LavacoreMen's Long Sleeve Top

I'm a 5'8 athletic built woman. I was a swimmer for many years so I have a broad back and shoulders. I ordered a large and it still fits snugly in the arms and back but comfortably. The only complaint is that since it's a men's size it's a little long but other than that I love it! It's very cozy and keeps me warm on my dives.

Very comfortable and keeps me warm between a 3mm farmer John and a 5mm outer layer in 50 degree water.

Great base layer for cold water, or warm water top. Feels soft on the inside, and allows for a surprising amount of maneuverability. The top does run alittle small, and judging by past reviews, I ordered one size up and it fit well.

I've worn this shirt under my 3mm full wetsuit on several dives in Hawaii . It kept me from getting chilled when doing multiple dives in 72-75 degree water which had occurred on previous dives there. So far, there's been no sign of wear.

I live in Hawaii and have been diving pretty regularly. Lately I've seen more and more people showing up with these lavacore brand tops and bottoms under their wetsuits. When I was in Australia this year, everyone there was talking about "Sharkskin" brand skin suits, but they were so pricey that I didn't have the chance to try one. Comparatively, they're just about the exact same product. There's also another brand making these called "fourth element". Lavacore is the only American brand I've seen and they seem to be the cheapest as far as pricing.Now, you can google the forums to read all the debates and opinions on the different brands, but the gist is that they're all about the same, but many people claim that the sharkskin brand may fit better and perform better as an outer garment. Lavacore claims that their tops and suits are equivalent to a traditional 2.5 millimeter neiprene wetsuit, while Sharskin advertises a 3 mil equivalency. Personally, I have only used this top as an outer garment and not under another wetsuit, but in 75 degree water, it kept me as warm as my neoprene 2 mil top, and I actually kept it on when I got back on the boat. The advertised wind protection was pretty nice to have in the breeze, and while everyone else was freezing, I was warm and looking good. I will mention that because of the different material, it didn't feel the same getting in the water as it does with a traditional wetsuit. Unlike my neoprene shorty, it took a couple minutes for me to warm up with this top on after I got in. I was almost disappointed, but it eventually warmed up and it was very comfortable under water as i maneuvered through a very tight wreck. My favorite thing about this material is that it's neutrally buoyant, so I can literally drop 2-4 pounds of weight that I typically carry to counter my various wetsuits. I also like that you can fold this thing up and cram into a bag wet or dry, and you don't have to worry about it becoming wrinkly.One item that Lavacore does not advertise and I'd thought I'd mention, is that their products do protect from stingers, including jelly fish and man-o-wars which you may encounter in Hawaii or Mexico and the Carribean. I would certainly feel much more confident wearing this in a stinger area than just a lycra suit. Overall, this top is excellent as an Underlying layer for a neoprene wetsuit and very good as a stand alone top.***Update: 1/11/2015***I originally rated this product as four stars, but I am now changing it to three. Today was the second time I've worn this top, and the zipper pocket started to become unglued. I was pretty upset about this, but it's been so nice not having to deal with my bulky wetsuit, that I probably won't return it. I don't see myself every using that pocket since it's really too small for anything anyway. Regardless, I certainly expect to have any problems with this the same week I got it and if I were to buy another product like this, I don't think I'll be going with Lavacore.

Excellent quality, great fit.

Tight fit for warmth is the cost of getting off and on.

Excelent