I have an observation: it seems wetsuits are made smaller for the same size leading to durability issues when putting them on (tears, fingernail nicks, rips). Who else has noticed this???? The materials they're using are more stretchy, so the suits can be snugger for the same size, but making them harder to put on. I'm not talking just one brand of suit...could be all of them. Case in point: I have an older Xterra Vortex3 sleeveless, size Medium. Easy to put on and take off, NEVER had any fingernail tear issues. I decided to replace this suit because the Vortex3 is old. I got the SAME Exterra suit, but new, in SAME size. Just in comparing them laying on the floor, side by side, the new one is visibly smaller across the chest, waist, and hips. The new one, despite the same sizing, is MUCH HARDER to put on. I had to really grasp the suit and PULL in certain areas to get it to go on and overall the new one feels tighter, even though the suits are supposed to be the same size. The gasping and pulling is making me fear tearing or nicking the suit as I put it on. I checked the sizing chart for the Xterra medium suit and I'm actually in the LOW end of the weight class for the Medium, so if I go to a Large, its out of the manufacturers' sizing recommendations.

Second case: my Roka full-sleeve suit. When I ordered this suit, I couldnt' try it on, so I ordered a medium, going by Roka's size chart. When it arrived, I looked at it and couldn't believe the suit was a Medium...It looked like a small shrunken sausage casing. I gave it ago and attempted to put it on, following Roka's recommended procedure to put it on and it FELT AWFUL...like I WAS in a sausage casing. I couldn't get the suit over my butt/ hips. I sent the Medium back and asked for the Large, which I was now on the very low end for the weight range. After getting the Large, I managed to get myself into it, but it was A CHORE. I felt like I was in a wrestling match where potentially I would damage the suit. And yes, sure enough, my brand new suit already got fingernail tears as this is almost inevitable with how much pulling and adjusting there was. Roka even warns people that the suit will feel "tight" when not in water and it should take "10-12 minutes to put on."

This leads me to my point - am I the crazy on here or does anyone else notice this sizing/material issues? And are there ANY wetsuits that are not hard to put on where I'm fearing destroying the suit's surface putting the darn thing on???