bkr wrote:

I ordered 2 wetsuits (one shortie and one farmer john) from REI and
picked them up yesterday. Having only worn a wetsuit once in my life,
I'm thinking these are a bit too small. According to the size chart I
fall in the range for the medium in the waist, chest and weight but in
the large height range, so I ordered a medium figuring height wouldn't
be too huge an issue.

When I tried the things on last night, both were much tighter than I
expected, especially in the waist (I'm actually a 30 waist) and not as
comfortable as I'd like. My biggest question is whether or not I just
need to get used to the fit or if they should be not quite so tight.
I'm probably going to go ahead and order the large size and return the
mediums, but just wanted to get a feel for how most people wore them,
tight or with a little room. These are so tight as to be a second skin.
Is there any "stretch" over use that will wear these in to a more
comfortable fit or is returning them for the different size the best choice?

Contrary to popular myth, wetsuits work best when they allow as little water in
as possible. A skin-tight fit is desirable, just ask a scuba diver. Neoprene
does "break in" to an extent, compressing and becoming more flexible in areas
that are flexed frequently. If the suits restrict your breathing or flexibility,
they're probably too tight. If not, I would keep them.

--
Regards

Brian