Cressi Fast 5mm Review: The Sensible Temperate Suit
Five millimetres of double-lined neoprene with a sleeve seal system, a neck preformed at 120 degrees, pre-shaped legs and a YKK back zip with a water-stop system, for less than many 3mm suits cost. Buy it if you dive temperate water or do repeat dives where warmth decides how long the day lasts. Skip it for genuinely tropical single dives, where 5mm is more suit than you need and mobility suffers for no reason.
Double-lined neoprene with sleeve seals and a water-stop back zip, at a price that undercuts most 3mm suits.
Cressi Fast 5 mm Wetsuit, Black and Yellow, L
~$290
A 5mm double-lined neoprene suit with sleeve seals, an anatomically preformed neck, pre-shaped legs and a YKK back zip with water-stop.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Thickness | 5 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | Double-lined neoprene, resistant to compression at depth |
| Sleeves | Seal system for tightness and durability |
| Neck | Anatomic design, preformed at 120 degrees |
| Legs | Pre-shaped for flexibility |
| Closure | Wider closure flap and extended nape to reduce infiltration |
| Zip | YKK back zip with under-zip lining and water-stop system |
| Reinforcement | Anti-abrasion at the knees, Tatex elastic reinforcement at knees and shoulders |
| Origin | Designed in Italy by Cressi, made in Cambodia |
Specifications above come from Cressi's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Five millimetres is the thickness most temperate diving actually wants, and thickness beats fabric technology for warmth every time.
- Sleeve seals and an extended nape address the two places a back zip suit floods, which is the standing criticism of the format.
- Double-lined neoprene is more durable than a smooth-skin exterior and survives being dragged over a boat gunwale, which is what actually kills suits.
- Tatex reinforcement at the knees and shoulders puts material where cylinders and boat decks wear it through.
- It costs less than many 3mm suits, which makes it the value choice for anyone whose water is not tropical.
Where it falls short
- Five millimetres restricts movement compared with 3mm, and reaching a valve or a pocket behind you is measurably harder. That is the trade for warmth.
- Neoprene compresses at depth, so a 5mm suit at 30 metres insulates like a thinner suit. Depth matters as much as surface temperature when choosing thickness.
- Thicker neoprene means more buoyancy and more lead. Moving from 3mm to 5mm means re-checking your weighting rather than reusing your old number.
- Back zip suits flush at the neck and spine more than a chest zip, and the water-stop system reduces this rather than solving it.
- In genuinely warm water a 5mm suit is uncomfortable on the surface interval, and overheating before a dive is its own problem.
What owners report
Owner reports on the Cressi Fast are consistent about value: divers describe it as warm and well built for the money, with the usual wetsuit caveat that sizing is the whole story and the size chart matters more than the review. Complaints are mostly about fit rather than about construction.
Thickness is a temperature decision and our 3mm versus 5mm comparison covers it directly. The point worth repeating is that diving is colder than swimming in the same water because you are motionless and submerged, and repeat dives compound the chill. Our thickness calculator and the thickness chart give a starting recommendation for your conditions.
If the water is cold enough that you are considering 7mm, read our wetsuit versus drysuit comparison first. Drysuit diving requires its own training and it is not a purchase you make and then dive. 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 in temperate water, or anyone doing several dives a day.
- Divers who run cold and have found 3mm suits marginal.
- Buyers who want a durable suit at a sensible price rather than a premium fabric.
Who should skip it
- Genuinely tropical single-dive diving, where 3mm or a shorty is more comfortable.
- Divers who need maximum mobility, such as photographers reaching for gear constantly.
- Anyone whose water is cold enough that a drysuit is the honest answer.
Alternatives worth considering
Henderson 3mm Thermoprene Pro Men's Back Zip Jumpsuit
~$347
Glued and sewn seams, a YKK #10 zip with a spine pad and reinforced Duratex knees, in 3mm. More money for less thickness, and the right suit if your water is genuinely warm.
Check price on AmazonDizokizo Diving Scuba Hood, 3mm Thermal Neoprene
~$20
A large share of heat loss goes through the head. Twenty dollars of hood adds more warmth than any suit upgrade at the same price, and it makes a 5mm suit workable in cooler water than it would otherwise handle.
Check price on AmazonCressi Isla 5 mm Crew Diving Boots, size 8
~$55
Feet and hands go cold long before the core does. Five millimetre boots complete a 5mm suit and are required anyway if you are using open heel fins.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- 3mm vs 5mm wetsuit
- Wetsuit vs drysuit
- Wetsuit thickness calculator
- Weighting and buoyancy calculator
- Wetsuit thickness chart
- How to choose a wetsuit
- Henderson Thermoprene Pro 3mm 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5mm too warm for tropical diving?
For genuinely warm tropical water on single dives, usually yes, and you will be uncomfortable on the boat before you get in. For repeat dives, deeper dives or anywhere outside the tropics, 5mm is often the correct choice. Depth matters too, because neoprene compresses and insulates less as you go deeper.
How much extra lead do I need with a 5mm suit?
More than with 3mm, and the exact amount depends on the suit, the water and you. Do a proper weight check in the water rather than adding a fixed number. Our weighting calculator gives a starting point and the in-water check is what confirms it.
Do back zip wetsuits leak?
They flush more at the neck and spine than chest zip suits do. Features like an under-zip lining, a water-stop system and an extended nape reduce that considerably, which is what this suit has. Back zips are much easier to get into on your own, which is why they remain common.
How long does a wetsuit last?
Several seasons with reasonable care, and far less without. Rinse in fresh water after every dive day, dry out of direct sunlight on a wide hanger, and do not leave it folded wet in a bag. Sunlight and salt are what age neoprene, and the zip is usually what fails first.
Should I buy a hood and boots too?
Yes, if the water is cool enough to want a 5mm suit. Heat loss through the head is significant and a hood is the cheapest warmth you can buy. Boots are required anyway with open heel fins, and cold feet end dives as reliably as a cold core does.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, published training agency standards, and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test gear in person, and every depth rating, cylinder capacity and algorithm name quoted here is the manufacturer's published figure unless we say otherwise, so confirm it on the current spec sheet before you buy. Nothing here is dive instruction, and no calculator output on this site is a dive plan. Scuba diving carries a real risk of decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, barotrauma and drowning. Dive within the limits of your certification, verify every plan with your own computer, and buy the training before the gear that assumes it.
Logging your own SAC rate and gas plans? The Dive Kit & Air Planning Workbook is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.