compresses at depth, so a 3mm suit at 30 metres is thinner and less insulating than it is at 5 metres. That is physics rather than a product flaw and it is why depth affects your thickness choice.
• It is not cheap. Three hundred and fifty dollars buys a 5mm or a 7mm suit from many brands, and thickness beats fabric quality for warmth.
• Wetsuit thickness also changes your weighting. More neoprene means more buoyancy and more lead, so changing suits means re-checking your weighting rather than assuming.

What owners report

Henderson has a long reputation for fit and durability, and owner reports on Thermoprene suits are consistent on both. The suits are described as warm for their thickness and as lasting several seasons, which is where the price is justified. Complaints are mostly about sizing, which is true of every wetsuit and is the reason a size chart matters more than a review.

Thickness is a temperature decision and our 3mm versus 5mm comparison works through it. The rule that catches people is that diving is colder than swimming: you are motionless, submerged and on a second dive of the day. Our wetsuit thickness calculator and the thickness chart map water temperature to a starting recommendation.

Whatever you buy, rinse it properly. Our wetsuit cleaner versus fresh water comparison is honest about the fact that fresh water does most of the work, and that a dedicated cleaner mainly helps with the smell and with chlorine. Nothing on this page replaces training. Dive equipment is only as safe as the diver using it, and every item here assumes you hold a current certification appropriate to the diving you are doing.

Who it suits

• Divers who dive genuinely warm tropical water regularly.
• Anyone whose current suit has a failing zip, since a good zip is most of what you are paying for here.
• Divers who want a suit that fits well enough to be worth owning rather than renting.

Who should skip it

• Divers in temperate water, who need 5mm or more.
• Occasional holiday divers, for whom rental suits are usually adequate.
• Anyone choosing on price, where a 5mm suit for the same money is warmer.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• 3mm vs 5mm wetsuit
• Wetsuit vs drysuit
• Wetsuit cleaner vs fresh water
• Wetsuit thickness calculator
• Wetsuit thickness chart
• How to choose a wetsuit
• Cressi Fast 5mm wetsuit review
• Best scuba wetsuits

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.