Sixth wetsuit of the Winter Wetsuits Dossier is the Mares Squadra, maybe the simplest of the lot, but with interesting consistent solutions. To follow: Salvimar Nebula and Cressi Tracina. 

Mares Pure Instinct, the division of Mares SpA dedicated to freediving and spearfishing, has chosen the Mares Squadra wetsuit, black externally lined, in the thicknesses of 7 mm for the jacket and 5.5 mm for the trousers.

In brief

Even though Mares has different camouflage options, the famous Italian company has wanted to send for the Winter Wetsuits Dossier, and the tests that will follow, the Squadra wetsuit, black and completely lined externally. Certainly such wetsuit focuses on simplicity, and is thought for customers who look maily for functionality. Some special solutions are though present and interesting.

Materials and protections

The neoprene of the Mares Squadra is a medium density micro-cellular type, which indicates a choice that permits good softness, without having excessive squeezing during deep dives, or loss of elasticity and thickness that with time would prejudice the thermal insulation capacity of the wetsuit. The external lining is in black Nylon and feels of good softness and elasticity.

External protections are present on the kness and the sternum, but not on the elbows, where Mares has considered the Nylon cover to be sufficient. The knees externally have a printed polyurethane cover with hexagonal pattern, thicker at the center of the knees and thinner moving away.

The sternal protection has an additional internal layer of neoprene, of dimensions 10.5 x 21 cm, while externally it has, as for the knees, a printed polyurethane cover with hexagonal pattern. This goes down to the lower part of the tummy, a solution that helps loading longer spearguns.

Cuts and finishes

Bondings of the Mares Squadra are practically perfect, while clearly, due to the external lining, all the connections between parts of neoprene have seams in addition to bondings. Even the wrists, ankles and face contours edges have seams. In the end though, it must be said that such seams appear very well made and such that they do not make the neoprene more rigid, maintaining a very good elasticity.

The abovementioned edges are all made with folded neoprene, which is externally lined, a solution that in theory could be less effective on a sealing point compared with the externally smooth solution. It must also be said though, that the solution on the Squadra should be more resistant in time, and also more comfortable when it comes to wearing and unwearing the wetsuit, as the edges with externally lined neoprene tend to slide better on the skin. To the contrary, the internal seam on the chin is a little too thick, and could be slightly uncomfortable, but we will evaluate this in the test in the sea.

The simplicity of the Squadra is visible also in the absence of solutions with differentiated thickness neoprene, even though both the face contour area, with a specific band of neoprene, the back and trunck areas, with the insert of an underarm rhombus, and arms and legs, are all well preformed. In particular, the area behind the knees has a special system that allows to shift the seams away from the bending point behind the knee, a solution that can eliminate possible annoyance due to such seams feeling rigid.

The lower part of the jacket has very small areas of internally lined neoprene, limited to the castor tail and the area of the front closing buttons. This is a small help for thermal insulation, but also determines a more delicate area in the wearing and unwearing phases, when grabbing with our hands exactly in such position.

The waist of the trousers is high, with values that are though medium low compared to the other wetsuits of the dossier, especially at the front, with 40 cm measured from the inseams to the edge of the waist of the trousers, while the rear measure increases quite a lot, with total 45 cm. 

Innovative solutions

As already pointed out, it is in its simplicity that the Mares Squadra has its strength, putting together a soft wetsuit without too complicated solutions. Certainly, though, we like the already anticipated solution of the seams in the rear of the knees shifted away from the crease. For those who love camouflage, even though the Mares Squadra has no camouflage option, a good job has been done to utilize black Mares logos, instead of the grey ones, on chest and back, while the grey one on the forehead is very small. Such solution surely helps to hide from the view of the fish.

To read and print the tech sheet of the Mares Squadra click here.

Plus and minuses

Plus

  • Great ease in wearing and unwearing
  • Shifted seams from the rear of the knees
  • Double elastic band to hang trousers

Minuses

  • No elbows protection
  • Thick internal seam on the chin

Price on the web

Excellent is the possibility to buy separately jacket and trousers, with choice of different sizes and thicknesses.

For best price on the web (best price guaranteed) click (and wait a few moments):

Here for the Mares Squadra 7mm jacket.

Here for the Mares Squadra 5.5 mm trousers.