# Ultimate hot weather bee suit



## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

Recently I've seen on one of the blogs a bug net suit and it's use as a bee suit. Normally I just use a veil, jeans and a long sleeve shirt, but even that gets too hot here in Florida during the summer. And I don't think I have it in me to brave shorts while working with my bees.  So I decided to give it a try. I got a Coghlan's Bug Jacket of amazon for $13 and pants for $9. All it is - is a nylon mesh jacket and pants. I didn't have high expectations for that price but was pleasantly surprised by pretty good quality. Jacket's waist, cuffs and pant's cuffs all have elastic drawstrings that are easy to adjust and they don't slide once adjusted. The veil got a zipper underneath and allows you to flip it back like a hood if you want to take a break or drink something without removing the jacket. Both the jacket and pants are really easy to put on. The pants seem to be a bit large, but you want them to be loose and not to cling to your skin.















The other day I got a chance to finally test it with my bees. It is not too terribly hot here yet, around 75F but it is hot enough to start sweating when you inspect multiple hives. I didn't break sweat throughout the whole inspection. I had my shorts and a t-shirt underneath and it felt like that's all I was wearing. It doesn't restrict your movements at all. By the end of the inspection the bees had enough of me and tried to let me know that their patience was wearing thin. I could see several of them crawling on my arms trying to sting me but having no luck. I got stung only once on my hand which was not covered, but that's just because I refuse to use gloves. Another thing that I noticed is that their stingers don't get stuck in the mesh and after a while they just give up, instead of getting stingers stuck and provoke more bees into stinging.

So, definitely a keeper. I'm gonna get a couple more for my kids too. They love to help me with the bees. The only negative thing I can think of is the fact that there are no pockets. To me it is not a big deal. You can use a belt with a hive tool holster or something else to that effect... or just do the usual, put it on the edge of the hive, accidentally bump it into the grass and then continue to support hive tool companies and keep them in business. 

Oh.. and you would need to get yourself a hat with a nice brim to keep the net off your neck and face. I didn't have one, so I used a baseball cap, which worked ok, but a hat would work better.


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## hedges (May 18, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

A great trick I heard about is finding a fishing vest and carrying around a cooler full of cold packs. The cold packs fit into the pockets of the vest and you wear it under your bee suit.

Frosty all day.  it was tapping out at 105+ this summer in ND, so I think I'm going to try it this year .


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## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Thanks for posting, and providing comments. 

I am not sure I understand something. Do the pants leg bottoms and jacket sleeves have the drawstrings, or are they elastic?


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

You can also do a portable AC unit and pipe it to your suit  Kind of like that:








This bug suit is cheap and you don't have to haul around 5 lbs of gel packs.

BTW, forgot to mention - both the jacket and pants pack into a small ziploc bag and fit in your pocket. Can you pack your bee suit in your pocket? I guess the answer depends on the size of the pockets, which got to be pretty big in the first place if you can afford an actual bee suit.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

It is a neat looking concept but being so thin don't the bees simply sting through it if they have the intention to do so. The ventilated suit I use is cool..but bulky compared to what you are trying...however it is more than one layer and thicker than the length of a stinger


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



philip.devos said:


> Thanks for posting, and providing comments.
> 
> I am not sure I understand something. Do the pants leg bottoms and jacket sleeves have the drawstrings, or are they elastic?


Both. Pants and jacket sleeves and waist have elastic draw strings with a little plastic slide lock. When you put it on for the first time - pull elastic draw strings tight and slide the lock to fix it in that position. Subsequent adjustments are not necessary.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



WBVC said:


> It is a neat looking concept but being so thin don't the bees simply sting through it if they have the intention to do so.


 That's what I thought too the first time I saw it, but I've been reading that though it would seem like it, it actually never happens. So I figured I would try and see. A cheap experiment. My experience confirms that you can not get stung through it. I suppose if you pull it tight against your skin on purpose - then may be, but then you have only yourself to blame for that. Under normal conditions, there is always enough space between your skin and the surface of the suit, so that a bee can't sting through it. Even though it is touching your skin in multiple places, it is not stretched against it uniformly.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I use the Coghlan's Mosquito Head net from Walmart @ $2,50. I will look for the jacket, a lot cooler. Thank You


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I like the head nets for something that fits in my pocket and can provide a little protection. I have the a shirt like that and on a hot day it's like no protection at all. It's stuck to you with sweat and the bees sting right through it. If you want the ultimate hot weather suit that's a full Ultra Breeze with nothing on under it but a pair of shorts...


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



Michael Bush said:


> I have the a shirt like that and on a hot day it's like no protection at all.


 Our experiences seem to be different. Just wondering - do you have a "shirt like that" or exactly the same jacket? With this one I don't even see how it can get stuck to your skin because it is pretty loose and bunched up. You can even see it on the picture. Like with a lot of things the trick is in the detail.


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## jonathan (Nov 3, 2009)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I use these.
You can usually purchase them in a sale for about £5 / $8
If you are lucky they last about a year if used most days.









http://www.thorne.co.uk/hardware-clothing/clothing/jacket-and-veil?product_id=2025

They are really light to work in and keep the bees away from your face.
They would be too light if you have aggressive bees.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



jonathan said:


> I use these.
> You can usually purchase them in a sale for about £5 / $8


I like the price. You'd be lucky to find a veil by itself in the US for cheaper than $20. However this would still be too hot in Florida. The idea is to be in your shorts and a t-shirt. (and flip-flops if you are a true Floridian)


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## jonathan (Nov 3, 2009)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

They are really comfortable compared to heavy duty protective bee suits. The material is a similar thickness to that of a handkerchief.
I only have to contend with the Irish climate rather than the Floridian.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

> do you have a "shirt like that" or exactly the same jacket?

Looks like exactly the same material as the picture, but it's a "bug baffler" brand.

> With this one I don't even see how it can get stuck to your skin because it is pretty loose and bunched up.

Apparently you've never worn it while soaked in sweat... then it's stuck to you...


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## CessnaGirl (Jan 7, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Think I'm going to get those pants! I wear loose scrub pants now. They work really well but if I could wear these, I would be really happy. And, yes, I wear flip flops. Only got stung on the toe once and that was because I was wearing black socks with my flip flops. I deserved it for that fashion faux pas but my feet were cold. 

Bee-52, how is your vision through the mesh? I see it's brown, not black.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Flip flops with black socks - now that's a true Floridian 

The vision is OK. Not great but ok. My mesh is black but if the sun hits it at just right angle and can impede your line of sight slightly. I also attribute it to the fact that I was wearing it with a baseball cap and it was kind of bunched up, rather than nice and tight if you wear it with a straw hat. I just ordered myself a straw hat.

@Michael Bush - I understand that material would be exactly the same - it is nylon mesh. But the way it is put together, in my opinion, plays a big role. If it is really tight in the first place, I can see how it might become a problem. It is the same if you would try to wear girl jeans and then would wonder: " These _are_ jeans and they _are_ made of the same material. How come then these are so uncomfortable?"  So, the thing to take away from this - Mr. Bush, don't wear girl jeans under any circumstances!  Sorry, couldn't help myself... I'm digressing

You are right, I haven't worn it yet soaked in sweat. That's the whole point of wearing it... so you wouldn't be. I can try jumping in the pool while wearing it before working with my bees next time and then report my findings. But I'm sure there will be somebody here who would say that chemical composition of sweat is different and it is not a valid test 

I'm not trying to convince anybody here to use it. I'm just saying that it can be a viable alternative to a bulky and hot regular bee suits. I'm just presenting information, what to do with it is your business.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

> If it is really tight in the first place

Of course that would make it bad and makes any bee protection of less value. I never wear any that is tight. I always buy it two sizes too big.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I have some bees that will convince you that an Ultrabreeze suit is a better investment. You can wear it with nothing underneath and still not get stung, and it won't flatten out and stick to you after sweating it out. A cotton coverall suit works great until you sweat it out, a white shirt works great until you sweat it out, almost any covering works great until it sticks your skin, then look out.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



Michael Bush said:


> > "bug baffler" brand.


Bug baffler is actually the original one I read about, the one that people swore by. It is just three times as expensive as this one. The only difference is that it has elastic calfs and waist instead of the elastic draw string. Judging by the picture it should be pretty loose as well. Another point of interest - Coghlan's Bug Jacket got pretty high rating at Amazon and you can read reviews of people who took it to places like Argentina and slept outside on a boat on a river and never got bitten or stung. Now most people who bought it there use it as a mosquito protection but I think it is still a valid comparison. If you sleep outside and don't get bitten by mosquitoes chances are you are not going to get stung by bees either. I'm not saying that your experience is not valid. Simply pointing out that majority of people are pretty happy with these shirts and pants.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I have about 20 of the bug baffler veils and hand them out when people go through my yard. I have two of the shirts and one of the pants. I find them useful, just no where near sting proof. Their main advantage is how small and light and cheap they are compared to an Ultra Breeze. But the Ultra Breeze is essentially sting proof. I've only been stung wearing it when bees crawled up my pant leg or I had my gloves off...


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



Ross said:


> I have some bees that will convince you that an Ultrabreeze suit is a better investment.


 Not likely. I'm not looking for an investment, since I don't really have spare money to invest. And even if I did, it wouldn't be my investment choice. Up until now I've been wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans and was sweating like a pig every summer. Never really got stung through the clothes. That's not to say that it couldn't happen - it just never did. And my bees are pretty aggressive. So to me this is an improvement. Even if I do get stung once in a while through the mesh, it will still be worth it to not to wear a bulky hot suit. If I was so concerned about never getting stung, I would not get into beekeeping in the first place.


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## funwithbees (Mar 27, 2010)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Can anybody offer experience with the ultrabreeze suits VS the Mann Lake, Dadant and Blue Sky versions?? are they the same suit or not? they look alike in the photos but the price is 1/2. usally get what you pay for.
Nick


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

>Can anybody offer experience with the ultrabreeze suits VS the Mann Lake, Dadant and Blue Sky versions?? are they the same suit or not?

They are not the same suit as the Ultra Breeze but the others all appear to be the same suit as each other. I have not used the others, but have seen them at bee events. The Ultra Breeze has heavy duty brass zippers and heavy duty construction that will last for years. The others are light plastic zippers and lighter fabric and are not built to last, but are cheaper.


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## blueskybeesupply (Dec 11, 2007)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



Michael Bush said:


> >The others are light plastic zippers and lighter fabric and are not built to last, but are cheaper.


Actually, we use high quality USA made YKK Vislon/Rugged Nylon Zippers on our BEEKool™ suits which do not get clogged with wax and propolis. We use the same quality zippers found on our BBWear suits that are made in the UK. They are designed to outperform the brass zippers, which can easily snag and whose tracks can wear out and pull open at all the wrong times.

Further, our zippers are covered by a flap, secured with Velcro tabs, which further protect the zipper track from honey, propolis and wax.

We have quality stitching on our suits have tested extremely well in all respects of heavy use and wear. We know this because some of the largest beekeeping operations in the south and west are coming back for bulk orders after testing for a season. All of our materials are bright white and UV-resistant and machine-washable.

We continue to improve our materials and design and we are very proud of their quality and affordable price. Quality doesn't have to cost a lot, but it does pay.

You will not be disappointed. Feedback has been stellar. We have 100%, no questions asked, return policy on new suits should you disagree--send it back. Shipping to you is FREE, so we invite you to upgrade and BEEKool™


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

>They are designed to outperform the brass zippers, which can easily snag and whose tracks can wear out and pull open at all the wrong times.

I have not had any of those problems. The ones on both the Ultra-Breeze and the Golden Bee Products suits are heavy duty brass, not those little ones like you might see on a light jacket, but very wide and very heavy duty. I don't know if I've seen the Blue Sky model, but I've seen Dadant, Mann Lake and Jesters. I'm not saying they are going to fall apart the first day, but if you look at them beside an Ultra Breeze they are not in the same ballpark. Not that there is something wrong with them, they are just not the same heavy duty construction. It's like the difference between a pair of denim work pants next to a pair of light slacks. They are just not the same thickness and durability. And they are priced accordingly as they should be.


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## blueskybeesupply (Dec 11, 2007)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

We don't doubt that Ultrabreeze uses a high quality zipper. Just to be clear, the feedback we have had on poor-performing metal zippers has been on imported ventilated suits with metal zippers from other vendors.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I spent another three hours this weekend working with my bees. No stings again. I'm pretty sure at this point I'm going to be ok with this one. This time I used a straw hat with it and visibility through the veil really improved.


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## CajunBee (May 15, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Just a note....the Navy uses pure bees wax for lube on the brass zippers of all survival gear. Comes in stick form.


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Just a follow up. I did get stung for the first time yesterday wearing this bug suit. That's one sting during three inspections each of which lasted a couple hours on average. Not too bad. The sting that I got was on my arm. The bee got caught in the folds of the mesh fabric. When I unfolded the bee it flew away and there where no stinger stuck in the skin. So my guess is that the stinger couldn't quite reach to fully penetrate skin. The sting sight never really got swollen either.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

The only issue I have with my suit purchased from Pigeon Mountain is that the veil screen material has worn out after only two years. Not worn through but the black material is wearing off leaving the screen white and difficult to see through. I then bought one for my daughter that seems to have a different veil and it does to have the same issue. At least eh screen material is different. I can use her suit and see eggs and larva no problem. they are invisible through my veil.

I want to buy a new veil for my jacket but before I do I want to know what the difference is and be assured I am getting the better one.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I wore my BeeKool jacket for the first time yesterday. The temp was in the low 80's. I was very happy with the jacket, I didn;t break a sweat. I got no stings. My one colony that was REALLY protective last year did not get too upset when I reversed the three deeps.

My only concern was that after zipping up I could still see a small open patch wher the veil zippers meet. I may have missed a flap or something. 

Tom


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## cerezha (Oct 11, 2011)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*



Daniel Y said:


> ... issue I have with my suit purchased from Pigeon Mountain...


I have vented full suit from PM and I am not really happy with this - after two seasons fabric start deteriorating creating the holes. Not mechanical damage - the holes just appeared in random places  it was $160. When I will have more duck-tape than actual fabric, I have to choose better suit, not PM. Sorry PM.


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## Ryan Williamson (Feb 28, 2012)

My Pigeon Mountain zipper gave out yesterday. It is a cheap metal zipper that I have kept lubed with beeswax. I also am watching my viel mesh go from black to white. Ohh yes the fabric they use for the pockets does self distrust as mentioned before. One year life span for a $160 suit is rather lousy in my opinion.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have a Golden Bee Products suit that has had hard usage since 2002. The only rip in it is from a nail I got caught on. It still works great. I have an UltraBreeze Jacket that also gets hard usage and I've had it for quite a while (I don't remember when I got it but it was one of the first ones made, and I'm pretty sure it's 10 years old at least) and it is still in great shape with no rips and the zippers still work great. I also have an Ultra Breeze suit, but I keep waiting for the Golden Bee Products suit to wear out...


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

Judging by the comments and my experience with the bug mesh suit so far I can summarize that in the category of "functionality vs. cost" it beats all commercially available suits. In the category "bee keeper fashion" there seem to be heavy personal bias toward a brand name... as well as in the category of product endorsement. 

Since my last update I put in 3 or 4 more hours with the mesh suit. Nor additional stings to report. Inspections included some intensive hive manipulations and a shook swarm (which they really didn't like). So at this point I don't sweat about trusting this gear (pun intended )


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Ryan, I also have the Pigeon Mountain version of a ventilated suit. I have another ventilated suit I think I got from Brushy Mountain. I have not liked the zipper on the PM suit from the start. ti has been stiff hard to get started and in fact is a zipper for European or women's clothing. Read that as backwards for a man.

I also have the veil turning white problems I solved that by taking a permanent marker one of the very wide once and coloring it black again. I still do not like the screen material. But at least it is now black.

As for the brush mountain version. as far as I can tell the zipper is just fine. but the veil is trash trash trash. They use a screen material that is so stiff it cracks if it gets folded. the veil now has holes all over it and it is not even a year old. It does not fade to white. also the sipper they use for the veil is about 6 inches longer than it needs to be. this additional material hanging off the end makes it nearly impossible to get the veil closed properly. the last two days we spent with the bees my daughter has had bees get in the veil at that point.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

A follow-up on my Bluesky BeeKool jacket. I wore it last night to do my first invasive inspection of hives. The temp was 80 degrees. I found multiple queen cells in my hottest hive. This colony accounted for 90%+ of the stings I got last years. It had been so long since I had seperated the bottom two deeps I damaged every queen they had made when tipping the boxes up. So, I couldn't just make sure each split had a good queen cell. I took the time to make sure each split had some eggs. I had a cloud of bees flying around me. They weren't the worst I have seen them. But, the end result was not one sting! 

I may not be invinceable with that jacket on but, it sure provides good protection.

Tom

PS I didn't break a sweat either!


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## Annabee (Jul 25, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

I've got the Eco Keeper full ventilated suit and it is just amazing.

It's from the unfortunately named Pestmall.

Looks to me like it's a poor man's Ultrabreeze --- I have now gone out into tornadoes of upset girls and not one sting. Same premise, three layers of mesh. Cost me 137.00 and shipping.

Absolutely would recommend.


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## mdax (Apr 29, 2013)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

When the heat and mosquitoes fire up here in Florida I find that protecting against mosquitoes is a much higher priority than worrying about my girls.

That mosquito top/bottom are great OVER a pair of pants and shirt, even skitters will get you through that without any layers. I inspect my top bars in shorts and flops in the winter, but no chance you'll catch me naked like that in skitter season.

During the heat I soak a tank top in the fridge, then put it on under my Golden Bee Products jacket. 
I love my Golden Bee Jacket and the fact it's sewn up by Susie in Louisiana instead of by slaves in china is an added bonus!

http://www.goldenbeeproducts.com/


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

*Re: Ultimate hot weather bee suite*

Mosquitoes don't bother me where I am during the day. And the whole point of this suit is to stay cool (well... cooler) so layering doesn't really makes much sense to me. I've put many more hours with this suit on and there is only one more sting to report. They got me in the shoulder and again that was a very shallow sting which I immediately forgot about. The other day I had a big huge mess of angry bees flying everywhere while removing honey suppers while at the same time an angry swarm came out from one of the hives (don't ask me why it was angry, I've been nothing but good to them, but they were not in the mood). I had to leave everything and go catch that swarm. They were all over me that evening but all I've got is that one sting. So, all in all, not too bad.

The only other thing to report would be that I melted a hole in the veil area with my smoker. That's not really a fault of the suit per se, and could've happen to any other suit as well. It is easy enough to patch though. A small patch of nylon mesh with a little silicone should fix it just fine.


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